Despite proclamations of friendship on both sides, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's high profile two-day visit to Russia, which concluded yesterday, could not hide the fact that significant differences still divide Moscow and Tel Aviv. As Netanyahu himself admitted during remarks to reporters prior to... MORE

Although Moscow continues to consider Chechnya Russian territory, the border between Chechnya and Russia proper is increasingly acquiring the attributes of an international frontier. Even the most minor roads out of Chechnya are guarded by reinforced military patrols, and Moscow plans to erect a barbed-wire... MORE

Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the Yabloko movement that defines itself as Russia's democratic opposition, has revealed that five Yabloko leaders have been invited by Anatoly Chubais to join the new Russian government. Yavlinsky has made it plain that Yabloko will join the government only if... MORE

Two warships of Russia's border forces yesterday detained nine Turkish trawlers and small fishing boats, which, according to the Russian side, had entered Georgian territorial waters. The Russians fired on the largest Turkish trawler, killing one sailor, before towing it to Batumi. On February 11,... MORE

The Chinese ambassador to Moscow said yesterday that he expects the border agreement between China and Russia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan will be signed during Chinese president Jiang Zemin's visit to Moscow in April. He added that the details of an agreement on the reduction... MORE

The government of the Russian republic of Udmurtia has agreed to comply with President Yeltsin's highly-publicized decree of March 10, disbanding the local governments appointed by the republic's authorities and reinstating popularly-elected mayors. (ORT, March 11) Yeltsin took a sledgehammer to the Udmurt nut in... MORE

Russian Public Television (ORT) has appealed against the Russian parliament's decision to banish the network's reporters from the lower house for one month. The Duma imposed the ban because it was annoyed by ORT's reporting of its sessions. ORT says the Duma's decision violates the... MORE

Under the terms of an agreement signed on March 11 in Sofia, Russia is reportedly prepared to invest nearly $1 billion in Bulgaria's energy sector. Bulgarian state radio reports that the accord includes potential Russian investments of $650 million in the Neftochim oil refinery, and... MORE

Four Russian prisoners-of-war were exchanged on March 11 for four Chechens serving sentences in Russian prisons. The swap took place under conditions of secrecy. Further prisoner exchanges of this sort are expected now that the Duma has finally agreed upon the terms of an amnesty.... MORE

A meeting of the commanders of border troops of 11 CIS countries, absent Moldova, yesterday discussed in Ashgabat a Russian-drafted agreement on cooperation in controlling border-crossing points on "CIS outer borders." The proposals will be referred to the upcoming session of the CIS Council of... MORE