. Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma and his Chilean counterpart Eduardo Frei signed an agreement on Monday to promote investment between their two countries. The 11-article accord, signed on the second day of Kuchma's visit to Chile, sets terms for private investment between the two countries... MORE

Presidential press spokesman Sergei Medvedev said yesterday that Yeltsin's condition "has certainly not deteriorated and remains stable." Medvedev anticipated that "we shall soon see a strong and vital president." He reaffirmed that there was no need to delegate powers from Yeltsin to Prime Minister Viktor... MORE

. Boris Yeltsin issued his first order since being taken to hospital on Thursday, demanding information on recent controversial decisions by Russia's Central Electoral Commission, Itar-Tass news agency said on Tuesday. Tass quoted Yeltsin's press office as saying the president demanded an explanation from Commission... MORE

President Clinton's chief spokesman expressed concern on Monday that the democratic process in Russia may be negatively affected by the decision barring a pro-reform party from parliamentary elections. White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said the decision, "for what appear to be procedural reasons, limits... MORE

Russia and Iran are preparing a joint statement opposing any division of the Caspian Sea into national sectors or national economic zones, Moscow officials said as a governmental delegation flew to Tehran yesterday. The joint statement "will be tougher than statements Russia previously signed with... MORE

The blockade of Sukhumi harbor by Russian coast guard ships, which led the Abkhaz side to scuttle last week's scheduled round of Georgian-Abkhaz negotiations, has entirely nonpolitical reasons, according to officials of Russia's Foreign Ministry which mediates the talks. The Russian warships are there to... MORE

In an address to a Transdniester congress of people's deputies from the Soviets [legislative and administrative authorities] of all levels, Transdniester leader Igor Smirnov rejected Moldova's offer of regional autonomy as "less than accorded to the Gagauz." He criticized Moldova's foreign policy as "oriented toward... MORE

Reacting to an October 13 note from Kiev, a Russian Foreign Ministry official (8) on October 28 criticized Ukraine for being "in too much of a hurry" to proceed with the delimitation and demarcation of the Ukrainian-Russian border. His comments were also in response to... MORE

On October 26 Konstantin Zatulin, chairman of the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs and Compatriot Relations, again ripped Russian officials for their "indifferent attitude toward the violation of [ethnic Russian] rights in the near abroad". (10) In this instance, Zatulin was set off by... MORE

Russian troops tested October 27 a new type of tactical Tochka missile at a test range situated near the Lithuanian border in the Koenigsberg/Kaliningrad region. The missile, reportedly without a warhead, was launched on an almost vertical trajectory in order to avoid its falling into... MORE