During a visit to Minsk, Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchmasaid Kiev was prepared to join the Russian-Belarusian customsunion but that such a step might take some time, Interfax reportedJuly 17. "To restore relations is much more difficult thanto break them," Kuchma added. Ukrainians Dispute Russian Gazprom... MORE

Ukrainianofficials claim that Gazprom has failed to pay what it owes forstorage and transit of gas across Ukrainian territory, Ostankinotelevision reported July 17. Russian officials dismissed the Ukrainiancomplaints as politically motivated.

The Lithuanian government has completed is inventory of theenvironmental damage done by Soviet military bases in that Balticcountry, Russian radio reported on July 14. The survey identified$1.76 billion in damages. Under the terms of the 1993 troop withdrawalagreement, Moscow is obligated to compensate Lithuania for... MORE

As of July15, trade between Belarus and Russia will not be subject to anycustoms controls, but goods in transit to or from third countriesstill will, Russian radio reported July 15. Russian officialsare concerned that this arrangement will allow Belarusian vodkato flood the Russian market, and... MORE

The Belarusian armyhas declined from 243,000 men in 1992 to 150,000 now and willfall another 60,000 in the next several years, NTV reported July16. The number of those in uniform is actually lower because thecurrent figures include civilian employees as well. Ukraine Prepared to Join... MORE

More than70 percent of Russian cities are threatened by rising levels ofground water, a development that undermines the foundations ofmany buildings and the health of their residents, Nizhegorodskiyrabochii reported June 6. This flooding is costing Russiamore than 60 trillion rubles a year, the paper said,... MORE

Estonianinterior minister Edgar Savisaar is pressing for a change in thecountry's citizenship law that would allow Tallinn to grant citizenshipto those who would not otherwise qualify, BNS reported July 17.Recently, the Estonian parliament had imposed a five-person-per-yearrestriction on this provision; Savisaar's proposal would restorethe status... MORE

With thesewords, Russian doctors have dismissed complaints by patients andtheir families that doctors have continued to test drugs on anyonewho has checked into a hospital without giving any notification,Ogonek (no. 28) reported. Psychotropic drugs continue tobe given to patients without their consent, the weekly reported;and... MORE

Tatarstanpresident Mintimer Shaimiyev sharply criticized Federation Councilspeaker Vladimir Shumeiko's suggestion that Moscow should nothave anything more to do with Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba,Interfax reported July 15. Such an approach makes it more difficultto solve any problem because in all such conflicts--includingthe Chechen-Russian one--"it is never... MORE

Russianborder guards based in Astrakhan have provided assistance to Turkmenistan,and to Russian regions in the Caucasus, to block a growing tradein drugs and the increasing effort of foreign intelligence servicesto penetrate Russia via the Caspian Sea, Astrakhanskiye izvestiyareported May 25-31.