Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


2003 Russia Special Weapons News



Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    December

  • Russia: Jury Acquits Scientist Accused Of Spying RFE/RL 30 Dec 2003 -- In a rare defeat for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), a jury yesterday acquitted a scientist accused of spying for China. Valentin Danilov's vindication, following a three-year ordeal, heartened human rights activists and raised hopes that others who claim they have been unfairly targeted by the FSB may also see justice.
  • Russia: Chechen Separatist Group Reportedly Destroyed In Daghestan RFE/RL 30 Dec 2003 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said today federal forces killed a group of separatists in the southern republic of Daghestan, which neighbors Chechnya.
  • Russia: Police Seize Books Implicating FSB RFE/RL 29 Dec 2003 -- Thousands of copies of a book implicating Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in a series of deadly Moscow apartment blasts have been seized by Russian authorities.
  • RUSSIA / GEORGIA VOA 25 Dec 2003 -- At their first meeting in Moscow since the Georgian revolution, Georgia's interim leader Nino Burjanadze and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they hope to open a new chapter in the often-strained relations between their two countries.
  • RUSSIA / POLITICS VOA 21 Dec 2003 -- Russia's two liberal parties have decided not to run candidates in the March presidential election. Both groups say under President Vladimir Putin, Russian opposition groups have no chance of succeeding.
  • China, Russia to strengthen military cooperation PLA Daily 19 Dec 2003 -- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov met with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan on Thursday, during which they expressed readiness to further strengthen military cooperation between the two countries.
  • Military cooperation contributes to better Sino-Russian ties, say ministers PLA Daily 18 Dec 2003 -- Deepening the Sino-Russian strategic partnership in the spirit of good-neighborliness, mutual benefit and cooperation will be a diplomatic priority for both sides, said visiting Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan here Tuesday.
  • RUSSIA / PUTIN VOA 18 Dec 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his intention to run for re-election in next year's presidential election, scheduled for March. The long-awaited confirmation of his candidacy came during a nationally-televised question-and-answer session with the Russian public, just two weeks after pro-Kremlin parties won a strong majority in parliamentary elections.
  • Russia: Moscow Hosts Talks On Strengthening Chinese Military Ties RFE/RL 16 Dec 2003 -- Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan arrived in Moscow yesterday for a weeklong Russia visit aimed at strengthening the two countries' military cooperation -- particularly on arms sales.
  • Russia: Chechen Fighters Break Through Security Cordon, Release Hostages RFE/RL 16 Dec 2003 -- Military operations are continuing today to hunt down armed Chechen militants who briefly seized a village in Russia's southern republic of Daghestan.
  • Russia: Chechen Separatists Take Hostages In Daghestan RFE/RL 15 Dec 2003 -- The office of the Russian Interior Ministry in the southern republic of Daghestan says a group of armed Chechen separatists appears to have eluded pursuit of military and border-guard units and has taken several hostages.
  • RUSSIA / POLITICS VOA 13 Dec 2003 -- Russia is marking the 10th anniversary of its constitution, which critics say gives too much power to the presidency. But President Vladimir Putin has praised the law of the land, saying it has helped stabilize Russia through the tumultuous changes of the post-Soviet era.
  • 2003 & Beyond: In Russia, Putin Solidifies Power As Chechen Conflict Festers RFE/RL 12 Dec 2003 -- This past year brought steady economic growth to Russia, thanks largely to the high price of oil, as President Vladimir Putin skillfully managed a delicate period in international relations while strengthening his political power domestically.
  • MOSCOW / BLAST VOA 09 Dec 2003 -- At least five people are dead after an explosion in Central Moscow (today/Tuesday). President Putin addressed a legislative council meeting shortly after the blast and said that terrorists must not be allowed to disrupt Russia's democratic and economic development.
  • Russia: Bomb Explodes Near Kremlin, Killing Several People RFE/RL 09 Dec 2003 -- An explosion in central Moscow today killed at least five people and injured at least 13, Russian and international media reported.
  • Russian Elections Well-Organized but Didn't Meet International Standards Washington File 08 Dec 2003 -- Elections for Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on December 7 were professionally organized by the Central Election Commission but "failed to meet many OSCE and Council of Europe commitments, calling into question Russia's willingness to move towards European standards for democratic elections," according to a preliminary report by international observers.
  • RUSSIA/OBSERVERS VOA 08 Dec 2003 -- International observers monitoring Russia's parliamentary election say the vote was free, but failed to meet many democratic standards. Western observers say the balloting calls into question Russia's real commitment to reform.
  • RUSSIA / ELECTION UPDATE VOA 07 Dec 2003 -- The party supporting President Vladimir Putin in Russia is holding a big lead according to preliminary results of Sunday's parliamentary election. The result was not unexpected
  • RUSSIA/ELECTION VOA 06 Dec 2003 -- In Russian elections Sunday, 450 seats in the Duma, the country's lower house of parliament, are at stake. A party supported by President Vladimir Putin appears set to make a strong showing
  • RUSSIA/BLAST VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Security has been increased across the North Caucasus after an explosion on a commuter train near Chechnya, in which 37 people died and about 150 others were injured. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames terrorists for the bombing, and vows to punish the culprits.
  • Russia: 40 Killed As Bomb Rips Through Passenger Train In Southern Russia RFE/RL 05 Dec 2003 -- At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured today when a blast ripped through a passenger train in Russia's southern Stavropol Krai, not far from the breakaway republic of Chechnya.
  • RUSSIA TRAIN VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- At least 32 people are dead and about 60 others injured after an explosion tore through a commuter train in southern Russia, near Chechnya.
  • RUSSIA / WEAPONS VOA 04 Dec 2003 -- Russian officials say they will work on developing a program to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, as called for by President Vladimir Putin.
  • Military Measure Taken by Russia Supported KCNA 03 Dec 2003 -- Frokopenko, military attache of the Russian embassy here, called a press conference on Nov. 20 at which he introduced in detail the results of the meeting held at the Russian Ministry of Defence as regards the military principle of Russia and the document of the ministry "The immediate tasks for the development of armed forces of the Russian Federation".
  • ROK, Russia Agree on Early Nuke Talks Korea-net 03 Dec 2003 -- South Korea and Russia agreed on Monday (Dec. 1) to make efforts to persuade North Korea to enter another round of six-party talks to address their concerns over North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

    November

  • Lugar Wants Expanded Nunn-Lugar Program to Combat Proliferation Washington File 20 Nov 2003 -- Senator Richard Lugar says the United States must expand its nonproliferation efforts in order to combat the growing threat of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction.
  • Russian chemical weapons cannot be destroyed in nine years IRNA 15 Nov 2003 -- Russia ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention on November 5, 1997. Under it, Russia must destroy its chemical weapons stock by 2012. However, the adoption and ratification of the convention was the first stage in a long and costly process, one that is proceeding slower than expected.
  • U.S.: Rich In Technology, Entities From Former Soviet Union Seek Western Partners (Part 2) RFE/RL 13 Nov 2003 -- At the Partnerships for Prosperity and Security exhibition in Philadelphia last week, U.S. investors got a closer look at technological innovations from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. World-class scientists and engineers unveiled more than 100 technological products, many of which have never before been available to U.S. companies. But in spite of heavy promotion of the event by the U.S. Department of Energy, initial interest from U.S. parties in joint ventures appeared mixed.
  • Russia: British Court Refuses Extradition Of Chechen Envoy RFE/RL 13 Nov 2003 -- A British court today rejected Russia's request for the extradition of top Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakaev (pictured), wanted by Moscow on terrorism charges.
  • BRITAIN /CHECHNYA VOA 13 Nov 2003 -- A British judge has dismissed Russia's request for the extradition of Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakayev to face terrorism charges.
  • RUSSIA - INDIA VOA 12 Nov 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee are calling for a rapid return of Iraq's sovereignty, as well as continued efforts in the fight against global terrorism. The statements are in a joint declaration the two leaders issued after meeting in Moscow.
  • U.S.: Officials Urge Employment Of Former Soviet Nuclear Scientists (Part 1) RFE/RL 11 Nov 2003 -- The United States Department of Energy has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in programs aimed at securing jobs for skilled Russian military nuclear experts who are jobless or underemployed. Sponsoring an exhibition last week in Philadelphia titled "Partnerships for Prosperity and Security," the department aimed to establish better working relationships between venture capital firms in the United States and technologically innovative but cash-hungry enterprises in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
  • No one can make Russia to curtail nuke program with Iran: Ivanov IRNA 11 Nov 2003 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said no one could make Russia to curtail a nuclear cooperation program with Iran.
  • Russian FM: No one can blame Russia for cooperating with Iran IRNA 11 Nov 2003 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday that no one can talk Russia into curtailing its nuclear cooperation with Iran.
  • Spent n-fuel from Iran may be returned to Russia by truck: FM IRNA 10 Nov 2003 -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has said that Iran is considering the conclusion of an agreement with Russia on the return of spent nuclear fuel from the Bushehr nuclear plant.
  • RF, Iran to begin talks on Bushehr nuclear plant soon IRNA 10 Nov 2003 -- The talks on Russia`s participation in the construction of the second unit of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr `will begin soon`, secretary of Iran`s Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rowhani said.
  • Iran-Russia cooperation forges agt on non-proliferation protocol IRNA 10 Nov 2003 -- Iran later on Monday is scheduled to deliver to the International Atomic Energy Agency a message stating its consent to sign the additional protocol to the nuclear arms non-proliferation treaty, the Secretary of Iran`s Supreme National Security Council Hassan Rowhani said on Monday after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
  • Iran`s signing of additional protocol to boost coop with RF IRNA 10 Nov 2003 -- The signing of an additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by Iran `will remove the international community`s concern`, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said.
  • RUSSIA/ IRAN VOA 10 Nov 2003 -- A senior Iranian official has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iran will suspend its enrichment of uranium and sign a key U-N protocol. The announcement was made by Iran National Security Council head Hasan Rowhani who is in Moscow on a two-day visit.
  • U.S., Russia on Return of Russian Research Reactor Fuel Washington File 07 Nov 2003 -- Joint Statement signed November 7 in Washington on program to repatriate reactor fuel to Russia
  • U.S., Russia Hail First Joint Venture in Closed Nuclear City Washington File 06 Nov 2003 -- U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Russian Atomic Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev on November 5 announced a joint venture between a California company (Numotech, Inc.) and a Russian company (Spektr-Conversion, LLC) to manufacture medical components, equipment and devices in the formerly closed Russian nuclear city of Snezhinsk.
  • RUSSIA/MILITARY REFORM VOA 07 Nov 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says the down-sizing of Russia's bloated and under-financed armed forces has largely been completed. But critics say Russia's military reform program produced no real change.
  • EU distances itself from Berlusconi`s remarks on Chechnya and Yukos IRNA 07 Nov 2003 -- The European Commission, EU`s executive branch, Friday clearly distanced itself from remarks made by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome yesterday defending Russia`s actions in Chechnya.
  • Russia against politicizing Iran`s nuclear program IRNA 05 Nov 2003 -- Russia declared on Wednesday that it was against too much politicizing Iran`s nuclear program and that it did not intend to end its atomic cooperation with the country.
  • Russia rejects US claim on blocking Bushehr nuclear energy project IRNA 05 Nov 2003 -- Spokesman to Russia`s Ministry of Atomic Energy Nikolai Shingarev here on Wednesday rejected the US claim that Iran may stop the process of construction of Bushehr Power Station.
  • UKRAINE / BORDER VOA 05 Nov 2003 -- Ukraine and Russia are trying to settle a long-standing border dispute concerning a strategic waterway near the Crimea Peninsula in the Black Sea.
  • CONGRESS RUSSIA VOA 04 Nov 2003 -- An influential U-S Senator has denounced the recent arrest of the head of Russia's largest oil company as evidence of what he says is growing authoritarianism in that country. Senator John McCain says the United States should respond with political and economic measures.
  • Chechnya: Nine Russian Soldiers Killed, More Wounded RFE/RL 03 Nov 2003 -- An official in the Chechen administration said today that nine Russian soldiers were killed and 16 wounded during the past 24 hours by attacks and mines laid by Chechen separatists.

