Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov arrived in Belgrade yesterday for two days of talks with Yugoslav leaders. Primakov's arrival comes as Western governments increase their pressure on authorities in Belgrade to open talks with Kosovo Albanians. On March 9, the five Western members of the... MORE

Boris Yeltsin's press spokesman says the Russian president is recovering from his cold, "is coughing less" and is well enough to work on papers at his country home. Yesterday Yeltsin's doctors advised him to cancel all engagements for the rest of the week lest he... MORE

Russia's prosecutor general is investigating the conduct of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party faction in the Russian parliament. Zhirinovsky could as a result be charged with hooliganism and insulting officials--offenses that can carry a prison sentence. (Russian Television, March 17) On March... MORE

The Liberal Party and the All-Ukraine Labor Party joined forces in October 1997 in the electoral bloc "Together." The bloc focuses on promoting economic reform while representing the interests of Donetsk region in the upcoming parliamentary elections. This eastern region is one of Ukraine's most... MORE

The Russian government yesterday ordered two Norwegian diplomats to leave Russia by March 20. The expulsions, announced by Russia's Foreign Ministry, are retaliation for Norway's decision last week to declare five Russian diplomats persona non grata. (See Monitor, March 13, 16) Russian authorities had said... MORE

Tajikistan's Presidential Guard Commander, Major-General Gafar Mirzoev, complained yesterday that opposition forces are pressuring and disarming government units with impunity in several areas of Tajikistan. Mirzoev listed a number of recent incidents of this nature in Komsomolabad and Obigarm districts east of Dushanbe, and Rogun... MORE

Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin stated yesterday that "oil extraction in Azerbaijan's offshore waters is Azerbaijan's own business;" and that the main oil export route "will be determined by the owners of that oil" -- that is, the companies involved in the projects. Chernomyrdin expressed... MORE

Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze announced yesterday that he has decided to attend the CIS summit in Moscow, now postponed until April, following assurances that it would discuss his proposal to repatriate Georgian refugees to their homes in Abkhazia. Shevardnadze's current proposal would turn the Abkhaz-controlled... MORE

Earlier this month the Western press started to take notice of one of the Russia's most successful entrepreneurs, Vladimir Dovgan. The 33-year-old car mechanic turned businessman realized that Russians have a yearning for home-grown products, but at the same time fear that domestic goods are... MORE

The Chechen authorities failed yesterday in a bid to free British aid workers Camilla Carr and Jon James, who have been held hostage since last July. One Chechen serviceman and one suspected hostage-taker were killed, and a number on both sides were wounded, when the... MORE