Belarusian presidentAleksandr Lukashenko told visiting National Security Council stafferCoit Blacker that Minsk wants close ties with the United Statesand hopes for more American assistance, Sovetskaya Belorussiyareported June 29. Lukashenko also said that because of its currenteconomic difficulties, Belarus would be unable to give up anyweapons... MORE

In a step that may provokea new outburst in the Ukrainian parliament, president Leonid Kuchmahas reconfirmed Vladyslav Datsiuk as his chief prosecutor, Russianradio reported July 1. Ten days ago, the Ukrainian parliamenthad stripped Datsiuk of his office for alleged corruption. Theparliament claims that it has... MORE

As a Kiev commissioncontinued its investigation into last week's violence betweenCrimean Tatars and local Russians, the Crimean authorities finallyreported on the results of the June 25 elections. Only 3347 ofthe 4297 seats in local and regional government councils werefilled; elections were invalidated in four districts... MORE

BecauseRussian officials have denied them access to the accounts of theship repair yards, Ukrainian tax police have blocked the accounts,Russian radio reported July 1. The Dollar is Falling in Ukraine Too.

Although little noticedin the West, the Ukrainian currency is appreciating against thedollar just like the ruble, Russian television reported June 30. Lebed: "I Leave but I Remain."

Pledging to returnif needed, now retired Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Lebed told supportersin Moldova's Transdniestr region that he would always defend them,Russian television reported June 30. Russian authorities wereglad to see him go. Trud reported June 28 that they hadstripped Lebed of his car, guards, and... MORE

The Trandniestr news agency Press told Interfax on June 30 thatthe Moldovan government had paid Moscow television and newspaperssome $50,000 to disseminate critical stories about the Russian14th Army and its former commander, Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Lebed. Armenian Aide: Pipeline Should Cross Armenia.

Zhirair Lipardian,a senior aide to Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian told InterfaxJune 30 that Armenia would like to have the pipeline from Azerbaijancross its territory into Turkey. His remarks, the clearest indicationto date that Yerevan may see an agreement on the pipeline as partof a general... MORE

Tbilisiannounced that it had disarmed another Georgian terrorist groupthat had infiltrated the city, Moscow's Echo radio reported June30. In other developments there, the sit-in protesting Georgia'sAbkhazia policy continued over the weekend, and the Georgian parliamentprotested Armenia's decision to reopen the Metzamor nuclear powerplant. New Kazakhstan... MORE

If the newconstitution is adopted in a September referendum, the CentralAsian state will be known as the Kazakh Republic, not the Republicof Kazakhstan, Interfax reported June 29. For most Russians, thatmove will overshadow provisions in the new constitution makingRussian equal to Kazakh as a state... MORE