    October

  • Last group of Iranian shift engineers for Bushehr trained IRNA 29 Oct 2003 -- The last group of Iranian shift engineers for the Bushehr nuclear power plant has completed a course of training at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in Russia.
  • Russia, Iran agree to sign spent n-fuel protocol soon IRNA 29 Oct 2003 -- Russia and Iran have agreed to sign a protocol on the return of spent nuclear fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the near future, a Russian Atomic Energy official said after bilateral talks on the issue on Wednesday.
  • Russian official: No obstacle in sending fuel to Bushehr plant IRNA 29 Oct 2003 -- Russian Minister of Nuclear Energy Alexander Rumyantsev in a meeting here Wednesday with Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Gholam-Reza Shafei said there is no obstacle to sending fuel for Bushehr nuclear power plant.
  • Russia, Iran to discuss protocol on return of spent nuclear fuel IRNA 28 Oct 2003 -- Russia and Iran are to discuss in Moscow on Wednesday a date and place of signing an additional protocol on Tehran`s returning spent nuclear fuel from reactor No. 1 of Iran`s nuclear power plant constructed in Bushehr, a spokesman for the Russian Nuclear Energy Ministry told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
  • EU: Russia Warned Not To Jeopardize Relations Over Enlargement RFE/RL 28 Oct 2003 -- The European Commission today said Russia must automatically extend its Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU -- which underpins Moscow's relations with the bloc -- to all new member states after enlargement, or risk harming ties.
  • Transparency of Iran-Russia nuclear cooperation confirmed IRNA 27 Oct 2003 -- State Duma`s Security Committee Deputy Chairman Victor Ilyukhin here on Monday stressed the transparency of Iran-Russia nuclear cooperation.
  • Russia may join NATO in future - Lord Robertson IRNA 26 Oct 2003 -- Russia may join the North Atlantic Alliance in the future, NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. He said he did not know what the Alliance would be like ten years from now.
  • RUSSIA/ARREST VOA 25 Oct 2003 -- One of Russia's richest men and head of the country's largest oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been arrested on charges of tax evasion and fraud. The businessman was detained in Siberia by Russian special forces, and taken to a court in Moscow, which ordered he be held in custody.
  • DUBROVKA ANNIVERSARY VOA 23 Oct 2003 -- Russians are observing the first anniversary of the Dubrovka theater hostage-taking by Chechen rebels that ended in the death of 130 people. A monument to the victims was unveiled in front of the theater.
  • Kyrgyzstan: Putin To Attend Official Opening Of Russian Air Base RFE/RL 22 Oct 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Kyrgyzstan tomorrow to attend the official opening of a Russian air base in Kant, near the capital, Bishkek.
  • ROK, Russia Agree to Draw NK Back to Talks Korea-net 22 Oct 2003 -- South Korea and Russia agreed on Tuesday to closely cooperate to restart at an early date the suspended six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear row.
  • Moscow ready to cooperate with Iran in nuclear sphere - FM IRNA 22 Oct 2003 -- Moscow `is ready to cooperate with Tehran in future, including in the nuclear sphere provided international obligations are strictly observed`, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Wednesday in reply to a request to comment on the latest statements by Iran.
  • Iran says to sign protocol on return of nuclear fuel to Russia IRNA 22 Oct 2003 -- Tehran and Moscow will soon sign a protocol to an agreement on Iran`s returning spent fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran`s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Akbar Salehi, said.
  • Iran, Russia to sign accord on return of spent nuclear fuel IRNA 21 Oct 2003 -- Iran`s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Akbar Salehi here on Tuesday said that Tehran and Moscow will soon sign an agreement on return of the spent nuclear fuel to Russia.
  • Russia interested in cooperation with Iran under IAEA control IRNA 21 Oct 2003 -- Russia is interested in cooperation with Iran in the peaceful atom area and does not give it up, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters on Monday. "We are interested in cooperation with Iran on peaceful atomic programs, of course under the IAEA control," the minister said.
  • Chechnya: After Kadyrov's Inauguration, Doubts Remain RFE/RL 20 Oct 2003 -- Chechen President Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov was sworn in yesterday, amid tight security. But analysts say doubts remain about Kadyrov's legitimacy and his political record to date. They say it is unclear how capable the Kremlin-backed leader will be of effectively resolving the many critical problems facing Chechnya.
  • CHECHNYA/INAUGURATION VOA 19 Oct 2003 -- In Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, has been sworn in as president. He was appointed by Moscow to rule the province three years ago, and was the landslide winner of an election that critics say was neither free nor fair.
  • Chechnya: Kadyrov Sworn In As President RE/RL 19 Oct 2003 -- Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov (pictured) was sworn in today as the new president of Chechnya, despite various security concerns.
  • Chernobyl victims need coordinated international help, Annan says UN News Centre 15 Oct 2003 -- Seventeen years after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station the situation in the area remains "difficult' - as does the coordination of international relief efforts, according to a United Nations report issued today.
  • Russia: Moscow Struggles To Clarify Stance On Preemptive Force RFE/RL 14 Oct 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in recent days have made vague and sometimes conflicting statements on Russia's position on the use of preemptive strikes. The debate comes as the international community itself is struggling to define preemptive force.
  • Chechnya: Separatists Kill Nine Russian Troops RFE/RL 13 Oct 2003 -- The long, bloody stalemate between Russian troops and Chechen separatists continued in the breakaway republic of Chechnya today, with guerrillas killing nine soldiers and Russian artillery pounding suspected rebel positions in several areas of the republic.
  • Russia continues nuclear cooperation with Iran IRNA 13 Oct 2003 -- Spokesman of Russia Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko said here Monday that Russia is determined to continue its nuclear cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
  • Iran, Russia review mutual, regional, international cooperation IRNA 11 Oct 2003 -- Visiting Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov conferred here Saturday with Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rowhani on expansion of mutual cooperation.
  • Chechnya: Kadyrov Says Chechens Should Control Internal Security RFE/RL 10 Oct 2003 -- Chechen President-elect Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov said today in Moscow that he will ask as soon as possible for Russian troops to withdraw from Chechnya and turn internal security over to his own forces.
  • Russia: EU Issues Cautious Assessment Of Chechen Elections RFE/RL 06 Oct 2003 -- The European Commission says it doubts yesterday's presidential elections in Chechnya were "free or fair."
  • Chechnya: Elections Go According To Kremlin's Plan RFE/RL 06 Oct 2003 -- Chechnya's presidential election yesterday went much as expected, with Kremlin-backed Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov -- running virtually unopposed -- raking in three-quarters of the votes. Russian authorities, eager to ensure that their candidate is seen as the legitimate winner, went to considerable effort to portray the ballot as free and fair. But critics continue to dismiss the vote as nothing less than a farce. RFE/RL Moscow correspondent Sophie Lambroschini reports on the election results and possible consequences for Chechnya.
  • Russia: U.S. Criticizes Chechen Presidential Election RFE/RL 06 Oct 2003 -- The United States has criticized the presidential elections in Chechnya, saying the weekend poll in the breakaway Russian republic did not meet international standards.
  • CHECHNYA/ELECT VOA 06 Oct 2003-- Kremlin appointee Akhmad Kadyrov appears poised to win Sunday's presidential election in separatist Chechnya. Russian election officials say first results show Mr. Kadyrov has what they call an absolute and unbeatable lead
  • U-S/CHECHNYA ELECTION VOA 06 Oct 2003-- The United States is expressing disappointment over Sunday's presidential election in Chechnya. The State Department says the contest, easily won by the Moscow-backed candidate, Akhmad Kadyrov, did not meet international standards for free and fair elections
  • Russia: Little Seen As 'Normal' In Presidential Vote In Chechnya (Part 1) RFE/RL 03 Oct 2003 -- Chechens are due to head to the polls on Sunday (5 October) to vote for a new president. The election has been touted by Moscow as proof the situation in the war-torn republic is "normalizing." But the race has been dominated by a single candidate -– the Kremlin's hand-picked favorite, acting Chechen President Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov. In a region racked by four years of war and with the election of Kadyrov virtually assured, many say the situation in Chechnya is anything but normal.
  • Russia: EU Official Deplores Moscow's Lack Of Cooperation In Chechnya (Part 2) RFE/RL 03 Oct 2003 -- The European Union's top aid official in Russia says Moscow has done very little -- if anything -- to improve the humanitarian situation in its breakaway republic of Chechnya. Philippe Royan says that four years after the start of the republic's second conflict, Chechnya remains one of the most difficult aid operations in the world.
  • Russia: How Western Attitudes Toward Wars Have Shifted (Part 3) RFE/RL 03 Oct 2003 -- An estimated 200,000 civilians and thousands of Russian troops are believed to have perished in the course of Russia's two wars in Chechnya. The battles -– and the widespread accusations of Russian atrocities that accompanied them -- were once at the forefront of the international agenda, the subject of high-level criticism that overshadowed Russia's relations with Western countries. But if the issue comes up in talks these days, the criticism, if any, is subdued.
  • Russia: Putin Talks Up Power Of Nuclear Arsenal RFE/RL 03 Oct 2003 -- Russia's Defense Ministry has issued a document reaffirming its right to undertake pre-emptive military strikes while warning NATO that the alliance's continued military posture could prompt Moscow to conduct what it called a "fundamental reassessment of Russia's military planning and arms procurement." At the same time, President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with top military brass, emphasized the power of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Coming so soon after Putin's visit to the United States, the saber-rattling from Moscow took some observers by surprise. Should the U.S. and NATO be alarmed?
  • Chechnya: Maskhadov Vows Armed Resistance, Dismisses Election RFE/RL 02 Oct 2003 -- The last democratically elected president of Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov, said that armed resistance against Russia will continue until "the occupiers leave."
  • CHECHNYA/VOTE VOA 02 Oct 2003-- Chechen-separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov has dismissed upcoming presidential elections in the southern Russian republic as illegitimate, and vowed to continue to fight Russian federal forces. Violence has flared in the days before Sunday's Kremlin-sponsored election, and concerns by human-rights groups and western election monitors continue to mount

