Russian diplomats indicated yesterday that Moscow would oppose any resolution by the UN Security Council authorizing the use of force against Iraq if Baghdad violates the agreement brokered earlier this week by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. At present, "there are no grounds" for talking... MORE

Uzbek President Islam Karimov yesterday ordered measures to enforce discipline in the armed forces, following an incident in which a private shot at least 8 other soldiers to death in a unit of the border troops on the Turkmen border. The conflict had reportedly arisen... MORE

Turkmen President Saparmurad Niazov yesterday paid landmark visits to the headquarters of the European Union and of NATO in Brussels. Niazov reaffirmed his determination to proceed with the construction of the major gas export pipeline from Turkmenistan via Iran and Turkey to Europe. He expects... MORE

Kazakhstan's Committee for National Security yesterday arrested four "Iranian intelligence agents" in Almaty. They do not possess diplomatic immunity. According to the CNS' announcement, the agents were caught in the act of receiving documents which contained economic and political information from a Kazakh citizen, who... MORE

Differences are said to be deepening between the government of Kazakhstan and the Belgian utilities company Tractebel regarding fulfillment of the terms of their contract. (See Monitor, February 20) The likelihood forms part of a recent series of disagreements between the government and foreign investors.... MORE

Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze's Georgian adversaries resident in Moscow emerged yesterday in the self-appointed role of a "negotiating party," ostensibly to assist in the release of UN officers held hostage by "Zviadists" in western Georgia since February 19. The Moscow Georgians are led by Nemo... MORE

The Minsk Region court yesterday sentenced Alyaksey Shidlousky, 19, and Vadzim Labkovich, 16, to eighteen months in prison each. Shidlousky is to serve his term at hard-labor. Labkovich's sentence carries a two-year reprieve, meaning that he would have to serve the full sentence if pronounced... MORE

Crimea's Supreme Soviet has given in to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's demand for it to bring the date for elections to a new Supreme Soviet forward from September to March 29. This brings Crimea's elections into line with the schedule in force throughout the rest... MORE

Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis, currently on an official visit to Israel, has expressed compassion for the Jewish victims of the World War II holocaust in Latvia and recognized with "deep regret" that some Latvians were involved in those crimes. Condemning those crimes, Ulmanis mentioned that... MORE

On February 23, Russian President Boris Yeltsin received the presidents of North Ossetia and Ingushetia, Aleksandr Dzasokhov and Ruslan Aushev. Yeltsin congratulated Dzasokhov on winning the election in North Ossetia, and expressed the hope that there would be a reduction of tensions throughout the North... MORE