In his remarks to reporters yesterday Ivanov also restated Moscow's hardline opposition to any efforts by NATO to extend membership to the countries of the former Soviet Union. Repeating a line from his predecessor, current Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, Ivanov said that Moscow had... MORE

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov yesterday restated Moscow's categorical opposition to any foreign military intervention in Yugoslavia. Ivanov's remarks came despite new reports of atrocities by Serbian security forces against Kosovo's Albanian minority and a stern warning from NATO that strikes are imminent if Belgrade... MORE

Two well-known reformers who lost their portfolios with Yevgeny Primakov's accession as prime minister are warning that the new government's economic policy is likely to further aggravate the economic situation. Former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Fyodorov, who also headed the State Tax Service before being... MORE

Yuri Luzhkov, Moscow's populist mayor, took another step Wednesday toward making his well-known presidential ambitions official. Luzhkov, in England to attend the annual conference of Britain's Labor Party, held a press conference at the Russian embassy in London, during which he reiterated in more overt... MORE

The response by Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, another presidential aspirant, to Luzhkov's remarks added further fuel to the rumors of a growing romance between the mayor and the communist-dominated "national-patriotic" movement. Zyuganov said he was not surprised by Luzhkov's statements in London, adding that... MORE

Governors vary in their reactions to the power vacuum at the federal center. For a small number of ambitious governors, such as Dmitry Ayatskov of Saratov, the crisis represents an opportunity to enter the national political arena, with an eye to the post of prime... MORE

Robert Orttung, senior editor of the East-West Institute's Russian Regional Report, believes that regional governors will continue to gain strength as a result of the ongoing economic and political crisis in Russia. The federal center, however, still has some important factors working in its favor.... MORE

The spiritual leader of Ismailites worldwide, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, completed yesterday a week-long visit to Tajikistan. He conferred with President Imomali Rahmonov, opposition chairman Saidabdullo Nuri and other leaders on both sides about the prospects of pacification and post-war economic recovery. The possible... MORE

On September 29, several hundred employees of Ukraine's five nuclear power stations marched along Kyiv's center and picketed the government building, demanding wage arrears for several months. They also say that though the legislation forbids them to strike, they can--according to internal regulations--stop work whenever... MORE

The Secretary General of NATO, Javier Solana, held talks in Chisinau on September 28-29 with President Petru Lucinschi and other Moldovan leaders. Discussions covered several topics: --NATO-Moldova cooperation under the country's individual partnership program --Moldovan participation in multilateral peacekeeping exercises --the country's military reform --adaptation... MORE