    September

  • Russia: Armed Men Kill Five Police In Daghestan RFE/RL 30 Sep 2003 -- Police in Russia's southern Daghestan Republic say armed men attacked a police vehicle there today killing at least five police officers.
  • U.S., Russia Take "Major Step" Toward Closing Plutonium Reactors Washington File 30 Sept 2003-- The United States and Russia have taken a "major step" towards closing three Russian weapons-grade plutonium production reactors in Seversk and Zheleznogorsk with the signing of two contracts to build replacement fossil-fuel power plants in Siberia, according to a September 29 Department of Energy press release.
  • Russia: Court Challenges Unprecedented Compensation Award For Chechen War Veteran RFE/RL 29 Sep 2003 -- Russian authorities have been waging war in Chechnya for four years. And for nearly as long, they've been fighting a second battle -- in courtrooms, where war veterans are seeking redress for failing to receive compensation for their time served in the breakaway republic. Earlier this month, a judge granted an unprecedented award to one Russian soldier. But the state is fighting the decision, and the veteran is still a long way from seeing any of his money.
  • Chechnya: Head Of Pro-Moscow Administration In Serious Condition RFE/RL 28 Sep 2003 -- The acting head of Chechnya's pro-Moscow administration, Anatolii Popov, is in a serious condition today after suffering apparent acute food poisoning at a banquet.
  • Russia: Moscow Court Awards Some Compensation To Theater-Siege Families RFE/RL 26 Sep 2003 -- A Moscow court has ordered the city government to pay compensation to relatives of some of the victims of last October's Chechen hostage siege.
  • Pulikovski Refers to DPRK-Russia Relations KCNA 22 Sep 2003 -- Russia will continue to develop the bilateral relations with the DPRK and invariably implement in the future, too, its commitments made in the Moscow declaration, a result of the meeting of President Putin and Chairman of the National Defence Commission Kim Jong Il irrespective of the outcome of the six-way talks.
  • U.S. Counting on Russia as Non-proliferation Partner Washington File 22 Sept 2003-- "The United States is counting on Russia to be a partner in non-proliferation and to use its influence to prevent the nuclearization of North Korea and Iran," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow said September 19.
  • U.S. Reaffirms Support for Nuclear Weapons Conversion Projects in Russia Washington File 22 Sept 2003-- U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has announced funding for a new medical imaging project in Russia and has reaffirmed U.S. support for continuation of existing nuclear weapon facility conversion projects to completion, even though the Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI) of which they are a part expires on September 22.
  • RUSSIA/NUCLEAR FORUM VOA 19 Sept 2003-- Nuclear non-proliferation has become one of the world's chief concerns, amid worries about nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists and the nuclear ambitions of countries such as North Korea and Iran. In Moscow, more than 300 experts and officials are meeting to discuss issues ranging from monitoring and verification to export controls
  • Iran, Russia cooperate in atomic energy: ambassador IRNA 20 Sep 2003 -- Iran and Russia are developing the atomic energy cooperation, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Gholam-Reza Shafei said on Friday.
  • Russia: Two Suicide Bombers Carried Out Ingushetia Attack RFE/RL 16 Sep 2003 -- Officials in Ingushetia today said two suicide bombers carried out the deadly truck-bomb attack on a government security service building near Chechnya.
  • Russia: Bomb Blast At Security Service Building In Ingushetia RFE/RL 15 Sep 2003 -- A truck packed with explosives blew up today outside the regional headquarters of Russia's domestic security service, the FSB, in the southern republic of Ingushetia.
  • Chechnya: Presidential Candidate Drops Out Of Race RFE/RL 11 Sep 2003 -- Aslambek Aslakhanov, one of the three main contenders in presidential elections in Chechnya next month, today pulled out of the race.
  • Russia says IAEA resolution on Iran will help solve problems IRNA 14 Sep 2003 -- Russia considers the International Atomic Energy Agency`s resolution on Iran a plan of action, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said.
  • Russia: Moscow To Expand Trade Ties With North Korea RFE/RL 07 Sep 2003 -- A top Russian official said today that Moscow is planning to expand its trade ties with North Korea.
  • RUSSIA / NORTH KOREA VOA 01 Sep 2003 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has joined South Korea in calling for a new round of talks about the North Korean nuclear crisis. Meanwhile, the North Korean embassy in Moscow released a statement critical of the United States for its position at the inconclusive six-nation talks held in Beijing last week.

