Latest Monitor Articles
UKRAINIAN COAL STRIKE WINDS DOWN.
The Ukrainian government recently appealed to the German and U.S. governments to support Ukraine's effort to address the potentially destabilizing social costs of economic reforms. That appeal was catalyzed by the coal workers' strike over unpaid wages in russified eastern Ukraine. Only two mines were... MORE
TAJIKISTAN FIGHTING CONTINUES DESPITE CEASEFIRE.
Tajik military officials said yesterday that "fierce fighting" is underway around the town of Tavildara and that the government is rushing in fresh forces from the Defense, Internal Affairs, and State Security Ministries. The officials expressed frustration over the fact that the mountainous terrain prevents... MORE
POST OF PRIVATIZATION CZAR VACANT.
Following the elevation of Aleksandr Kazakov to work under Anatoly Chubais as first deputy head of the Presidential Administration, the post of chairman of the State Property Committee (GKI) is vacant. Russia's controversial privatization program has been virtually frozen since the beginning of the year,... MORE
RUSSIA LOOKS TO THE BALKANS.
Russian first deputy defense minister Andrei Kokoshin made clear yesterday that Moscow views its recent donation of arms to Bulgaria as part of a broader effort to strengthen its presence in the Balkans. In remarks to Russian television, Kokoshin said that the Russian arms deliveries... MORE
CHERNOMYRDIN GETS HIS WAY OVER STRUCTURE OF NEW GOVERNMENT.
Yeltsin's remarks yesterday made it clear that Prime Minister Chernomyrdin had won out on the structure of the new government. Up to that point there were two competing models on the table. The more conservative model was championed by Chernomyrdin and his right-hand-man, government chief-of-staff... MORE
SPECULATION CONTINUES OVER COMPOSITION OF NEW GOVERNMENT.
The names of the members of the new government will not be announced until after the August 9 presidential inauguration. According to the newspaper Segodnya, however, it is already clear that, for all the talk of streamlining the government, the number of deputy and first... MORE
…MOBIL IN TURKMENISTAN.
Turkmen president Saparmurat Niazov met yesterday in Ashgabat with executives of Mobil Oil. The parties then signed a protocol covering oil and gas exploration in Turkmenistan's portion of the Caspian continental shelf and a plan for possible export pipelines from Turkmenistan to international markets. (UPI,... MORE
PRIMAKOV, CHRISTOPHER PROCLAIM PROGRESS ON NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY.
Following ninety minutes of talks in Jakarta yesterday, U.S. secretary of state Warren Christopher and Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov announced that both countries would support a compromise treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, despite the fact that it does not fully satisfy either side. In... MORE
ESTONIAN-GERMAN EXPLOSIVES JOINT VENTURE.
An Estonian and a German firm yesterday signed an agreement to establish the joint venture Dynamit Nobel Eesti for the production of explosives in Estonia. According to the Estonian partner, the main goal of the project is to end Estonia's dependence on imports of Russian... MORE
EXXON IN AZERBAIJAN…
Yesterday in Baku, Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev conferred with Harry Longwell, Exxon's vice president for exploration and development. The discussion reportedly focused on opening new oilfields in Azerbaijan's portion of the Caspian continental shelf, other than the three which have already been started as major... MORE