The director of the second national television channel told Obshchaya gazeta (no. 23) that the current Russian elite closely resembles its communist predecessor, and in many cases consists of the same people. Oleg Poptsov argued that "we should not forget that the representatives of the... MORE

Arguing that Joseph Stalin made a great contribution to Russian history, his grandson, Yevgeny Dzhugashvili said that he and his comrades in the new "For the Motherland, For Stalin" organization would seek full rehabilitation for the late Soviet leader, Moscow's Ekho radio reported June 12.... MORE

Representatives of the three Baltic states initialed an agreement that would require them to return, and to accept the return of, illegal immigrants, BNS reported June 13. The agreement was required for the three to be in a position to establish visa-free travel with the... MORE

The fallout from the Russian-induced failure of Baltija Bank continues. The country's commercial court declared the Latvian Deposit Bank insolvent June 13, BNS reported, and the Latvian government has produced a bill that would establish a special banking agency to oversee all banks, and to... MORE

Lithuanian MP Vytautas Pleckaitis said that Vilnius must show initiative in developing ties with the neighboring Russian region of Kaliningrad, BNS reported June 13. Pleckaitis criticized Lithuania's consulate there for inactivity, and said that Poland had stolen a march on Lithuania in promoting economic and... MORE

Ukrainian defense minister Valeri Shmarov has asked the country's parliament to approve a 50 percent increase in the country's 600-man peacekeeping contingent in the former Yugoslavia, Kiev radio reported June 13. Shmarov said that the step would bring both political and military training benefits, even... MORE

Mechislav Hryb, speaker of the old Belarusian parliament, told old and new deputies June 12 that there were only three ways out of the dilemma which arose when voters failed to fill a majority of the seats in the new assembly: a special session of... MORE

Although Moldova has only 500 meters of shoreline on the Danube, it hopes to set up an oil terminal there to allow ships to bring oil and gas to the republic, Moscow's Ostankino television reported June 13. Kuwait and Iran are ready to send ships... MORE

Armenian Catholicos Garegin I, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksii II, and Baku's Muslim spiritual leader Sheikh ul Islam Allahsukur Pashazade will meet in Moscow this week to discuss resolution of the Karabakh conflict as well as other wars around Russia's periphery, Russian radio said June 13.... MORE

Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky called on Armenians to support the Dashnak party against President Levon Ter-Petrosyan's government which has suspended that party's activities because of its suspected links to terrorism, Noyan-Tapan reported June 12. Meanwhile, on June 9, White House official George Stephanopoulos told an... MORE