    August

  • Russia: Nine Die As Nuclear Submarine Sinks RFE/RL 31 Aug 2003 -- Russia's defense minister and the commander of the navy's Northern Fleet declared today a day of mourning for the nine crew members who died when a nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea while being towed yesterday.
  • RUSSIA/SUBMARINE VOA 31 Aug 2003 -- Russia's defense minister says human error was to blame for the sinking of one of his nation's nuclear submarines on Saturday. He and other officials say a failure to follow instructions was a large part of what happened.
  • RUSSIA/SPACE VOA 31 Aug 2003 -- A Russian space capsule carrying more than two tons of supplies has docked with the International Space Station. In addition to its regular shipment of cargo, the capsule delivered mail and music to the two men on the station.
  • Russia, Iran to sign protocol on return of spent nuclear fuel IRNA 30 Aug 2003 -- Russia is ready to sign a protocol on the return of spent nuclear fuel with Iran, Deputy Nuclear Energy Minister Valery Govorukhin said.
  • RUSSIA/SUBMARINE VOA 30 Aug 2003 -- At least two sailors are dead and seven are missing, after a Russian nuclear-powered submarine sank in the northwestern Barents Sea. Defense officials say one crew member has been rescued from the decommissioned submarine, which was being towed to a scrap yard when it sank.
  • Chechnya: Kadyrov Seen As Front-Runner Ahead Of October Vote RFE/RL 29 Aug 2003 -- Nearly a dozen candidates will compete in Chechen presidential elections in October. This week Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov, the current Moscow-appointed administrator of Chechnya, registered as a candidate. Many analysts pick him as an early favorite on the assumption that he enjoys the support of the Kremlin.
  • Russian keen to proceed with Iran`s nuke program IRNA 28 Aug 2003 -- Russia`s Atomic Energy Ministry here on Thursday dismissed the prospect of stopping nuclear cooperation with Iran for peaceful purpose.
  • U-S/RUSSIA/IRAN VOA 27 Aug 2003 -- The United States has again raised with Russian officials its objections to Moscow's assistance to Iran's nuclear program. The U-N's nuclear watchdog calls Iran's efforts an issue of urgent concern and one that will be addressed by the body next month.
  • RUSSIA/U-S/NUKES VOA 25 Aug 2003 -- The senior U-S diplomat for arms control, John Bolton, is expected to reaffirm U-S concerns about the nuclear intentions of North Korea and Iran, during two days of talks in Moscow.
  • Russia: Scientist Gets Jail Plus Amnesty After Spy Trial RFE/RL 25 Aug 2003 -- A court in Vladivostok today sentenced a Russian scientist convicted of disclosing state secrets to China, but then immediately released him.
  • RUSSIA/HELICOPTER VOA 24 Aug 2003 -- The bodies of 20 people killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday in Russia's Far East have been recovered from a remote area. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash, which killed the governor of the oil-rich Sakhalin region.
  • RUSSIA AIR SHOW VOA 24 Aug 2003 -- A nearly weeklong air and space show that brought together aircraft and aerospace companies from many nations has ended in Russia. American military planes were at the biennial show for the first time.
  • Chechnya: Nine Russian Soldiers Killed In Bomb Attack RFE/RL 22 Aug 2003 -- Nine Russian soldiers were killed by a bomb that exploded close to their vehicle near Grozny.
  • Russia: Search Resumes For Missing Helicopter In Far East RFE/RL 21 Aug 2003 -- Teams of rescuers and the military today resumed the search for a missing helicopter in Russia's Far East.
  • RUSSIA/HELICOPTER VOA 21 Aug 2003 -- Rescue teams are continuing their search for a helicopter that has disappeared in Russia's Far East with the governor of a major region and up to 20 other people on board. Scores of ships and planes are scouring the southern end of the rugged Kamchatka peninsula
  • New Chapter of DPRK-Russia Friendship KCNA 20 Aug 2003 -- A year has passed since leader Kim Jong Il made a historic visit to the Far Eastern Region of the Russian Federation. He made an immortal contribution to the development of the DPRK-Russia friendship with his energetic external activities, making over 2,800 kilometer-long journey from August 20 to 24, 2002.
  • RUSSIA/ HELICOPTER VOA 20 Aug 2003 -- Authorities in the Russian Far East have suspended the search for a missing helicopter carrying at least 16 people over the northern Kuril Islands, off Russia's Pacific Coast. A regional governor is among the missing.
  • Chechnya: Five Russian Soldiers Killed RFE/RL 15 Aug 2003 -- Russia's Interior Ministry says five Russian soldiers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a remote-controlled mine in the Vedeno district in southern Chechnya.
  • RUSSIA / NORTH KOREA VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Russia is holding separate talks with diplomats from North and South Korea in an effort to ease tensions over North Korea's nuclear program.
  • Russia: Talks With Korean Officials Begin In Moscow RFE/RL 13 Aug 2003 -- Russian officials have today opened separate talks with North Korean and South Korean delegates in Moscow.
  • Chechnya: Expert Sees Politics Behind U.S. Terrorist Designation Of Basayev RFE/RL 12 Aug 2003 -- The U.S. State Department has designated Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev as a terrorist threat to America. The move forces the Treasury Department to freeze any U.S. assets that may belong to Basayev, who claimed to be behind last year's seizure of a Moscow theater that ended in the death of 129 hostages. But why has Washington chosen to take action against Basayev now?
  • Chechnya: Five Russian Servicemen Killed RFE/RL 11 Aug 2003 -- An official in the Kremlin-backed Chechen administration said today that separatist forces in Chechnya killed five federal servicemen over the past 24 hours.
  • RUSSIA/KOREA VOA 10 Aug 2003 -- Officials from Russia and North and South Korea will hold talks in Moscow this week to prepare for six-way negotiations about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Those later talks will also include China, the United States and Japan, possibly later this month.
  • CHINA/JAPAN/NORTH KOREA VOA 10 Aug 2003 -- An energetic round of diplomatic activity continues in preparation for six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Diplomats from China, Japan and Russia are on the road for planning meetings.
  • U.S. Designates Chechen Rebel Leader as Terrorist Washington File 08 Aug 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell has designated Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev a threat to U.S. security and citizens.
  • U-S / CHECHNYA VOA 08 Aug 2003 -- The State Department has designated Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev a threat to U-S national security, and imposed financial sanctions against him. Three Chechen rebel groups linked to Mr. Basayev were penalized by the United States earlier this year.
  • RUSSIA/ CHECHNYA VOA 08 Aug 2003 -- Police in the Russian republic of Ingushetia are searching for the unidentified gunmen who killed six Russian soldiers and wounded seven Thursday near the border with the volatile republic of Chechnya.
  • Russia: String Of Bombings Belie Kremlin Hopes Of Chechnya's 'Normalization' RFE/RL 06 Aug 2003 -- The suicide bombing that killed 50 people at a military hospital in the North Ossetian city of Mozdok last week appears to be another major setback in Moscow's increasingly bloody and unsuccessful effort to tame rebel forces in Chechnya. The recent adoption of a constitution and preparations for local elections have not "normalized" the situation in the breakaway republic, as the Kremlin had hoped.
  • Russia: Three Suspects Detained Over Mozdok Suicide Bomb Attack RFE/RL 06 Aug 2003 -- Russia's judiciary today said they had detained three suspects in the suicide car bombing that killed 50 people in the North Ossetian city of Mozdok last week.
  • RUSSIA / UZBEKISTAN VOA 06 Aug 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Islam Karimov have announced they will increase cooperation in the oil and gas industries. The pledge came during the Russian leader's first visit to the region since Russian-Uzbek relations became strained over Uzbekistan's support for some U-S policies that Russia opposes.
  • MALAYSIA PUTIN VOA 05 Aug 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Malaysia to cement an arms deal with the Malaysian government and further trade ties with Kuala Lumpur.
  • RUSSIA/ BLAST VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- People in the Southern Russian city of Mozdok, near the Chechnya border, observed a day of mourning Monday for the 50 people killed in the bombing of a military hospital on Friday. Rescue workers have called off the search for both survivors and victims in the rubble.
  • Russia: Death Toll Rises To 50 In Bombing As Rescue Efforts End RFE/L 03 Aug 2003 -- Rescuers pulled the 50th body out of the rubble of a Russian military hospital in North Ossetia overnight, and called off efforts to find any survivors of the suicide attack.
  • RUSSIA/BLAST VOA 02 Aug 2003 -- The death toll continues to rise at the site of a military hospital in southern Russia that was destroyed in a suicide bombing late Friday. At least 35 people are reported to have died in the blast, which is being blamed on Chechen rebels.
  • Russia: Rescue And Recovery Efforts Continue After North Ossetia Bomb Attack RFE/L 02 Aug 2003 -- Rescue workers are searching for survivors this morning at a Russian military hospital in the southern republic of North Ossetia following an explosion believed to have been caused by a truck bombing.
  • Russia: Truck-Bomb Attack Kills At Least 35 In Ossetia RFE/L 02 Aug 2003 -- A vehicle packed with explosives blew up a Russian military hospital in the southern republic of North Ossetia yesterday, killing at least 35 people and wounding another 150.
  • U.S. Statement on Terrorist Act on Russian Hospital Washington File 01 Aug 2003 -- The United States extends sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims of the August 1 terrorist attack on a hospital in Mozdok, a town in the Russian Republic of North Ossetia, the White House said in the following statement
  • Russia: Truck-Bomb Attack Kills At Least 20 In Ossetia RFE/L 01 Aug 2003 -- A vehicle packed with explosives has blown up a Russian military hospital in the southern republic of North Ossetia, killing at least 20 people and wounding many others.
  • RUSSIA / EXPLOSION VOA 01 Aug 2003 -- At least 20 people are dead and scores (dozens) more injured after a powerful truck bomb exploded outside a Russian military hospital in North Ossetia, bordering break-away Chechnya. It was the latest in a string of deadly attacks on Russian targets in recent months

