Estonianprime minister Tiit Vahi told the Estonian paper PostimeesJune 26 that he believed the dialogue between Moscow and NATOwould contribute to peace by giving Russia "a broader perspective"and allowing it to understand the West, BNS reported. In othercomments, Vahi said he believed that Moscow should... MORE

Botha Russian-Kaliningrad consortium and a Lithuanian-American-Frenchgroup have announced plans to develop oil under the Baltic Sea,BNS reported June 27. Their competition adds impetus to Lithuania'sefforts to reach an agreement with both Russia and Latvia on thedemarcation of the sea borders of the three countries. Meanwhile,a... MORE

Last weekend's clashesbetween Crimean Tatars and local Russians and Ukrainians willnot exacerbate tensions in Kiev, Russian television reported June27. Parliamentary leaders in Kiev said they were satisfied withthe government's efforts to investigate and take control of thesituation and would not use the Crimean incidents to... MORE

Ukrainianspicketed Kiev's television station offices June 27 to protestUkrainian Russian-language broadcasting and Ukrainian retransmissionof Moscow programming, Ostankino television reported June 27.Ukrainian officials said they would continue to carry Russianmaterials. Grachev Adopts Tough Line in Moldova.

At the end of hisvisit to Chisinau June 27, Russian defense minister Pavel Grachevrejected Moldovan calls for international supervision of the withdrawalof the 14th army and its materiel from the Transdniestr region,Basarpress and Flux reported. Grachev suggested that any withdrawalwould take place after the Duma... MORE

June 26 Ostankinotelevision commentary on defense minister Grachev's visit to Moldovasuggested just how tough Moscow plans to be in Moldova as wellas in other former Soviet republics. The state television stationsaid that Moscow would find it "strategically useful to havea strong, anti-Chisinau autonomous entity in... MORE

The Councilof Europe has decided to admit Moldova and will allow Chisinauto make the necessary modifications in its laws and treaties afteradmission, Basarpress reported June 27. Moldova will be the 35thmember of the organization and the first non-Baltic former Sovietrepublic to join that body. Ogonek:

BeginningJuly 1, residents of Uzbekistan can legally hold and trade indollars and other foreign currencies, Moscow radio reported June27. Uzbek officials told the Moscow station that their effortsto create a stable independent currency had not yet succeededand thus Tashkent had been forced to make this... MORE

Commenting on therecent growth in the use of lie detectors by Russian firms andgovernment offices, Obshchaya gazeta (no. 22) suggestedthat these devices might not be able to cope with the scope ofthe problem of lies in Russia. "There are too many lies inRussia," the paper... MORE

On June 26, passions cooled betweenthe Crimean Tatars and the local Russian community in Ukraine'sCrimea, Moscow media reported. On June 23, two Crimean Tatarswere killed in a market by mafiosi, and two more Crimean Tatarsdied in clashes during the June 25 funeral for the first... MORE