In preparation a visit by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin,Uzbek pesident Islam Karimov told Russia´s deputy ministerfor CIS cooperation, German Kuznetsov, in Tashkent that Uzbekistanseeks mutually beneficial cooperation within the CIS and withRussia, Uzbekistan´s chief trade partner. Karimov added thathis country is prepared to join... MORE

With $40 millionworth of debts to Russia falling due in 1995, Kyrgyzstan proposeseither rescheduling or transferring shares in Kyrgyz enterprisesto Russia as debt repayment. Kyrgyz officials told Interfax July6 that they would favor the creation of joint Kyrgyz-Russian enterprisesregardless of the resolution of the debt... MORE

Russian authoritieshave decided to increase the hourly pay of simultaneous translatorsworking at Russian-American meetings from $1.20 an hour to $2.60an hour, Moskovskiy komsomolets reported June 1. The paperdid not say whether this increase would improve the quality ofexchanges between the two countries. The Monitor is... MORE

Boris Yeltsin's July 4 decree onpermanent Russian military basing in Chechnya sparked outrageamong both Moscow's negotiating team and the Chechens. Russiannegotiator Arkady Volsky said that he and his team would not goback to Grozny unless the decree were withdrawn. Chechen talkschief Usman Imayev said that... MORE

The Russiangovernment and its central bank will use some $10 billion in hardcurrency reserves to stabilize the ruble-dollar exchange ratein a range between 4300 and 4900 rubles to the dollar until October1, Russian media reported July 5. While many commentators suggested that Moscow would be... MORE

Foreign observers including a parliamentary delegation fromthe OSCE joined Armenian opposition leaders in criticizing boththe preparation and conduct of the July 5 parliamentary electionsand constitutional referendum. The Central Electoral Commissionreportedly blocked all opposition members from participating inthe vote, and there were widespread reports of problems... MORE

Althoughdismissed interior minister Viktor Yerin has found a place asdeputy chief of Russia's foreign intelligence service, defenseminister Pavel Grachev may end up as the big winner even if heends up losing in current position soon. That is the conclusionof a commentary in Moskovskiye novosti (no.... MORE

A commentary in Komsomolskaya pravda on July 4 saidthat Moscow's recent failures in Chechnya and Budennovsk reflectedthe collapse of the old KGB and the failure of the various successorbodies to coordinate their activities and their information. Thepaper urged that Moscow adopt a US-type intelligence communityorganization.... MORE

Boris Yeltsin signeda decree late last month creating a Russian Military Brotherhood,Moskovskiy komsomolets reported June 29. The new group,which Yeltsin told the government to fund, will seek to promotepatriotism among the young and to provide the military with certainoff-budget needs. New Budget Increases Military Expenditures... MORE

Underthe terms of the draft 1996 state budget, Moscow will spend 76trillion rubles on defense, up from 50 trillion this year. Asannounced in the Russian media July 5, the budget deficit willbe 85 trillion rubles, or 4 percent of GDP, and will be financedby domestic... MORE