    July

  • Putin Says Russia Won't Test Nukes If Other States Don't RFE/L 31 Jul 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will continue refraining from nuclear tests, but on the condition that other countries don't conduct them.
  • Russia: Five Soldiers Killed In Ingushetia RFE/L 30 Jul 2003 -- The prosecutor of the Sunzhenskii region in Ingushetia said today that five Russian soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive.
  • Russia: Kremlin Hands Control Of Chechnya Campaign To Police Force RFE/L 29 Jul 2003 -- Russia has removed control of the Chechen military campaign from the security services and handed it to the police.
  • Russia: Army Officer Found Guilty Of Murder Of Chechen Woman RFE/L 25 Jul 2003 -- Russian Colonel Yurii Budanov today was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a Chechen woman and sentenced to 10 years in a maximum security prison.
  • RUSSIA / CHECHNYA TRIAL VOA 25 Jul 2003-- A military court in southern Russia has sentenced an army officer to ten years in prison for murdering a Chechen woman
  • Energy's Abraham Acts on Non-proliferation Projects in Russia Washington File 23 Jul 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham has acted to ensure that U.S. non-proliferation projects in Russia continue uninterrupted if the 1998 Nuclear Cities Initiative (NCI) agreement is not renewed before it expires in September.
  • Abraham on Meeting the New Century's Nuclear Challenges Washington File 21 Jul 2003 -- The United States took another step toward eliminating the last vestiges of Cold War nuclear weapons production in May when the Department of Energy awarded contracts for construction of fossil fuel power plants to replace three Russian nuclear reactors.
  • Russia: Official Says Rights Groups Should Be Investigated For Ties To Chechen Rebels RFE/L 22 Jul 2003 -- A top Russian official said today that there should be investigations into some local and international human rights organizations that protest the war in Chechnya.
  • Chechnya: Russian Soldiers, Chechen Fighters Die In Fighting RFE/L 21 Jul 2003 -- Six Russian soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in an overnight clash with separatist fighters in southwestern Chechnya.
  • Georgia: President Calls On Russia To Cut Unsanctioned Ties With Abkhazia RFE/L 21 Jul 2003 -- Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze today called on Russia to sever all unsanctioned political and economic ties with the breakaway republic of Abkhazia.
  • RUSSIA / N. KOREA VOA 21 Jul 2003 -- Russia's top Asia expert is calling for immediate negotiations on the nuclear standoff between North Korea and the United States.
  • U.S., Russia Agree to Step Toward Closing Plutonium Reactors Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- The United States and Russia signed agreements July 17 that will allow access to the traditionally closed cities of the Russian nuclear weapons complex -- Seversk and Zheleznogorsk -- so that work can begin on the task of shutting down three weapons-grade plutonium production reactors.
  • Russia: Vershbow's Comments Raise Hackles In Moscow RFE/L 17 Jul 2003 -- Recent comments by the U.S. ambassador to Moscow have raised hackles at the Russian Foreign Ministry. U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said U.S. forces could not guarantee the security of the Russian Embassy in Baghdad, as Washington no longer recognizes the mission's official status. Vershbow also called on Moscow to actively cooperate in sharing its intelligence with the United States on Iraq. What effect are Vershbow's comments likely to have? Is there validity to the U.S. argument that Moscow's mission in Baghdad is no longer covered by diplomatic immunity?
  • Military Operations in Chechnya Spreading to Neighboring Ingushetia VOA News 16 Jul 2003 -- A senior official of the group Human Rights Watch said Russia's military operations in Chechnya are spreading to neighboring Ingushetia. The official is urging Russia to rein in its forces, or risk further undermining security in the region.
  • RUSSIA / CHECHNYA VOA 16 Jul 2003 -- A senior official of the group Human Rights Watch says Russia's military operations in Chechnya are spreading to neighboring Ingushetia. The official is urging Russia to rein in its forces, or risk further undermining security in the region.
  • RUSSIA / NUKE PROGRAM VOA 15 Jul 2003 -- A new training center in Moscow is teaching former Soviet nuclear weapons researchers new skills, in the hope they will use their expertise for peaceful purposes.
  • Chechnya: Russian Forces Kill Rebel Commander RFE/L 12 Jul 2003 -- The Russian military said today troops killed a leading Chechen rebel military commander responsible for training female suicide bombers.
  • Russia: Moscow Concerned NATO Spy Planes May Use Georgian Airspace RFE/L 11 Jul 2003 -- Relations between Russia and Georgia came under further strain this week amid reports that Tbilisi might soon open its airspace to NATO reconnaissance aircraft. Moscow yesterday lodged an official complaint, cautioning both Georgia and NATO against taking unfriendly steps.
  • Russia: Security Officer Killed Trying To Defuse Bomb In Moscow RFE/L 10 Jul 2003 -- Russia's Interior Ministry says a security officer was killed today when a bomb he was trying to defuse outside a Moscow restaurant exploded.
  • Chechnya: What Is Driving Women To Suicide Missions? RFE/L 09 Jul 2003 -- The dual suicide blasts at a Moscow rock concert this weekend are the latest example of a relatively new and disturbing phenomenon -- female suicide bombers. The Kremlin was quick to blame the attacks on Chechen extremists, and says Islamic radicalism is on the rise in the republic. But human rights groups say that such attacks are a result of Russia's merciless campaign in Chechnya. They say it is deepening the anger and despair that has driven Chechen women to launch suicide attacks -- something that is antithetical to both Islam and traditional Chechen culture.
  • MOSCOW BLAST VOA 07 Jul 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Monday that he will show no mercy, and "make no concessions", to separatist rebels whom he blames for a double suicide bombing in Russia's capital Saturday. The blasts killed more than a dozen people and injured many more.
  • Putin Vows Not to Give Up Fight Against Terrorists VOA News 07 Jul 2003 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will not yield to terrorism, two days after twin suicide bombings at a Moscow rock concert left 15 people dead, including the two female bombers. Mr. Putin addressed government security ministers in special session, and said that if Russia fails to stand up to terrorists the nation will face certain collapse.
  • PUTIN BLAST VOA 07 Jul 2003 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will not yield to terrorism, two days after twin suicide bombings at a Moscow rock concert left 15 people dead, including the two female bombers. Mr. Putin addressed government security ministers in special session, and said that if Russia fails to stand up to terrorists the nation will face certain collapse.
  • Russia: Suicide Bombers Kill 13 In Moscow; Russia Blames Chechen Separatists RFE/L 07 Jul 2003 -- Nine months after the Moscow hostage crisis that left dozens of civilians dead, two female suicide bombers brought violence back to the Russian capital over the weekend when they blew themselves up at an open-air rock concert. No one has claimed responsibility, but the Russian authorities blame Chechen separatists for the attack.
  • Russia: Putin Due In Uzbekistan As Probe Into Moscow Bombing Continues VOA 06 Jul 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is due in Uzbekistan today, as an investigation continues into explosions outside of Moscow yesterday that killed two female suicide bombers and at least 14 others.
  • RUSSIA/BLASTS VOA 06 Jul 2003 -- City health officials say two more victims of Saturday's double suicide bombing at a Moscow rock festival have died overnight, bringing the death toll to at least 15, including the two female bombers. Russian officials have vowed to increase security in the capital and bring the perpetrators to justice.
  • U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attack in Moscow Washington File 05 Jul 2003 -- The White House issued the following statement following the July 5 terrorist attack in Moscow
  • At Least 18 Killed in Moscow Suicide Bombing VOA News 05 Jul 2003 -- Two female suicide bombers killed at least 18 people, and injured numerous others, when they blew themselves up at a rock festival in Moscow on Saturday. Russian officials say Chechen rebels were to blame.
  • Russia Blames Chechen Rebels for Suicide Bombing VOA News 05 Jul 2003 -- Russia says Chechen rebels are to blame for Saturday's suicide bombing attacks in Moscow that killed at least 18 people, including the bombers. Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov says Chechen separatists most likely carried out the attacks in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision Friday to hold Kremlin-run presidential elections in Chechnya in October. He says at least 20 people were injured in the blasts.
  • Russia: Interior Minister Blames Chechen Separatists For Deadly Bombing RFE/L 05 Jul 2003 -- Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov blamed Chechen separatists for bombings at a rock concert outside Moscow today that killed at least 16 people and injured dozens of others.
  • RUSSIA/BLAST VOA 05 Jul 2003 -- Two female suicide bombers killed at least 18 people, and injured numerous others, when they blew themselves up at a rock festival in Moscow on Saturday. Russian officials say Chechen rebels were to blame.
  • Romanian, Russian Presidents To Sign Treaty In Moscow RFE/L 04 Jul 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Romanian counterpart Ion Iliescu (pictured) are scheduled to sign a new treaty on bilateral relations today in Moscow.
  • HUNGARY / IVANOV VOA 03 Jul 2003 -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has concluded a two-day visit to Hungary. The visit shows how relations between Russia and Hungary have greatly improved since the last Russian soldiers left Hungarian soil more than a decade ago.
  • Bush Praises Putin for Help in Effort to Avert Iran, N. Korean Nuclear Intentions VOA News 02 Jul 2003 -- President Bush says Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing a helpful role in efforts to prevent Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Mr. Bush says progress is being made.
  • U-N / NO KO VOA 02 Jul 2003 -- China and Russia have blocked today (Wednesday) a second U-S effort in the Security Council to condemn North Korea's revival of its nuclear program.
  • China, Russia Block UN Anti-North Korea Statement VOA News 02 Jul 2003 -- China and Russia have again blocked U.S. efforts to introduce a U.N. Security Council statement condemning North Korea's nuclear program.
  • BUSH / PUTIN VOA 02 Jul 2003 -- President Bush says Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing a helpful role in efforts to prevent Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.
  • Russia/EU: New Travel Rules Begin For Kaliningrad, With Only Minor Hitches Reported RFE/L 01 Jul 2003 -- Lithuania today introduced a form of transit visas for the almost 1 million residents of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland. This morning, the first train headed from Kaliningrad to Russia according to the new regulations, which were the result of long, difficult negotiations between European, Russian, and Lithuanian politicians.
  • RUSSIA / KALININGRAD VOA 01 Jul 2003 -- Lithuania's new visa requirements for Russian citizens traveling between the mainland and Kaliningrad have taken effect as part of Lithuania's preparations to join the European Union. But the first day of travel under the new procedures was not without incident

