Russia's Foreign Ministry yesterday accused the Baltic states of "searching for an external threat and an external enemy" in an effort to "heighten anti-Russian sentiments." Spokesman Mikhail Demurin said that the interparliamentary Baltic Assembly's December 2 resolution in favor of defense cooperation and a defense... MORE

The lower house of the Russian parliament (the Duma) on December 5 adopted a law "On the Formation of the Federation Council." (7) This lays down the rules whereby the upper house of parliament, or Senate, whose members represent the constituent territories of the Russian... MORE

The Ukrainian parliament yesterday was forced to postpone its debate on joining the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly as a full member, because of a boycott of the session by national-democratic deputies. It was the second such protest in two weeks, and the twelfth time overall that... MORE

Russia must obtain "priority rights," ahead of "third parties," to develop Caspian mineral deposits in the offshore zones of the former Soviet republics, said an official of Russia's Ministry for Cooperation with CIS countries (Minsotrudnichestvo). The official, who wished to remain anonymous, recommended that Russia... MORE

Russia's air defense forces yesterday accused NATO of continuing air espionage operations, saying more than 900 spy flights have been detected along the country's air borders this year. Many flights passed within range of industrial and military facilities, the press service said. (3) Ukraine Cut... MORE

Ukraine has been uncoupled from a joint power grid with Russia because it was taking too much power from its northern neighbor, government officials said yesterday. "This happened because of a worsening energy balance between Ukraine and Russia. We started to take too much power... MORE

Pending the completion of their investigation, Russian officials refuse to say what caused yesterday's explosion, in which no one was hurt, but which destroyed the office of ultrantionalist deputy Nikolai Lysenko. Lysenko claims it was a bomb planted by members of "the Caucasian Mafia." (2)... MORE

Russian foreign minister Andrei Kozyrev said yesterday that Spanish foreign minister Javier Solana, now the leading candidate for the post of NATO Secretary General, "would prove a boon in deepening NATO-Russian relations." He is "one of the best candidates from the point of view of... MORE

Kyrgyzstan's Central Electoral Commission has in the last few days registered five challengers to incumbent president Askar Akayev in the presidential election scheduled for December 24. Among them are: Absamat Masaliyev, former First Secretary of the republic's Communist Party; Medetkan Sherimkulov, former ideological secretary of... MORE

Azerbaijan's president Heydar Aliyev announced December 3 in Paris that his country is prepared to grant Karabakh a special autonomous political status, in return for Armenian recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the region and for the return of Lachin corridor to Azerbaijani control. (20) Until... MORE