Following threatsby the Russian government and Boris Yeltsin to disarm the Chechensby force if the Chechens did not start to hand over their weapons,several Chechen units did just that August 16, Russian radio reported.Chechen commander Arslan Maskhadov, who had earlier criticizedthe Russian threats, said he... MORE

A decree by Tajik president ImammaliRakhmonov, published August 14, appointed Yakubzhon Salimov tothe newly created position of ambassador to Turkey. Two weeksearlier Rakhmonov had dismissed Salimov from the position of internalaffairs minister, but parliament withheld its consent to thatmeasure. A prominent racketeer before the Tajik... MORE

South Koreaninvestments in Uzbekistan have reached $ 450 million, Seoul'sambassador in Tashkent, So Kon I, told the Financial InformationAgency August 15. The largest ongoing project is a $ 685 millioncar factory built by Daewoo in a 50 percent partnership with theUzbek government. The two sides... MORE

The Texas-basedFountain Oil company announced August 15 the acquisition of a31 percent interest in the development of Maykop gas field, locatednear the capital of the Adygey republic in North Caucasus. Thefield's proven recoverable reserves are estimated at 495 billioncubic feet of gas and 4.3 million... MORE

Turkish prime minister Tansu Ciller'svisit to Kazakhstan did not produce a bilateral agreement on transportingKazakh oil to Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Instead, the two countries'oil and gas ministers agreed to sign a protocol which would inviteother organizations and countries to join in building an oil pipelinefrom... MORE

The commanderof Azerbaijan's border troops, Maj. General Abbas-Ali Novruzov,dismissed via Interfax August 15 allegations that arms are reachingChechnya via Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan does not permit the use ofits territory against Russia, Russian troops tightly control theirside of the Azerbaijan-Russia border, and Russia's North Caucasusmilitary command has... MORE

Baku has notifiedTehran that it would consider Iranian participation in the developmentof Shah-Deniz oil field, Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR)president Natik Aliev told the International Petroleum AgencyAugust 15. SOCAR is prepared to cede a part of its 40 percentstake to Iran by agreement with the... MORE

Lt. General Valeri Yevnevich, commander of Russian troopsin Moldova, announced on Tiraspol TV August 14 as cited by Russianand Moldovan agencies that his force will stop within 72 hoursthe detonation of expired and surplus explosives and ammunition.Yevnevich said that a recalculation of the amounts involved... MORE

The governingAgrarian Democratic Party's draft program, published in the pressAugust 12 preparatory to the party's upcoming congress, defines"the people of Moldova as a polyethnic entity with its ownpsycho-moral characteristics," and calls for "promotingits socialization on the basis of democratic, humanistic, andethical-religious values." Within that overarching... MORE

Ukrainiandeputy prime minister Vasyl Durdinets told Interfax-Ukraine August15 that he has been given a mandate to oversee Crimea's securitysituation, and to assist regional authorities in implementingUkrainian government decisions, with particular reference to theCrimean Tatars. Last month five Tatars were killed in the courseof riots against... MORE