    June

  • RUSSIA / IRAN VOA 30 Jun 2003 -- The head of Iran's nuclear program is in Russia for talks expected to focus on the two countries' cooperation on atomic energy. The visit comes amid ongoing international concerns about whether Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.
  • Iran's Nuclear Chief in Moscow for Talks VOA News 30 Jun 2003 -- The head of Iran's nuclear program is in Moscow for talks with senior Russian officials, amid continuing international concern that Tehran is secretly trying to develop atomic weapons.
  • Russian, Polish Presidents Meet Near Kaliningrad RFE/L 28 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Polish counterpart Aleksander Kwasniewski today opened talks on bilateral relations while monitoring naval exercises in the Baltic Sea.
  • Russia: Putin Heading Home After Rare Russian State Visit To Britain RFE/L 27 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is flying home today after a trip to Britain, the first such high-level visit since the 19th century.
  • RUSSIA / T-V-S VOA 26 Jun 2003 -- Russia's last private national television channel, T-V-S, was forced to shut down earlier this week, and was immediately replaced by the new state-controlled channel Sport. Analysts say the way the closure came about is raising questions about whether the government is moving to stifle independent media ahead of upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
  • Russia: Yet Again, Media Freedom Appears Under Threat RFE/L 25 Jun 2003 -- Russia's Press Ministry has shut down the country's last remaining independent national television channel while legislators have approved a bill that would let the authorities temporarily close news organizations found to be "biased" in their coverage of electoral campaigns. Is press freedom under threat once again in Russia?
  • Russia: Upper House Approves Restrictive Law On Campaign Coverage RFE/L 25 Jun 2003 -- Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, today approved a law making it easier for authorities to shut down media outlets accused of biased political-campaign coverage.
  • BRITAIN / RUSSIA VOA 25 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is continuing his state visit to Britain Wednesday, with a day of sightseeing. Mr. Putin is the first Russian leader to visit Britain as a guest of the British Royal Family since 1874.
  • BRITAIN / RUSSIA VOA 24 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has received a royal welcome in London, becoming the first Russian leader to make a state visit to Britain since 1874. The mainly ceremonial four-day visit will also include talks between Mr. Putin and Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose relationship has been thawing since their split over the war in Iraq. The visit began with politics set aside, to make way for pomp and ceremony.
  • Russia: Putin Arrives In London RFE/L 24 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in London for the first state visit by a Russian leader to Britain in about 130 years.
  • Russia: Putin In Britain For First State Visit By Russian Leader In 130 Years RFE/L 24 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin begins a trip to Britain today. It's the first state visit by a Russian leader in nearly 130 years. That means Putin and his wife will be treated to a lot of pomp and splendor. They'll stay at Buckingham Palace, take a ride in a royal carriage, and be toasted at a state banquet. But what is the real significance of the visit?
  • Putin Begins Visit to Britain VOA News 24 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in London at the start of a four-day state visit - the first to Britain by a Russian leader in 129 years.
  • U-S-RUSSIA MEDIA VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- The United States Monday lamented the Russian government's closure of T-V-S, that country's last independent television channel. The State Department says the closure, for what Moscow says were financial reasons, does not serve the interest of a free press and had the appearance of being politically-motivated.
  • PUTIN BRITAIN PREVIEW VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to London Tuesday on the first state visit of a Russian leader to Britain in 129 years. Amid the royal splendor of the visit, Mr. Putin will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Key topics are expected to include Russia's economic interests in the rebuilding of Iraq and Mr. Putin's stance on continued nuclear cooperation with Iran.
  • Putin Defends Russian Commercial Interests in Iran VOA 22 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will not allow international concerns over Iran's nuclear program to undermine Russia's commercial interests in the country.
  • Russia: Moscow Says IAEA Statement Clears Way For Nuclear Cooperation With Iran RFE/L 21 Jun 2003 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry said today that the failure of the UN's nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to condemn Iran has cleared the way for Russia to help Iran build a nuclear-power plant.
  • Russia/Belarus: Officials Agree On Currency Union, But Will It Hold? RFE/L 20 Jun 2003 -- Officials from Belarus and Russia have announced a timetable agreement on plans to unify their currencies by the beginning of 2005.
  • Russia: Duma Declaration Puts Heat On Turkmen Government RFE/L 20 Jun 2003 -- Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, today adopted a declaration that expresses "deep concern" over recent events in Turkmenistan.
  • PUTIN/NUKES VOA 20 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Iran's president has assured him personally that Tehran is prepared to adhere to tight conditions overseeing its nuclear program, which officials in Washington have long feared could be used to develop nuclear weapons. President Putin also urged the West to provide security guarantees to convince North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
  • Russia: Iran Cooperating with IAEA VOA News 20 Jun 2003 -- Russia says it will deliver nuclear fuel to Iran only after Tehran signs an additional protocol allowing closer inspections of its nuclear program.
  • Iran is Prepared to Allow Full IAEA Monitoring, Says Putin VOA News 20 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Iran's leader has personally assured him that Tehran has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, and will drop its objections to inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
  • RUSSIA/CHECNHYA VOA 20 Jun 2003 -- A truck filled with explosives blew up outside a government building in the Chechen capital, Grozny, and officials say at least five people are wounded. Investigators are focusing on the possibility the attack was carried out by suicide bombers opposed to Moscow's peace plan for Chechnya.
  • 2 Killed in Grozny Suicide Truck Bombing VOA News 20 Jun 2003 -- Chechen officials say a truck filled with explosives has blown up near a government compound in an apparent flawed suicide attack.
  • Chechen Blast Kills 1 VOA News 20 Jun 2003 -- Russian officials say a vehicle filled with explosives has blown up near a government building in the capital of Chechnya. Early reports say the apparent truck bomb has killed at least one person and wounded several others. Russia's NTV television says five people are missing.
  • Vershbow "Cautiously Optimistic" about Russian Energy Policy Washington File 18 Jun 2003 -- In the energy sector "there is a real commonality of interests" between the United States and Russia, Ambassador Alexander Vershbow told participants in the U.S.-Russia Energy Summit Executive Seminar in Moscow June 17.
  • Georgia: Rights Groups Say Chechnya Not Ready For Refugees' Safe Return RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- An estimated 300,000 civilians have fled Chechnya since Moscow ordered the first of two military crackdowns on the breakaway republic nine years ago. Most have migrated to neighboring Ingushetia, where they live in makeshift camps, often in appalling conditions. Others have found shelter in Georgia, which has granted them international refugee status. But now Russia wants to see them back in Chechnya. Activists say it's Moscow's way of hiding its protracted and still-violent conflict from international critics.
  • TURKMENISTAN/RUSSIA VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Russians holding dual-citizenship in Turkmenistan must choose a single citizenship or passport by Sunday, according to a decree by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. The deadline is causing growing concern among Russians in Turkmenistan.
  • RUSSIA / DUMA VOA 18 Jun 2003 -- The Russian government has survived a vote of no-confidence in the lower house of parliament, or Duma. Initiated by an unusual alliance of Communists and liberal opposition deputies, the vote was widely seen as pre-election posturing ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.
  • Russian Government Survives No-Confidence Vote VOA News 18 Jun 2003 -- The Russian government has survived a vote of no-confidence in the lower house of parliament, or Duma. Initiated by an unusual alliance of Communists and liberal opposition deputies, the vote was widely seen as pre-election posturing ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.
  • Russia: EU Officials Say Moscow 'Not Living Up To' International Obligations In Chechnya RFE/L 18 Jun 2003 -- The European Commission yesterday approved another 16.5 million euros in humanitarian aid to support victims of the ongoing war in Chechnya. A Commission background document notes the new allocation brings the total since the beginning of the conflict in late 1999 to above 100 million euros -- but with very little effect. The humanitarian situation in and around Chechnya continues to deteriorate and EU officials say Russia is failing in several respects to "live up" to its obligations under international law.
  • RUSSIA/DUMA VOA 18 Jun 2003 -- The Russian government faces a no-confidence vote in the Duma, or lower house of parliament (late Wednesday). An unusual alliance grouping communist deputies and their colleagues from the pro-market reform Yabloko party put forth the parliamentary motion, accusing the government of failing to follow through on economic reform.
  • INDIA/RUSSIA VOA 16 Jun 2003 -- The Russian foreign minister has held talks with Indian leaders on bilateral cooperation and the fight against terrorism. The Russian official gave a similar anti-terrorism message to Pakistan.
  • Russia: Hundreds in Moscow Demonstrate Against Chechen War RFE/L 16 Jun 2003 -- About 500 people gathered in the center of Moscow today to demonstrate against the war in Chechnya.
  • Bush Extends Emergency Regarding Russian Fissile Material Washington File 10 Jun 2003 -- President Bush has extended the 1994 national emergency with respect to the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation. Without this action, the emergency would automatically be terminated on its anniversary date, June 21, 2003.
  • Russia: More Than 100 Suspected Islamic Militants Arrested In Moscow RFE/L 10 Jun 2003 -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) today said 121 suspected members of the banned Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir were arrested during a security crackdown conducted in Moscow on Friday.
  • Russia: Security Forces Dismantle Alleged Moscow-Based Cell Of Hizb Ut-Tahrir RFE/L 10 Jun 2003 -- Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, one of the most secretive fundamentalist Islamic organizations, has been active in Central Asia since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the group has never been involved in any violent actions, it is being fiercely repressed by regional governments, which consider its radical ideology a major threat. Hizb ut-Tahrir suffered a major blow last week when Russian authorities arrested dozens of its members in Moscow.
  • TERRORISM IN CHECHNYA VOA 06 Jun 2003 -- At a religious festival in northern Chechnya last month, a woman named Shakida Baimuradova got within six feet of Akhmad Kadyrov, the head of the Moscow-appointed Chechen administration, and blew herself up. Fourteen people were killed and dozens wounded. Kadyrov was unhurt. Two days earlier, suicide bombers rammed a truck loaded with explosives into a Russian government compound in Znamenskoye. The attack killed fifty-nine people and wounded more than one hundred. Shamil Basayev, a Chechen separatist leader, claimed responsibility for both attacks. Aslan Maskhadov, another Chechen separatist leader, denounced them. Is there hope for an end to the killing in Chechnya?
  • RUSSIA / CHECHNYA VOA 06 Jun 2003 -- Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, has approved a partial amnesty for Chechen separatists who disarm and for Russian servicemen accused of committing crimes in Chechnya. President Putin has said the amnesty will help restore peace in the break-away region, but critics are not so sure.
  • Chechnya: At Least 11 Killed In Explosion In Grozny RFE/L 06 Jun 2003 -- Officials say at least 11 people were killed in an explosion at an apartment building in the Chechen capital Grozny today.
  • STATEMENT BY ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN OF RUSSIA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Regarding Decisions by Houses of US Congress on Assistance to Russia in Elimination of Weapons Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Jun 2003 -- Moscow has received with satisfaction news of the approval by both Houses of the US Congress of the full amount of funds - 450 million dollars - asked by the US administration for rendering assistance to Russia and the CIS under Pentagon auspices (the Nunn-Lugar program) in the financial year 2004.
  • US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS AFTER IRAQ VOA 05 Jun 2003 -- Relations between the United States and Russia were badly shaken by Moscow's opposition to the war in Iraq and by allegations of Russian military and intelligence cooperation with the regime of Saddam Hussein. Do such differences represent a return to cold war animosity, or a temporary setback on the road to a US-Russian strategic partnership?
  • Russia: Suicide Bombing Kills 15 On Russian Military Bus RFE/L 05 Jun 2003 -- Russian officials say a female suicide bomber set off an explosion beside a bus carrying air force personnel near Chechnya, killing 15 people.
  • RUSSIA / BLAST VOA 05 Jun 2003 -- In Russia, a female suicide bomber has blown up a bus carrying Russian Air Force pilots and some civilians near the break-away republic of Chechnya. Russian officials say at least 16 people are dead.
  • Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran under close international supervision - Ivanov IRNA 04 June 2003 -- Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov said here on Wednesday that his country's nuclear cooperation with Iran is under the strict supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
  • Russia Calls For Tougher Inspections Of Iranian Nuclear Facilities RFE/L 04 Jun 2003 -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov (pictured) today called on Iran to agree to tougher inspections of its nuclear installations to soothe concerns over its alleged nuclear program.
  • RUSSIA / IRAN VOA 04 Jun 2003 -- Russian officials are taking a tougher stand on Iran's nuclear program. They are expressing concerns about its true intent and urging Iran to sign an additional protocol to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The United States has called for Iran to allow international inspections, fearing it is using Russian technology and expertise to develop a secret nuclear weapons program - a charge Iran and Russia have denied.
  • Chechnya: Ten Russian Servicemen Reported Killed RFE/L 03 Jun 2003 -- In the latest fighting in Chechnya, rebel attacks have killed 10 Russian servicemen, and the Russian military has struck at rebel positions with artillery and aerial bombing.
  • PUTIN'S RUSSIA VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Though he objected to the U-S war in Iraq, Russian President Vladimir Putin had mainly conciliatory words for U-S President George Bush at their meeting over the weekend in St. Petersburg. He stressed the need for cooperation between the two countries. He cited the danger of nuclear proliferation and included Iran in his warning, a point important to President Bush. This summit thus sets the stage for closer post-Iraq relations, which analysts welcome, while acknowledging some risks. President Putin's Russia is an uncertain mixture of both hopeful and troubling trends
  • G-8 Partnership Makes Progress in Effort to Prevent Spread of WMD Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- The Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial democracies announced that it has made significant progress in its effort -- begun last year -- to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism.
  • Russia/U.S.: Bush, Putin Formalize Nuclear Reduction Treaty, Say Ties Remain Strong RFE/L 02 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush exchanged ratification documents yesterday on a treaty that calls for a two-thirds reduction of active nuclear weapons in their countries by the year 2012.
  • Bush, Putin Complete Ratification of Strategic Arms Treaty Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, at a joint press briefing in St. Petersburg June 1 following a 45 minute meeting, said they had just exchanged instruments for the ratification for the Treaty of Moscow. The two had signed the treaty, to reduce deployable nuclear warheads on both sides by about two-thirds by 2012, in May 2002. The U.S. Senate approved the treaty earlier this year, and the Russian Parliament ratified it in May.
  • Weapons Proliferation Concerns All, U.S. Official Says Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- The possibility of North Korean acquisition of nuclear weapons is of global, not just bilateral, concern, according to a senior Bush administration official speaking on background June 1.
  • U.S., Russia Declare New Strategic Partnership Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and President Putin have committed to building a new strategic partnership between the United States and Russia to "meet together the challenges of the 21st century."
  • U.S., Russia Renew Commitment to International Space Station Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- The United States and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to the International Space Station program.
  • Chechnya: Maskhadov Announces Summer Campaign Against Russian Troops RFE/L 01 Jun 2003 -- Chechnya's fugitive separatist leader today announced that his guerrilla forces will launch a summer campaign against Russian troops in Chechnya.
  • BUSH PUTIN VOA 01 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are vowing increased cooperation despite their recent and very public differences on Iraq. They say they are looking forward, and insist the U-S Russian relationship is stronger than ever.
  • RUSSIA/IRAN VOA 01 Jun 2003 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will work with all nations, including the United States, to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
  • U.S./Russia: Bush, Putin Agree To Reduce Arms RFE/L 01 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush held an informal summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg today, during which they signed and exchanged ratification documents putting into effect a strategic nuclear weapons reduction treaty.

