Late last month the deputy director of the state-owned arms export company Rosvooruzhenie said that his company had a code of honor and would not sell arms to Pakistan because of Russia's close relationship with India. Rather piously, he added that in selling to India... MORE

Romania's ambassador to Ukraine, Ion Bistreanu, told a Kiev news conference that his country will "respect the [Romanian-Ukrainian] post-World War II borders as set by the 1947 Paris peace treaty," and, additionally, that Bucharest "recognizes that Serpents' Island belongs to Ukraine." The new Romanian government... MORE

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has launched a new campaign to preserve the world's fast-disappearing forests. Only 6 percent are protected, and the WWF's modest aim is to increase that figure to 10 percent. It is encouraged by the recent decision of the Republic of... MORE

Russia's most respected TV news show, "Itogi," is screening an investigation into the 1992 privatization of Russia's aluminum industry. (NTV, "Itogi," December 28, January 5) Cropping up throughout the story is the figure of Oleg Soskovets, a former Yeltsin associate and Kremlin hawk who was... MORE

Chechnya's 16 presidential hopefuls took an oath in Grozny on January 3, promising to wage an honest election campaign, to abide by the results of the voting, and to remain loyal to Chechnya's new president, whoever he may be. (Itar-Tass, January 3) Only five of... MORE

Russia has completed the withdrawal of its troops from Chechnya, the headquarters of the Russian Interior Ministry forces announced yesterday. All combat units of federal Interior and Defense Ministry troops have now left the republic. There had been several days of confusion over the timetable... MORE

The Kremlin yesterday made a quick return to its hard line on NATO enlargement, despite reports a day earlier that German chancellor Helmut Kohl and Russian president Boris Yeltsin had made some progress on the troublesome issue during talks near Moscow. According to Yeltsin press... MORE

A parliamentary resolution approving Uzbekistan's 1997 budget was published on January 3. Revenues and expenditures were set at 37 percent and 40 percent of the country's GDP, respectively. The parliament also determined sources to finance the projected deficit: 1 percent of GDP is to be... MORE

Negotiations between the Tajik government and opposition failed to start yesterday in Tehran as scheduled. Announcing the postponement, Iran's Foreign Ministry predicted that negotiations will be "strenuous" because of the "complicated problems" of defining the functions and powers of the National Reconciliation Commission, which is... MORE

Estonia's Defense and Internal Affairs Ministries have received from Israel weapons, ammunition, and various types of equipment for 12,000 Estonian soldiers and policemen. Most of the items have already been distributed to the forces. Tallinn is now negotiating with Jerusalem for follow-up deliveries of spare... MORE