Russian and Chechen talksare supposed to resume today after a three-day break in whichboth sides consulted with their governments, and in which themedia suggested that neither had softened its stand on the keyissue of the future status of Chechnya. Chechen officials indicatedthat many Chechen fighters... MORE

Ukrainian representativeswill take part in the London talks on Bosnia July 21, Kiev officialstold Interfax-Ukraine July 17. This marks a major victory forUkraine which has sent peacekeepers to Croatia and Bosnia, whereseveral are being held hostage. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian governmenthas asked the Ukrainian parliament to... MORE

Russian prosecutors have reneweda case against NTV's "Puppets" program for showing puppetsof Boris Yeltsin and Viktor Chernomyrdin in the role of beggars,Moscow radio reported July 14. The puppeteers face a possiblepunishment of two years in prison. The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation.... MORE

In remarks clearly intended to put pressure on Moscow in advanceof the Sochi meeting, Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev toldvisiting Russian Federation Council chairman Vladimir Shumeikothat Azerbaijan's further membership in the CIS depends on howthe Karabakh conflict is settled, Interfax reported July 16. "IfArmenian aggression continues... MORE

Russian commanderstold Ostankino television July 15 that the Tajik opposition hasplans to launch a broadscale attack on Russian and Tajik governmentunits at the end of July and the beginning of August, Ostankinotelevision reported July 15. Russian television reported thesame day that the size of opposition... MORE

Inthe June 15 Vseukrainskiye vedomosti, Ukrainian militaryobserver G. Nikolayev argues that the limits imposed by the ConventionalForces in Europe Treaty mean that Ukraine "cannot take careof its national security because it is not entitled to deploytroops at its own discretion." Russian officials have repeatedlycomplained about... MORE

On July 15, Moldovanpresident Mircea Snegur launched a new political party which iscalled "The Party of Rebirth and Accord." His movecomes after his own resignation from the ruling Agrarian DemocraticParty June 26, and that party's loss of its parliamentary majoritywhen 11 other deputies resigned from... MORE

AlthoughGeorgian president Eduard Shevardnadze is skeptical about itsprospects and Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev only lukewarm,Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan like his two colleagueshas accepted an invitation from Yeltsin to attend a regional summitconference in Sochi in September, Interfax reported July 16. Themeeting is intended to explore... MORE

TheSwedish government will help finance a $250 million project tobuild an electric power line between Lithuania and Poland, BNSreported July 15. The power line will allow Lithuania to sellsome of the electricity it produces at the Ignalina atomic powerstation. Belarus to Sell Arms to Iran.

Belarus has agreed to sellconvention weaponry to Iran, Minsk radio reported July 14; butthe Belarusian government was unable to reach agreement with visitingIranian Vice President Hassan Habibi on having Iran supply oilto Belarus. Such a supply would lessen Belarusian dependence onMoscow, and that may be... MORE