    May

  • BUSH/PUTIN O'NITER VOA 31 May 2003 -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to try and invigorate relations between their two countries following weeks of strong disagreement over the U-S-led war in Iraq. The two leaders will hold a brief meeting Sunday in St. Petersburg, before heading to France for a summit of the G-8.
  • Russia-China joint declaration refers to Korean issue KCNA 31 May 2003 -- President V. V. Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a Russia-China joint declaration in Moscow on May 27, according to Itar-Tass.
  • RUSSIA/E-U/PUTIN VOA 31 May 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and European leaders are pledging to expand their strategic partnership on the basis of one Europe for all.
  • Russia offers US to join construction of NPS in Iran: minister IRNA 30 May 2003 -- Russia is offering the United States to pool efforts in building the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, Alexander Rumyantsev, the Russian Minister of Nuclear Energy, told Itar-Tass in an exclusive interview.
  • Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Protests 'Slanderous' Attacks By Russian Deputy RFE/L 30 May 2003 -- Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry today responded to critical comments against Turkmenistan and its leadership made by a deputy in the Russian Duma last week.
  • Russia/Turkmenistan: Are Tensions Growing Between Moscow And Ashgabat? RFE/L 30 May 2003 -- Less than two months after declaring friendship and signing a 25-year deal on the Russian purchase of Turkmen gas, Moscow and Ashgabat may be at odds. The Russian media is speculating on new tension in relations between the two countries. Regional experts say Moscow, having secured the gas deal, has achieved what it wanted from Ashgabat and now does not want to look particularly supportive of the Turkmen government, which has come under widespread criticism for human-rights violations.
  • No military scenario acceptable KCNA 30 May 2003 -- A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 23 stated that the stand of Russia and China is that they can not accept any military scenario for the solution of the issue on the Korean Peninsula, according to Itar-Tass.
  • CHINA - RUSSIA / XINJIANG VOA 29 May 2003 -- China, Russia, and four Central Asian nations have ended a two-day summit in Moscow, pledging to strengthen their cooperation in combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism. The group, called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, decided to set up a regional anti-terrorist center in the Kyrgyz capital. Some observers say that for China, the Central Asian group is a way to coordinate efforts to stop separatist activity in its western region of Xinjiang.
  • Vershbow Says Russia's Help Needed on Iran, North Korea Washington File 29 May 2003 -- Russia has "a major role to play" in the international community's efforts to fight terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), said U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow in Moscow May 26.
  • Ratification of the Russian-US Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Potentials (SOP Treaty) The SOP Treaty is to become a major landmark on the way towards drastic reduction in the strategic offensive weapons of Russia and the US. It provides for reducing the strategic nuclear warhead stockpiles of each party to 1,700-2,200 units by the end of 2012.
  • RUSSIA / ASIA VOA 29 May 2003 -- During a summit meeting in Moscow, leaders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have promised to increase ties and boost trade.
  • RUSSIA / SUMMIT PREIVEW VOA 29 May 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to host President Bush in St. Petersburg this weekend for their first face-to-face talks since the U-S-led war in Iraq. Some analysts say the two leaders will need to make substantive progress on key issues to claim success.
  • BUSH / PUTIN / PREVIEW VOA 29 May 2003 -- President Bush is scheduled to hold talks Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first time the two leaders have met since relations were strained over the U-S-led war in Iraq. Some analysts say the meeting will be used to ease tensions about Iraq, while others say the main item on the agenda will be concern about Iran's nuclear program.
  • Baltics: Tempest Over Minorities Erupts During NATO Assembly RFE/L 29 May 2003 -- Russian minority rights in the Baltic states are once again on the international agenda. That's thanks to the efforts of the Russians attending this week's meeting of NATO's parliamentary assembly in Prague. They presented a report accusing Latvia and Estonia of mistreating their Russian communities. The Baltic countries dismiss the allegations -- and they say Russia is artificially trying to keep the issue alive in a bid to derail ratification of NATO membership
  • U.S./Russia: Rice Expects Bush-Putin Summit To Address Iranian Nuclear Issues RFE/L 29 May 2003 -- This weekend one of the issues on the table at the St. Petersburg summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be Iran's nuclear energy program -- and its alleged development of nuclear weapons. Of particular interest to Washington
  • Official Spokesman for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko Replies to Questions from Russian Media on North Korea Problems Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 29 May 2003 -- " As strategic partners, Russia and China are closely collaborating on questions of settling the crisis on the Korean Peninsula by taking coordinated efforts in order to promote a solution to the "North Korean nuclear problem." This collaboration is based on the two countries' coincident approaches of principle to the situation in the region. We stand for the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula and for the use of exclusively peaceful, political and diplomatic means and respect for the concerns of all the parties involved as solutions are worked out to the problems of ensuring security and stable development that exist there, problems that are not limited only to weapons of mass destruction."
  • Russia: Moscow Defends Nuclear Cooperation With Iran RFE/L 28 May 2003 -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov today said that Russia rejects U.S. objections over its nuclear cooperation with Iran.
  • Last Russian Weapons-Grade Plutonium Reactors to Shut Down Washington File 28 May 2003 -- The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded contracts to two U.S. firms to begin shutting down the last three weapons-grade plutonium production reactors in the Russian Federation.
  • Iran, Russia discuss nuclear cooperation IRNA 27 May 2003 -- Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Gholam-Reza Shafei, in a meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov here on Tuesday discussed bilateral nuclear cooperation.
  • Iran, Russia discuss continuation of peaceful nuclear cooperation IRNA 27 May 2003 -- Russian Energy Ministry here Tuesday stressed continuing cooperation with Iran in peaceful use of nuclear energy.
  • Iran, Russia slam third countries politicizing their nuclear cooperation IRNA 27 May 2003 -- Iranian Ambassador to Russia Gholamreza Shafei and Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev in a meeting here Monday rebuffed efforts at politicizing Tehran-Moscow nuclear cooperation by third countries.
  • Russia, Iran adjust construction schedule at Bushehr NPP IRNA 27 May 2003 -- Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev met with Deputy Chief of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Asadullah Saburi to discuss the construction schedule for the first reactor of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, a spokesman for the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry said.
  • RUSSIA-CHINA VOA 27 May 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao are calling for the interests of other nations to be taken into account during Iraq's post-war reconstruction. The two leaders issued the appeal after wide-ranging talks at the Kremlin that also sought to expand long-standing Sino-Russian ties.
  • RUSSIA-CHINA VOA 27 May 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao are urging that the interests of other nations be taken into account during Iraq's post-war reconstruction. The two leaders issued the appeal following bilateral talks at the Kremlin.
  • Russia: Critics Say Offer Of Chechen Amnesty Is Meaningless RFE/L 22 May 2003 -- Russia's State Duma has given initial approval to a bill granting amnesty to certain categories of people involved in the Chechen war. The Kremlin says the amnesty -- the fourth of its kind to date -- is a step toward peace. But some Russian rights groups say it is meaningless and that most Chechen rebels will still be open to prosecution. The amnesty, they say, could instead benefit Russian soldiers accused of committing atrocities and local politicians involved in war profiteering.
  • RUSSIA-US-PUTIN VOA 22 May 2003 -- Following a difficult few months of disagreement over the U-S-led war in Iraq, and a little more than one-week before meeting his American counterpart in St. Petersburg , Russian President Vladimir Putin says his government is willing to expand its cooperation with the United States.
  • RUSSIA/CHECHNYA AMNESTY VOA 21 May 2003 -- The Russian Parliament has tentatively approved an amnesty for rebel fighters in Chechnya that had been proposed by President Vladimir Putin. Approval of the measure was expected, but few independent observers believe the move will lead to an improvement of the situation in the war-torn region.
  • Russia: Observers Say Putin's Address Long On Criticism, Short On Solutions RFE/L 19 May 2003 -- Politicians and analysts gathered in Moscow today to discuss President Vladimir Putin's state-of-the-nation address last week. Most agreed that for all his grandiose goals, Putin provided few clues about how to achieve them.
  • PUTIN/SPEECH VOA 16 May 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia must increase economic growth and undertake other reforms, to firmly establish Russia among the world's leading nations. The president outlined his domestic and international priorities Friday, in his annual state-of-the-nation address.
  • Russia: Putin Says Russia Should Become 'Great Power' RFE/L 16 May 2003 -- Speaking in his annual state-of-the-nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Russia should become a great power based on a strong economy and integration into the international community. Putin praised the country's progress under his administration, saying its goal should be to double its GDP in the next 10 years.
  • Senior Officials Brief on Powell Trip to Russia, Bulgaria Washington File 15 May 2003 -- Following is a transcript of a background briefing by two senior State Department officials looking back on Secretary of State Colin Powell's trip to Russia and forward to his trip May 15 to Bulgaria; the transcript was released after the party's onward arrival in Berlin
  • Moscow Treaty Demonstrates U.S.-Russian Cooperation Washington File 14 May 2003 -- Ratification of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, also known as the "Moscow Treaty," reduces overall levels of U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, but "more importantly I think, it shows how the United States and the Russian Federation can work together on areas of mutual interest," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Moscow May 14 after hearing the news that the Russian State Duma had just voted to ratify the treaty.
  • Putin, Powell Welcome Ratification of Moscow Treaty Washington File 14 May 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed a "deep sense of satisfaction" to be in Moscow May 14 on the day the Russian State Duma ratified the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, also known as the "Moscow Treaty." The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the treaty March 6.
  • Soviet Peace Corps for Africa? Washington File 14 May 2003 -- Russian scholar Sergei Mazov has unearthed secrets from U.S. and Soviet official archives that detail the Cold War rivalry in Africa, including a Soviet proposal in 1961 to mimic the Peace Corps, President John F. Kennedy's signature program to help developing nations achieve prosperity while fending off Soviet subversion.
  • CHECHNYA / BLAST VOA 14 May 2003 -- More than eight people are reported dead after another terrorist bombing in Russia's breakaway province of Chechnya. The bombing comes just days after a truck bomb killed close to 60 people in Chechnya on Monday.
  • Russia: Both Reeling From Suicide Bomb Explosions, Moscow and Washington Differ Over Terrorism RFE/L 14 May 2003 -- Speaking ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to Moscow today, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the recent suicide bombings in Chechnya and Saudi Arabia were closely linked. Washington is skeptical of Moscow's claim that its war in Chechnya is an "antiterrorist" operation. Russia, meanwhile, fiercely opposed the war in Iraq, which the White House also justified as a campaign against terrorism. With Powell trying to bridge the gap over Iraq ahead of a crucial United Nations Security Council vote, just how far apart are the two sides on the pivotal issue of terrorism?
  • POWELL/RUSSIA VOA 14 May 2003 -- After a day of talks with Russian leaders in Moscow, Secretary of State Colin Powell says differences remain over a draft Security Council resolution on the future of Iraq.
  • RUSSIA / NUCLEAR VOA 14 May 2003 -- Russia's lower house of parliament has ratified a key nuclear-arms reduction treaty with the United States after a nearly two-month delay because of Russian opposition to the U-S-led war in Iraq.
  • POWELL / RUSSIA VOA 14 May 2003 -- After stops in several Mideast countries, U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell is now in Moscow for talks with Russian leaders. Two recent terrorist bombings have added new urgency to the Powell visit.
  • CHECHNYA / BLAST VOA 13 May 2003 -- The death toll has risen to 54 following the truck bomb blast Monday on a government complex in Russia's breakaway region of Chechnya. Around 300 people were injured, many of them seriously. Questions are again being raised about security procedures at government facilities in the troubled region.
  • U-S-Russia Relations after Iraq VOA 13 May 2003 -- President Bush has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a man he can work with. But on Iraq, Mr. Putin has frequently been an opponent. Currently, he is opposing a call by the United States and Britain to lift U-N sanctions to speed up Iraq recovery.
  • U.S./Russia: Secretary Of State Visit Comes Amid Signs Moscow Is Softening Stance On Iraq RFE/L 13 May 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Moscow tomorrow. His trip comes as Russia shows signs of softening its staunch opposition to Washington's plans for Iraq, but only after relations between the two sides markedly deteriorated over the U.S.-led war. It remains to be seen whether Powell's fence-mending visit will bridge the gap any more than last month's attempt by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was caught off guard by the Kremlin's brusque treatment.
  • U.S. Envoy to Russia Speaks Out on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation Washington File 12 May 2003 -- While the tools for dealing with terrorism are well understood and working, those for countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are not, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow said in Moscow May 12.
  • NATO: Russian Officials Praise New Cooperation With Alliance RFE/L 13 May 2003 -- Top NATO and Russian officials meeting today in Moscow praised the spirit of cooperation between Russia and the Western alliance.
  • U-S-Russia Relations after Iraq VOA 12 May 2003 -- President George Bush has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a man he can trust. But on almost every key decision the American President has made on Iraq, Mr. Putin has tried to thwart him. Most recently, the Russian leader is opposing a call by Washington and London to lift U-N sanctions on Iraq in order to speed up the country's recovery. What is behind the Russian leader's stance, and what might the future hold for US-Russian relations?
  • RUSSIA / SARS VOA 08 May 2003 -- Health officials in Russia are investigating what they suspect may be the country's first case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Concern about SARS has led Russia to close most of its border crossings with China, where the disease has spread rapidly.
  • RUSSIA / U-S / IRAN NUKES VOA 06 May 2003 -- A top Russian official has rejected U-S claims that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program in violation of international treaties. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov issued the denial as U-S Undersecretary of State John Bolton ended a visit to Russia aimed at securing Moscow's cooperation on the issue.

