RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY DEVELOPING CIS POLICY MECHANISM.

Russian Foreign Ministry officials said yesterday that the ministry is in the process of upgrading its CIS Affairs Department to a Main Department and elevating the latter’s regional subdivisions to the status of Departments. Three such Departments have been created and are now being staffed to handle policy toward the CIS Western region, Transcaucasus, and Central Asia, respectively.

The overarching Main Department, currently headed by Leonid Drachevsky, reportedly retains responsibility for multilateral issues and also for "peacekeeping" activities. (Interfax, May 6). The reorganization was ordered by Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov in March shortly after assuming office and pursuant to his concept of turning relations with CIS countries into a policy "priority." First Deputy Minister Boris Pastukhov has been assigned to coordinate Russian conflict-management activities on the territories of CIS member countries.

FSB Attacks Estonia.