In its rush toward recesslast week, the Russian parliament passed bills simplifying Russia'stax code, regulating stock markets, and limiting power of theforeign trade ministry to regulate oil and gas exports, Russianradio reported July 21-22. All three measures are designed tomake Russia more investor friendly. In... MORE

A group of scholarsin Tomsk have launched a court challenge to Yeltsin's decisionto intervene in Chechnya, a Tomsk newspaper reported May 24. Krasnoyeznamya said that the professors believed that Yeltsin hadviolated Russian and international law by his actions. Meanwhile,Russian radio said July 24 that a... MORE

Deputypremier Oleg Davydov said that Russia may need a year or two tocoordinate its policies with the members of the World Trade Organizationand thus be ready for membership, Interfax reported July 21. Hesuggested that each year of non-membership would cost Russia $1.5billion in losses because... MORE

Even though AgrarianParty chief Mikhail Lapshin has said his party will run independentlyin the December parliamentary elections, Duma speaker Ivan Rybkinwho is putting together his left-center electoral bloc said theAgrarians were his allies, and he expressed surprise at Lapshin'srecent comments, Russian radio reported July 24.... MORE

Russia exported 46 milliontons of oil in the first six months of 1995, four million tonsmore than in the same period last year, fuel and energy ministerYuri Shafrannik told Itar-Tass July 24. The minister added thatRussia plans to continue to increase its exports and thus... MORE

Despiteprojections of a bad harvest in Russia this year, the Russiangovernment will not import any grain from abroad, deputy premierAleksandr Zaverukha told Interfax July 24. Instead, commercialcompanies will make up any shortfalls. But in words that may presagea rise in food prices, Zaverukha added that... MORE

Russian food prices roseonly 1 percent in the first three weeks of July, their best showingin several years, Interfax reported July 24. Deputy premier AnatolyChubais said that the small increase showed that those who hadclaimed the new tariffs on imported foods would send prices muchhigher... MORE

TheRussian government will increase its construction activities atIran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, Interfax reported July 24.The contract is to take effect in August. Meanwhile, Mikhail Tarasov,an aide to Russian premier Viktor Chernomyrdin, told Interfaxthat the US and Russia have not yet reached an agreement on... MORE

President Boris Yeltsinhas appointed Col. Gen. Mikhail Barsukov as chief of the FederalSecurity Service (FSB), Russian media reported July 24. A veteranof the KGB Ninth Directorate which was responsible for protectingCommunist Party leaders, Barsukov in December 1991 became Kremlincommandant and chief of the powerful Main... MORE

With both sides now taking a tougherposition on the key issue of the status of Chechnya, the peacetalks in Grozny made no progress July 24 but will continue July25, Russian media reported. The previously optimistic leader ofthe Russian delegation, Vyacheslav Mikhailov, said that in theabsence... MORE