The Russian government, which several years ago decreed that power companies could not cut off power to military installations not paying their bills, seems poised to modify this policy. On Friday, Economics Minister Yakov Urinson said that the government would place limits on the amount... MORE

Tatarstan's parliament, the State Council, spent two days last week debating a controversial bill on Tatarstani citizenship, Monitor's correspondent in the Volga region reports. The debate split the legislature into two opposing camps. One argued that the main thing was to adopt the bill it... MORE

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen met briefly with his Russian counterpart, Defense Minister Igor Sergeev, on February 13. The two sides reportedly limited their discussion to U.S.-Russian cooperation in nuclear disarmament and issues specifically related to that. The talks were described as amicable. Cohen suggested... MORE

With Washington inching ever closer to a decision to launch military air strikes on Iraq, Russia over the weekend intensified its calls for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to visit Baghdad. "Russian believes one cannot talk about failed diplomatic efforts or reach a verdict before... MORE

The Communist faction in Russia's State Duma has increased its hold over its nationalist allies by drafting eight of its members to bolster the friction-torn "Power to the People!". One member of the allied Agrarian faction has also transferred to the nationalist faction. (RIA Novosti,... MORE

President Eduard Shevardnadze and Georgian law enforcement agencies announced on television last night the arrest of several suspects in the assassination attempt against the Georgian president. Shevardnadze indicated that followers of the late president Zviad Gamsakhurdia had perpetrated the attempt at the behest of circles... MORE

President Boris Yeltsin's aides are said to have spent the weekend frantically revising the text of the annual state-of-the-nation address that Yeltsin is due to deliver to parliament tomorrow. Yeltsin is said to have been dissatisfied with the existing text and to have returned it... MORE

Chechen field commander Salman Raduev claimed yesterday that the February 9 assassination attempt against Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze had been the work of a Chechen "special operations unit" which he dubbed "Wolves Without Borders." Raduyev's statement, made on a private Chechen television channel, was partially... MORE

President Imomali Rahmonov yesterday appointed representatives of the United Tajik Opposition, or candidates acceptable to the UTO, to several cabinet-level posts. The appointees are Dovlat Usmon as minister of Economics and Foreign Trade, Hudoiberdy Huliknazarov as Labor minister, Dovlatbek Maksudov as minister for Land and... MORE

Russia's official news agency Itar-Tass yesterday cited "military sources" saying that Moscow needs to negotiate an extension of the lease to the Skrunda antimissile early warning radar in Latvia. The lease agreement expires on August 31, and the Russian military wants an extension for "another... MORE