Zhirinovsky's text, while unremarkable in itself, may be significant in light of another document also published yesterday -- a report by Dmitri Yuriev, an expert on the staff of the pro-Yeltsin "Strategiya" Center (of which Gennady Burbulis is a leading light). In his report, published... MORE

Today in Moscow, Belarus parliament chairman Semyon Sharetsky and the chairmen of Russia's two parliamentary chambers, Gennady Seleznev and Yevgeny Stroyev, signed an agreement creating a special interparliamentary legislative commission. It will draft legislation for submission to the interparliamentary assembly created to issue common legislation... MORE

Nezavisimaya gazeta published April 10 an abridged text of a fax issued over Vladimir Zhirinovsky's signature by the Liberal Democratic Party. In the fax, Zhirinovsky says Yeltsin's reelection chances are low since local leaders are, almost to a man, supporting the presidential campaign of Gennady... MORE

A South Korean deputy foreign minister said yesterday that Seoul "fully recognizes the need for Russia's participation in tackling problems on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia." He suggested that Seoul discuss these problems regularly with Moscow. U.S. President Bill Clinton is scheduled to arrive... MORE

While Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service chose not to comment on press reports that a Russian diplomat had been expelled from Switzerland on spying charges, an unnamed Foreign Ministry source claimed yesterday that Moscow had prepared a note of protest over the incident. (Interfax, April 10)... MORE

In glowing comments that followed the first meeting of the Russian-Italian economic cooperation council, Russian first deputy prime minister Vladimir Kadannikov praised Rome for aiding Moscow's efforts to join the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as for... MORE

Russia's Black Sea Fleet began yesterday its most massive maneuvers of recent years. More than 50 ships, land-based naval aviation, and marine infantry are taking part in the exercises under the command of Vice Admiral Viktor Kravchenko, the Fleet's recently appointed commander. Firing and landing... MORE

Armenia has submitted a "presentation document" containing Armenia's plan for participating in the NATO Partnership for Peace program. Deputy Foreign Minister Eduard Zuloyan discussed the plan at allied headquarters in Brussels with the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Gebhardt von Moltke. The plan... MORE

Tatarstan president Mintimer Shaimiev's advisor Rafael Hakimov yesterday flew to Ingushetia, on Chechnya's border, equipped with a satellite telephone for direct contact with the United Arab Emirates, where Shaimiev is currently visiting. Shaimiev is a serious and mutually acceptable candidate as mediator between the Kremlin... MORE

Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski, speaking yesterday to journalists in Moscow, said that his Belarusian counterpart had pledged during recent talks between the two to remove the remaining 18 strategic nuclear missiles from Belarusian territory by the end of the year. (Interfax, April 10) Aleksandr Lukashenko... MORE