Israel has quietly emerged as one of Russia's leading trading partners in the Middle East, with trade turnover increasing from $70 million in 1991 to approximately $650 million last year, according to the Russian daily Izvestiya. Although food products are currently one of Israel's leading... MORE

Military-related exports to Iran currently comprise more than 85 percent of all Russian exports to the Persian Gulf states and could grow to a total of $4 billion over the coming decade, a Russian government spokeswoman said yesterday. The figures reportedly come from a memo... MORE

French prime minister Alain Juppe arrived in Moscow yesterday for three days of talks with Russian leaders that will focus on increasing bilateral trade. French sources report that Juppe will announce a $300 million credit line for Russia and will make available to Russian oil... MORE

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation meets in Moscow today to select its candidate for the presidency. Duma speaker and Communist leader Gennady Seleznev told a press conference February 13 that intense negotiations were under way to try to persuade other left-wing parties and... MORE

Controversy continued to swirl yesterday around wide-ranging economic proposals made by Minister of Internal Affairs Anatoly Kulikov. Those proposals included a call to partially nationalize a number of Russian private banks and large companies in order to raise revenues to pay soldiers and policemen. (See... MORE

Russian president Boris Yeltsin announced today in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg that he has decided to run for re-election in June. The news came as little surprise. Although the president is dogged by persistent health problems, all his recent actions have suggested that he... MORE

1. Interfax, February 13 2. Reuter, February 13 3. Segodnya, February 8 4. Interfax, February 13 5. Segodnya, February 10 6. Interfax, February 13 7. Interfax, February 13 8. BBC World Service, February 13 9. Reuter, UPI, & Interfax, February 13 10. BNS, February 7,... MORE

Seventeen Tajik government soldiers were killed and eight taken prisoner in an attack on a military convoy in the Komsomolabad district February 11, the Tajik government announced yesterday. Up to 100 resistance fighters from the detachment of field commander Mullo Abdullo took part in the... MORE

The state company Kyrgyzaltyn (Kyrgyz Gold) and the U.S. mining company Santa Fe Pacific Gold have set up a joint venture to prospect for and extract gold at the high-altitude Solton-Sary site. The cost of the investment project at this stage is valued at $120... MORE

The official final returns from Kyrgyzstan's February 10 referendum showed a 96.5 percent turnout and a 95 percent yes vote to approve constitutional amendments vastly expanding the powers of the Kyrgyz presidency. President Askar Akayev will henceforth have the power to personally formulate domestic and... MORE