A commentary in Moskovskiye novosti (no. 45) suggestedthat the frequent meetings of US vice president Al Gore and RussianPremier Viktor Chernomyrdin allow both sides to look beyond currentdisagreements on NATO expansion and Russian involvement in theCIS countries. Moreover, the paper said, the sessions have convincedthe... MORE

A Russian foreignministry spokesman denounced a resolution introduced in the USHouse of Representatives that calls for the demilitarization ofKaliningrad, the non-contiguous part of Russia on the Baltic coast,Russian radio reported July 5. The spokesman said that this wasblatant interference in Russia's internal affairs. Moscow Adopts... MORE

Russian negotiators said that the Western members of the so-calledLondon Club of creditor nations would have to accept Moscow'sterms for debt rescheduling because Russia would not agree toany other, Interfax reported July 5. Economics minister Oleg Davydovsaid that Moscow had no choice but to take... MORE

Russia may not be ableto follow Kozyrev's recommendations because it does not have effectivecontrol over the illegal outflow of capital. Rossiiskaya gazetareported July 4 that the outflow continues at the rate of$1-1.5 billion a month and that Russian authorities are virtuallypowerless to stop it. This... MORE

Russia's largestoil and gas conglomerate will control 70 percent of Iraq's oilexports once the UN sanctions against Baghdad are lifted, Interfaxreported July 5. The potential profits from these fields are solarge that Moscow is likely to step up its drive to have the sanctionslifted. Oil... MORE

Russia's nine largest oilconcerns have agreed that it is better for them to compete country-widethan to try to establish specific territorial spheres of influence,and they will use their power to force smaller energy concernsto reach the same conclusion, Russian television reported July4. The Russian government... MORE

Spokesmen for Boris Yeltsin and various members of the parliament'supper chamber said that a Duma-passed bill calling for the FederationCouncil to be chosen by election was unconstitutional, Russianradio reported July 5. Unless the two houses can agree on provisionsfor the Council's selection, Yeltsin has said... MORE

In July 4 debates, members of the parliament's upper housebemoaned the fact that over the last decade Russia has fallenfrom seventh to 36th place in the world in being able to feedits people, Segodnya reported July 5. One-third of Russia'scitizens are now malnourished, and half... MORE

Althoughthe Federation Council has refused to approve three Duma-passedconstitutional amendments that would have given the legislaturegreater control over the executive branch, the parliament's lowerhouse has decided to press ahead and to send the amendments tothe country's regions for a ratification vote, Interfax reportedJuly 5. The... MORE

On July5 the Federation Council ratified the September 1994 Moscow-Beijingaccord on border demarcation, Russian radio reported. The Dumahad already approved the treaty in May. The parliament's ratificationof an accord which yields a small amount of territory to Chinasets the stage for a conflict between Moscow... MORE