On March 17, Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed a decree suspending the August 18, 1999 resolution of then prime minister Vazgen Sarkisian, who was slain two months later. That resolution, concerning the rules of appointing and dismissing state officials, concerns primarily the senior ranks of... MORE

After a break of nearly a year, Russia and NATO last week officially resumed regular meetings of the Russia-NATO Permanent Joint Council. The March 15 sitting, held at the ambassador level, was the first since NATO Secretary General George Robertson's groundbreaking visit to Moscow last... MORE

The assurances contained in the bland, March 15 Russian-NATO council statement notwithstanding, there has been little to suggest in recent weeks that Moscow and the West are working harmoniously toward a resolution of tensions in Kosovo. Given Moscow's long, unwavering and virtually uncritical support for... MORE

Acting President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his rhetoric concerning Russia's so-called "oligarchs," vowing they will cease to exist "as a class" after his expected victory in this coming Sunday's presidential election. In an interview with Mayak state radio, Putin declared that his administration will... MORE

While Konstantin Titov, who has the support of some 1 percent of presidential preference poll respondents, represents no threat to Putin, the charge that Putin is a tool of the oligarchs could prove to be harmful and bring Putin's share of the vote on March... MORE

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's March 15-17 official visits to Georgia and Azerbaijan highlighted the common Western orientation of the three countries and their effort to secure their common interests in the Caspian-Black Sea area. For the second consecutive year, Russia has interrupted oil supplies to... MORE

The talks in Tbilisi and Baku evidenced a firm consensus among Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan in support of the principle of territorial integrity of states and against "separatism." Kuchma, using the strongest language, declared that "territorial integrity must be the iron rule" in resolving those... MORE

Addressing the Georgian parliament, Kuchma listed the priorities of Ukrainian policy in the following order: "integration in the European Union, deepening Ukraine's partnership with the United States, and strengthening cooperation with Russia and other CIS countries." The Ukrainian-Georgian joint statement recorded the "common goal of... MORE

Only days after a high-profile visit to St. Petersburg by British Prime Minister Tony Blair (see the Monitor, March 13), Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on March 15 that it had arrested a Russian citizen on charges of having spied for Britain. Russian authorities... MORE

With less than two weeks left until election day, Russia's pollsters have been busy churning out the latest results from presidential preference surveys. They contain, of course, no surprises: Acting President Vladimir Putin remains way ahead of the pack. Some polls, however, show that his... MORE