In a statement issued in Donetsk August 14, the CivicCongress, a Russia-oriented political organization based in Ukraine'sindustrial east, called on Kiev to impose economic sanctions onCroatia until it withdraws from Krajina, to stop observing theinternational sanctions against rump Yugoslavia, and to ceaseparticipation in NATO's Partnership... MORE

Fearing international criticism,the foreign ministry of Belarus has urged that President AleksandrLukashenko resume the arms reductions mandated by the treaty onConventional Forces in Europe, Interfax reported August 14. Lukashenkosuspended the reductions in February due to financial difficulties.According to Foreign Minister Uladzimir Senko, Minsk is seekingways... MORE

Canada's Northern Telecom,British Telecom, and Russia's Sovintel announced August 14 thatthey have established the first integrated services digital network(ISDN) between Russia and the West. Britain will get the firstmodern telephone link with Russia, and NorTel is now working togive Russia an ISDN link to a... MORE

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov told Argumenty i fakty (no. 32)that what Russia really needs is the Yeltsin of 1986. Luzhkovsoftened this remark by saying that Yeltsin is still a leadertoday and that he remains loyal to the president. At the sametime, Luzhkov confessed to "hating"... MORE

. OnAugust 14 Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Demurin praised US president Bill Clinton's veto of the attempt by theU.S. Congress to lift the arms embargo on Bosnia. However he saidthat Russia wants more: "Moscow expects that this will beorganically supplemented by the important, still... MORE

In a statement carried byItar-Tass August 15, President Boris Yeltsin gave Chechen forcesuntil 6:00 PM local time to comply with Moscow's interpretationof the July 30 armistice terms. Yeltsin warned that Russian forcesmay resume hostilities unless the Chechen forces disarm. "Bandsin Chechnya are slowly coming back... MORE

On August 11 in Dushanbe, Tajik presidentImammali Rakhmonov received Iranian Foreign Minister Ali AkbarVelayati and praised Iran's role in promoting a settlement ofthe conflict in Tajikistan, Interfax reported. Rakhmonov and Velayaticonsulted on the upcoming round of inter-Tajik negotiations andalso discussed a possible agreement on supplies... MORE

First Deputy PrimeMinister Abdyzhapar Tagaev of

On August 12 the nationalassembly (milli-mejlis) of Azerbaijan scheduled parliamentaryelections for November 12. The new unicameral parliament willbe comprised of 125 deputies, 100 of whom will be elected in territorialdistricts and 25 on party lists. The opposition parties had proposeda larger legislature and a greater... MORE

Negotiations betweenNorth Ossetia and Ingushetia on the repatriation of Ingush forcedout of North Ossetia in 1992 were suspended August 11, Interfaxreported. In Ingushetia's capital of Nazran, the Ingush side demandedthat this year repatriation should begin with respect to all16 localities in the Prigorodnyi raion, and... MORE