Tashkent is likely to sign on to the Russian-Belarusian-Kazakhstanfree trade agreement when Russian Premier Viktor Chernomyrdinarrives there July 26, Moscow radio reported July 25. Russian Counterfeiters are Not Stupid.

Komsomolskayapravda suggested on July 25 that the Russian Central Bankwas foolish to introduce new bills for denominations smaller than50,000 rubles. "The point is that according to unofficialsources, the cost of forging a ruble note regardless of its denominationexceeds 8,000 rubles, not to mention the risk... MORE

During his stopoverin Simferopol, Ukrainian premier Evhen Marchuk said that the Crimeanauthorities must pay the taxes they owe to Kiev for governmentservices, Interfax reported July 25. Marchuk said that he hopedthe lifting of a ban on privatization on the peninsula would allowthe Crimean government to... MORE

Thirty-eightpercent of the residents of the Ukrainian capital think it wouldbe a good idea to rebury Ukrainian Patriarch Vladimir in the St.Sophia cathedral as his followers want, and more were angeredby the government's use of force to block his funeral processionJuly 18, Interfax-Ukraine reported July... MORE

During a two-dayvisit to Azerbaijan beginning July 27, Ukrainian president LeonidKuchma will sign several economic agreements with Azerbaijan,Ukrainian officials told Interfax July 25. Azerbaijan wants toimport Ukrainian machinery, and Ukraine would like Azerbaijanto help develop oil fields in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian foreignministry official... MORE

Ukrainian presidentLeonid Kuchma said he would not discuss the future of the BlackSea fleet during his visit to Moscow July 25-26, and Russian officialssaid they would not discuss the date for a Yeltsin visit to Kyiv,Russian media reported. As a result, the sessions are likely... MORE

Ukrainianinflation has declined to only 4.8 percent in June, Interfax reportedJuly 25. That figure is below the one for Russia, which earlierhad a better record in this regard and, equally important, isbelow the monthly increase in Ukrainian wages and incomes. Marchuk: Crimea Must Pay Its... MORE

Yeltsinaide Sergei Filatov told visiting Lithuanian parliament speakerCeslovas Jursensas that Russia had solved "the problem ofcitizenship and human rights" far better than any of theBaltic countries and he complained that "the Lithuanian Constitutionso far makes it impossible" to establish dual citizenshipfor ethnic Russians there, Interfax... MORE

The Latviangovernment reopened a stock exchange closed when Moscow occupiedRiga in 1940, BNS reported July 25. On its first day of business,the exchange had only three companies listed, and a total volumeof 232 shares trading hands. The exchange will certainly grow;and its organizers said they... MORE

Because of the crisisin the Latvian banking system which was triggered by the failureof the Baltija Bank, the Latvian central bank has seen its goldand hard currency reserves fall by more than $10 million in Junealone, BNS reported July 25. Another indication of Riga's financialdifficulties... MORE