The new "Russia is Our Home" electoral bloccontinued to draw criticism from the media and from the leaders of otherparties. Nezavisimaya gazeta said May 13 that Prime Minister ViktorChernomyrdin was trying to construct a political movement "from the roofdown" and criticized the bloc's first meeting... MORE

The ruble has stabilized or even risenagainst major Western currencies over the last two weeks, but Russian bankingofficials warned that new inflationary pressures will make it extremelydifficult for Moscow to maintain this record, Segodnya reported May 12. Lastweek, however, there was some good news: wholesale... MORE

More than 20% of GNP is now available forindustrial investment, economics minister Yevgeny Yasin told Finansovyeizvestiya (no. 32). Yasin suggested that one of the reasons for the rise wasthat reinvestment of profits is tax free. American officials suggested duringthe summit that foreign direct investment might... MORE

Deputy energy minister Vitaly Bushuyev toldMoscow radio May 15 that Russian oil output would not rise over the next 15years. He said that the authorities hoped to maintain production bydeveloping new sites as old fields are exhausted. As a result, exports willgrow only slightly during... MORE

Deputy finance minister Sergey Shatalov saidthat tax reform would be a priority issue in 1996, Nezavisimaya gazetareported May 13. Such reforms were needed, Shatalov said, to improve taxcollections and bring Russia into line with European standards. He suggestedthat both steps were necessary for Russian participation... MORE

Moscow will establish "in thenear future" a special Federal Center for Project Financing to supervise thedisbursement of funds from international agencies, Segodnya reported May 15.Economics minister Yevgeny Yasin told the paper that some of theseinternational aid funds had been used "ineffectively." Other observers havecharged that... MORE

President Yeltsin has issued a newdecree on privatization which sets the shares federal, regional, and localgovernments will receive from the sale of state-owned assets,Kommersant-daily reported May 12. Moscow will get 55% of the profits,regions, 10%, and localities only 4%. The rest will be reinvested, the... MORE

Arguing that the issue of nuclearsmuggling had been overblown in the media, deputy nuclear energy minister LevRyabev nonetheless acknowledged that there were real problems, Rossiiskiyevesti reported May 11. He said that in the last 18 months Russian officialshad stopped 18 attempts to smuggle nuclear materials... MORE

Foreign economic relationsminister Oleg Davydov said that Washington has complained frequently over thelast three months about Russian theft of American intellectual propertyincluding audio and video cassettes and computer programs, Segodnya reportedMay 13. Judging from the minister's comments, however, this issue--which theAmerican side said involved more... MORE

Defense Minister Pavel Grachev ispressing Beijing to purchase more advanced Su-27 aircraft, Itar-Tass said May15. Grachev said that such sales were the "main goal" of his trip to Chinaand South Korea. Moscow Wants Tougher Passport Laws.