Latest Monitor Articles
LUKASHENKA INDICTS TWO ORTHODOX COUNTRIES FOR “BETRAYAL.”
Belarusan President Alyaksandr Lukashenka yesterday termed Bulgaria's and Romania's decisions to grant partial overflight and landing rights for NATO planes in the event of an intervention in Kosovo as "shocking." The decisions amount to "crawling" before NATO and the European Union by "these former socialist... MORE
PROSECUTOR GENERAL SAYS ONE OF THE BANKERS MAY BE IN TROUBLE.
If Smolensky, Potanin and Khodorkovsky are feeling reassured, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov suggested on October 13 that at least one of Russia's oligarchs could wind up in a category by himself: "In a country where not everything is well with its finances and there... MORE
UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT REJECTS NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION AGAINST CABINET.
As predicted, the leftist deputies of Ukraine's parliament failed to persuade the majority to vote for dismissal of Prime Minister Pustovoytenko's cabinet. The no-confidence motion, proposed by the Left Center, Communist and Hromada factions fell twenty-three votes short of the simple majority in the 450-seat,... MORE
…PROPOSALS INCLUDED INVOLVEMENT OF THE WEST AND REDUCTION OF PRIVILEGED BANKS.
Primakov said that Western banks should be allowed greater participation in the Russian market to help revive the Russian economy. Likewise, Gerashchenko said foreign financing is crucial to saving the banking system. He noted that the World Bank had already drawn up a program similar... MORE
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BANKERS MEET TO DISCUSS THE BANKING SYSTEM…
Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and Central Bank Chairman Viktor Gerashchenko met with two dozen of Russia's top banker-industrialists Tuesday to discuss how to jump-start Russia's comatose banking system. The prime minister outlined four basic tasks: to restore the banking system's "efficiency," to regain confidence in... MORE
BROTHER OF MILOSEVIC OFF TO MOSCOW.
In an effort to further solidify ties between Moscow and Belgrade, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has named his brother as Yugoslavia's ambassador to Russia. Borislav Milosevic, whose appointment has reportedly been approved by Moscow, is expected to arrive in the Russian capital within the next... MORE
MOSCOW LOOKS FOR PLACE IN MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS.
A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that Russia would indeed welcome the chance to participate in talks, scheduled to start tomorrow in Washington, between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Vladimir Rakhmanin told reporters that Russian participation in the... MORE
…NOTWITHSTANDING POSSIBLY DIVERGENT OPINIONS.
In Russia's currently confused political climate it is unclear whether Ivashov and Defense Minister Igor Sergeev--who has also spoken in alarmist terms over possible Russian reactions to NATO strikes--are clearing their statements with either the president's or prime minister's office. Certainly Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov--who... MORE
MOSCOW CONTINUES TO BRISTLE WITH COLD WAR RHETORIC OVER KOSOVO…
Russia's Foreign Ministry yesterday welcomed Monday night's diplomatic breakthrough in talks on Kosovo, but the country's military and parliamentary leaders nonetheless stepped up their rhetorical onslaught against NATO's continued threat of air strikes on Serbian targets. Colonel General Leonid Ivashov remained the point man in... MORE
ABASHIDZE SNUBS SHEVARDNADZE’S OVERTURE.
Ajar Supreme Soviet Chairman Aslan Abashidze refused to attend yesterday's ceremony in Tbilisi, where a monument to his grandfather was inaugurated. President Eduard Shevardnadze had invited Aslan Abashidze to the ceremony in honor of Memed Abashidze, a leading Ajar figure in his time. A large... MORE