Writing in the July 18 Moskovsky komsomolets, FederationCouncil deputy Nikolai Gonchar said that "Chechnya cannotbe kept. Nor should it be. This is the sad truth." The Chechenswill keep fighting and will be a drain on the Russian state budget,as well as a base for criminal... MORE

OnJuly 19 the Duma rejected Yeltsin's nominee to head the RussianCentral Bank; Interfax reported that Tatyana Paramonova receivedonly 167 votes in favor, far fewer than the 226 required. ButParamonova, who has been acting chief of the bank for the lastyear and a major author of... MORE

In their responsesto the speech, Duma deputies attacked the premier because Russianincomes have fallen by 30 percent over the last year. The deputiesalso claimed that Moscow is following orders from Western banksrather than reflecting the wishes of the Russian people, and thatthe 1996 Russian budget... MORE

In his reportto the Duma July 19, Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdinsaid that his government had turned the economy around, althoughhe regretted that the Russian people continue to suffer. He saidthat Russian monetary stabilization was taking place, that therewould be no more "Black Tuesdays" in... MORE

Talks between the Russian and Chechendelegations resumed in Grozny July 20 after a four day break,Itar-Tass reported. Overnight there was heavy fighting in theChechen capital and in several other Chechen towns, the news servicesaid. Russian delegation members were optimistic that an agreementcould be reached that... MORE

In remarks to journalistsin Brussels, Russian foreign minister Andrei Kozyrev said "Iam not a puppet; I am me," Ostankino television reportedJuly 17. Kozyrev's crack was an obvious reference to the courtcase which the Russian authorities have opened against Russiantelevision's portrayal of Yeltsin and Kozyrev as... MORE

After Almatyannounced that it was planning to close down a number of inefficientcoal mines in Kazakhstan, the predominantly ethnic Russian minersstaged small demonstration strikes at several of the mines targetedfor closure, Interfax reported July 18. Fewer than 1300 minerswere involved, and local officials played down... MORE

During Tajikistanpresident Imomali Rakhmonov's visit to Tehran, the Iranian authoritiessaid that they would give Dushanbe a $10 million loan, IRNA reportedJuly 18. Iran had been cool to the pro-Moscow Tajik governmentin the past; this latest move reflects both the warming of Russian-Iranianties and Tehran's desire... MORE

Tajik policehave charged that Russian troops are now participating in thedrug trade along with a growing number of Tajiks, Komsomolskayapravda said July 18. This report will do nothing to smoothrelations between Dushanbe and Russian forces in Tajikistan orto shore up Russian public support for continued... MORE

Only 5,000 ethnic Russiansleft Kyrgyzstan in the first quarter of 1995, compared to 49,000for all of 1994 and 106,000 for 1993, Interfax reported July 18.Part of the decline reflects Kyrgyz efforts to improve conditionsfor Russians living there, but most of it reflects the increasingdifficulties Russians... MORE