JUNDZIS RETURNS TO LATVIA’S DEFENSE MINISTRY.

The Latvian parliament yesterday voted to approve the appointment of Talavs Jundzis as Defense Minister. Jundzis held that post in 1991-93, and later headed the Riga-based Baltic Strategic Studies Center. A Christian-Democrat, Jundzis was nominated for the ministerial post by the National Conservative-Farmers’ Union bloc within the governing coalition. He replaces the National Conservative minister Andrejs Krastins, whom Prime Minister Andris Skele forced to resign last month over a controversial fuel supply contract. (BNS, June 4)

China Wins Control of Major Kazakstani Oil Company.