The Tajik government and opposition disagreed on the decisive political issues at an overdue meeting of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) on October 24. The government side insisted on defining the state as "secular" and, consequently, as banning "religious" parties. This would preclude the participation... MORE

Anatoly Matvienko, chairman of the pro-presidential People's Democratic Party (NDP), yesterday attacked Parliament Chairman Oleksandr Tkachenko's recent endorsement of a "Slavic Union" of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Matvienko described Tkachenko's position as "treason to Ukraine" and "much to the liking of imperial forces." The NDP... MORE

Russia and Greece celebrated continued friendly relations late last week, as Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos completed a three-day visit to the Russian capital. During his stay Pangalos met with his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, as well as with Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, Security... MORE

Russian President Boris Yeltsin finally found it possible on October 23 to receive Boris Pastukhov for the first time since appointing him on September 25 as minister for cooperation with the CIS countries (see the Monitor, September 28). Referring to the ministry's poor performance over... MORE

Despite the weakened language, Moscow and Beijing refused to vote in favor of the resolution. Instead, they abstained. The measure passed by a 13-0 vote. Afterward, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Sergei Lavrov, said that Moscow had declined to vote on the basis of another... MORE

Even as Security Council representatives debated Kosovo in New York, the Balkans crisis continued to attract attention in Russia. On October 23 the Russian State Duma overwhelmingly adopted a resolution of its own calling for Moscow to reconsider its compliance with the UN arms embargo... MORE

Over the weekend the UN Security Council approved a resolution endorsing the October 13 Kosovo peace agreement and paving the way for air and ground monitoring to ensure compliance with the peace accord. The resolution, approved on October 24, also contains some mildly worded language... MORE

Russia's strategic nuclear modernization plans suffered a serious setback last week when a Topol-M missile exploded shortly after takeoff from the northern Plesetsk test range. The Topol-M is to be the jewel in Russia's strategic nuclear crown. Designated the SS-27 by NATO, the missile is... MORE

Itogi" gave a chunk of its airtime over to several strong critics of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, a likely presidential contender who wants to create a "centrist" political coalition. Last Tuesday (October 20), during separate speeches to a trade union group and to the Russian... MORE

The Primakov government has not yet officially produced an "anticrisis" program, though the premier said it would be the subject of discussion during a ministerial meeting planned for today (October 26). In a television interview Saturday night (October 24), Primakov said that salaries to state... MORE