Growing social tensions threaten Russian stability Three developments that are likely to occupy a dominant placein the coming week are the fallout from the resolution of thegovernment crisis, growing social tensions in Russia as unemploymentmounts and incomes fall, and possibly a breakthrough on the longsimmering... MORE

Political crisis in Moscow comes to a scripted end Three tightly interrelated developments dominated the week justpast: Chernomyrdin's search for a way out of the conflict withthe Duma, Yeltsin's wrestling with the power ministers whose dismissalmany in the parliament demand, and talks between the Russian... MORE

Fact Page: Key Officials in Azerbaijan KEY OFFICIALS IN AZERBAIJAN Abilov, Kirar.......................................................leader,United Azerbaijan Party Ahmedov, Vahid..................................................firstdeputy prime minister Aliev, Arif...........................................................Chief,Presidential Press Service Aliev, Heidar.......................................................president Alizade, Araz......................................................leader,Social Democratic Party Bagirov, Sabit.....................................................oilminister Elchibey, Abulfaz................................................formerpresident, ousted by Aliev Gambarov, Isa.....................................................speakerof the parliament Garaev, Rauf.......................................................foreigneconomic relations minister Gumbatov, Alikraml............................................leader,Talysh... MORE

Moscow faces another intractable ethnic confilct in the North Caucasus by David Nissman North Ossetia, a republic in the Russian Federation's troubledNorth Caucasus region, is confronted by three distinct challenges: --challenges to its borders from the Karbardinians who believethat they should be given the North... MORE

The Russian criminal world played a key role in Chechnya and continues to do so by Victor Yasmann There are several interpretations of the Chechen war. One schoolof thought argues that behind the Chechen conflict is a grandgeopolitical competition for the oil reserves of the... MORE

The costs for Moscow of its war in Chechnya are high and continuing by Paul A. Goble Like a bullet fired at a glass window, Russia's use of forcein Chechnya has sent fracture lines not only through that troubledregion, but also across Russia and Moscow's... MORE

The political situation continues to deteriorate in Armenia Barring the unexpected--something one can never quite do in theRussian case as last week's events showed--three events are likelyto dominate the news in the coming week: political maneuveringprior to the Presidential Security Council meeting , and to... MORE

The resolution of the Budennovsk hostage crisis leads to talks in Grozny, political crisis in Moscow Three stories dominated the week just past: a peacefulresolution of the hostage crisis in Budennovsk, the start of peacetalks between Moscow and the Chechens in Grozny, and the Duma'sapproval... MORE

Fact Page: Armenia--Key Officials ARMENIA--KEY OFFICIALS Aram Abramian................................................PresidentialPress Spokesman Ruben Akpian...................................................Leaderof Dashnak opposition party Babken Araktsian.............................................Chairmanof Parliament Mikhail Arutiunian.............................................actingMinister of Defense Stepan Badalian................................................Chief,State Directorate for Emergency Situations Grant Bagratian.................................................PrimeMinister Karen Demirchian..............................................member,National Democratic Union (former CP party chief) Eduard Grigorian...............................................Ministerof Trade Melts Hakopian.................................................Ministerof Energy and Fuels... MORE

Another group in the Caucasus--the Adygey--challenge Moscow's control there by David Nissman When the residents of the Adygey autonomous oblast voted to becomethe Adygey Soviet Socialist Republic on July 1, 1991, no one whohad followed developments in the North Caucasus was surprised. And when the... MORE