Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov says visa-free travel and collaboration on economic modernization are Russia's top two priorities for the upcoming summit with the EU in Rostov-na-Donu later this month. Chizhov said both goals carry emotional importance for Russia, which is hoping to establish itself as an equal partner to the EU.
Former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev fled into exile in Belarus last month in the aftermath of a violent uprising that unseated his regime and saw an interim leadership installed. In an interview with Ainura Asankojoeva of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, Bakiev rejects any connection to the continuing unrest in the country’s south, as well as rumors that he is trying to return to power with the help of his brother and son.
While the apparent end of Zeromax -- a gas and oil company said to be the biggest foreign investor in Uzbekistan -- might appear to be just another business story, it may go much deeper, and even concern the question of succession in the Central Asian state.
Moscow may be using Kyiv's newfound support to add muscle to its agenda regarding another former Soviet republic, after the two countries issued a statement on Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester.
Turkey's main opposition party is facing a period of turmoil after the resignation of its leader, Deniz Baykal. His resignation initially triggered hopes that the party would embark on a process of modernization and reform. But fears have since grown that Baykal and his allies will attempt to keep a tight grip on the party structure.
A mysterious blight is destroying poppy fields in southern Afghanistan. There are early signs that it's reshaping the opium trade that partially funds the Taliban insurgency, but also the lives of tens of thousands of poppy farmers.
The euro might either succumb to international doubts over its viability, bringing the eventual collapse of the eurozone, or be reorganized on a more solid foundation.
It feels like deja vu all over again: months of diplomatic brinkmanship, saber-rattling, and defiant rhetoric leavened by news of a sudden breakthrough and hopes that a long-elusive deal is at last at hand.
Kyrgyz citizens, claiming that police were unable to protect them during the recent political unrest, have organized their own neighborhood-watch groups to defend themselves and their property. Thousands of people have joined "druzhinniki" -- civilian patrols that now guard not only their own houses, but also the parliament building, schools, bazaars, banks, and shopping centers alongside the police.
Kyrgyzstan has not yet calmed down since last month's violence chased yet another president from office. But the lack of stability has not stopped work on a new constitution for the country, something the interim government has been promising from its first days in power.
As the World Health Organization prepares to meet in Geneva for its annual assembly starting today, a range of public health issues are up for discussion. They run from the mundane -- program budgets and administrative matters -- to the intriguing -- how to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol -- to the logistical -- how to control the spread of counterfeit medical products. But to the average global citizen, the most interesting discussions relate to a fund-raising proposal that would tax their Internet usage.
Britain's general election this month was the first in more than 30 years to produce a parliament where no party has an outright majority. After days of negotiations, David Cameron's center-right Conservatives struck a deal with the party that came third, the Liberal Democrats -- paving the way for the country's first coalition government since World War II. But will it last? Fraser Nelson, the editor of Britain's weekly political journal "The Spectator," is doubtful. He spoke to RFE/RL's Ron Synovitz.
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