Officials in the northern capital said that they had not yet given approval to a Russian-Finnish plan to build a pipeline between Yaroslav and the Finnish port of Porcoo, Moskovskaya pravda reported June 6. The paper noted that local officials fear that the project--launched to... MORE

Just like those who fought in Afghanistan, many Russian soldiers returning from the conflict in Chechnya have serious medical and social problems, Moskovsky komsomolets reported June 7. The paper warned that many of these young men will never fit into civil society again and instead... MORE

Under new regulations, private detectives in the Russian capital will have to register, and carry identification papers, Moskovsky komsomolets reported June 7. What is more important is that the new city rules will prohibit private security firm workers from wearing military-type uniforms. Up to now,... MORE

At the insistence of Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Duma considered a motion June 7 to expel Estonian diplomat Mikhail Bronstein from Moscow in retaliation for Tallinn's expulsion of Zhirinovsky activist Petr Rozhok from Estonia, BNS reported June 7. The motion failed, getting only 170... MORE

The chairman of the Estonian parliament's foreign relations committee told BNS June 7 that a recent statement by Russian foreign ministry official Vladimir Udaltsev rejecting the 1920 Tartu Treaty as the basis for relations may actually work in Estonia's favor. That accord established the border... MORE

The Ukrainian parliament's willingness to grant Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma's demand for more powers in exchange for the president's willingness to drop plans for a referendum June 28 is unlikely to end the struggle between the parliament and the president. While Kuchma has been given... MORE

Talks between Kiev and Bucharest broke down this week over border questions, Kiev radio reported June 7. The Romanian side has demanded that Kiev join in denouncing the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Although Bucharest has said that its request on this point does not represent a challenge... MORE

The European Union's executive body said June 7 that the European countries should sign a trade agreement with Kishinev in order to demonstrate the EU's commitment to the territorial integrity of Moldova, according to a commission press release. The announcement came as Moldovan officials announced... MORE

Boris Yeltsin has not decided what to do about the resignation of Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Lebed, the commander of the 14th Russian Army in Moldova's Transdniestr region, Segodnya reported June 7. Allowing Lebed to retire could destabilize the situation there and allow Lebed to enter... MORE

New crises in Chechnya and Rwanda have led the international community to neglect the desperate situation of refugees in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative in the region told the BBC June 5. The situation in Azerbaijan is especially bad, the... MORE