    April

  • RUSSIA / TAJIKISTAN VOA 27 Apr 2003 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will increase its troop presence in Tajikistan to counter what he claims are re-emerging threats from Taliban and Al-Qaida terrorist networks in neighboring Afghanistan. Mr. Putin announced the plans while addressing military commanders in Tajikistan, Moscow's key ally in the region.
  • RUSSIA/OIL VOA 22 Apr 2003 -- Two leading Russian oil producers have announced a merger that they say will create the largest oil and gas group in Russia, as well as the fourth-largest private oil producer in the world.
  • RUSSIA/FUNERAL VOA 20 Apr 2003 -- Hundreds of Russians have attended the funeral of a prominent Russian lawmaker who was gunned down in front of his house in Moscow. The opposition lawmaker was killed just hours after he announced his party was ready to take part in Russia's parliamentary elections in December.
  • CHECHNYA/HUMAN RIGHTS VOA 08 Apr 2003 -- European nations have formally submitted a resolution to the top U-N human-rights forum criticizing Russia's actions in Chechnya.
  • RUSSIA/U-S/TREATY VOA 05 Apr 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says he hopes to see the Russian parliament ratify a key nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States. The U-S Senate has already ratified the treaty. Russian ratification has been postponed indefinitely amid strong differences over the U-S-led war in Iraq.
  • LUGAR / PROLIFERATION VOA 04 Apr 2003 -- An influential U-S Senator is proposing the expansion of a program that has successfully been used to dismantle weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union.
  • RUSSIA/NOKOR VOA 01 Apr 2003 -- The top security adviser to South Korea's president is wrapping up a two-day visit to Moscow aimed at reviving efforts to find a solution to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. Russian officials believe the answer to the dispute lies in direct negotiations.

    March

  • CHECHNYA / REFERENDUM VOA 27 Mar 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Chechnya will receive what he calls the "broadest autonomy" -- following a referendum Sunday in which Moscow says Chechens nearly unanimously reaffirmed their desire to be part of Russia. But the real question is will this be enough to end years of bloody fighting that has claimed around 200-thousand lives?
  • BEREZOVSKY ARREST VOA 25 Mar 2003 -- British police say they have arrested Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky for alleged fraud.
  • CHECHNYA / VOTE VOA 24 Mar 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says the people of Chechnya, by voting in favor of a constitutional referendum on Sunday, have voted in favor of peace. Mr. Putin spoke after partial results released Monday indicated that more than 95 percent of voters approved the new constitution.
  • CHECHNYA VOTE VOA 23 Mar 2003 -- Russian officials say more than 50-percent of eligible voters went to the polls for a referendum in Chechnya, making the vote valid under Russian law. The results are expected Monday.
  • CHECHNYA VOTE VOA 23 Mar 2003 -- Chechens are voting in a Kremlin-backed constitutional referendum that promises wide autonomy for the breakaway republic within the Russian Federation. Chechen separatist rebels have already said they will only accept full independence, and earlier threatened to disrupt the poll.
  • RUSSIA / U-S RELATIONS VOA 19 Mar 2003 -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin have vowed to keep talking, as the United States readies to launch a war against Iraq, a move long opposed by Moscow. Both leaders have expressed the hope that their disagreement over Iraq will not side-track what had been a flourishing bilateral relationship.
  • PUTIN-CHECHNYA VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is urging Chechens to vote in this weekend's constitutional referendum, saying it could help end years of bloodshed in the break-away republic.
  • "Success Hinges on Verifying," by Representative Duncan Hunter Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- long shadow hangs over the horizon of Krasnoyarsk, a city in central Russia. It is a $10-million plant built to neutralize volatile missile fuel that American taxpayers funded but will never benefit from. It will never be operated because the Russians diverted the fuel to their space program before the plant was even completed. This giant, empty facility is another example of the problems plaguing efforts to control weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union.
  • U.S. to Help Russia Close Three Remaining Plutonium Reactors Washington File 13 Mar 2003 -- U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev signed agreements in Moscow March 12 to facilitate the closure of three Russian nuclear reactors in Siberia that produce weapons-grade plutonium.
  • RUSSIA / U-S / NUCLEAR VOA 12 Mar 2003 -- The United States today (Wednesday) signed an agreement with Russia to help close down Russia's last nuclear reactors producing weapons grade plutonium.
  • Lugar Urges Repeal of Jackson-Vanik Amendment for Russia Washington File 11 Mar 2003 -- Senator Richard G. Lugar (Republican of Indiana), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill March 10 to exempt Russia from the provisions of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to the 1974 U.S. Trade Act and to authorize the President to grant permanent normal trade relations to Russia.
  • U.S. Senate Unanimously Approves Moscow Treaty Washington File 07 Mar 2003 -- The U.S. Senate March 6 unanimously approved the Moscow Treaty, which will reduce U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear warheads by two-thirds by the year 2012.
  • RUSSIA-US TREATY VOA 07 Mar 2003 -- Russia has welcomed the Senate's ratification of a Russian-American treaty calling for major reductions in both countries' nuclear-weapons stockpiles.
  • Vershbow on Opportunities, Challenges in U.S.-Russian Relations Washington File 06 Mar 2003 -- "U.S.-Russian relations are increasingly guided by common interests, and the scope of our cooperation is expanding in ways that would have been inconceivable ten years ago," U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Alexander Vershbow said February 27.
  • U-S RUSSIA - TREATY VOA 06 Mar 2003 -- The U-S Senate late Thursday unanimously ratified (by a 95-zero vote) a treaty between the United States and Russia to reduce both countries' nuclear weapons stockpiles.
  • "Moscow Treaty is Full of Holes," by Senator John Kerry Washington File 05 Mar 2003 -- This column by Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), was published in The Boston Globe March 5: "President Bush claims that his Moscow Treaty "will liquidate the legacy of the Cold War" by eliminating thousands of nuclear arms left over from a bygone era when the United States and Russia faced each other across the nuclear divide. In reality, it does no such thing."
  • U-S / RUSSIA / WEAPON REDUCTION VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- A congressional committee has criticized what it calls waste and mismanagement in a more than decade-long program under which the United States helps Russia and former Soviet republics reduce their nuclear and other weapons.
  • "Wasteful 'Threat Reduction' in Russia," by Representative Duncan Hunter Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Deep in the heart of Russia stands an enormous, new, empty facility built with 100 million American tax dollars. It has no purpose or future. It is a monumental example of U.S. good intentions gone awry and another disturbing chapter in the history of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program.

    February

  • BUSH / NORTH KOREA VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday discussed efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The White House says North Korea's decision to restart a nuclear power plant will further alienate the country from the rest of the international community.
  • BUSH / NORTH KOREA / PUTIN VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday discussed efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The White House says North Korea's decision to restart a nuclear power plant will further alienate the country from the international community.
  • RUSSIA/CHINA NOKOR/IRAQ VOA 27 Feb 2003 -- Russia and China are urging the United States to start direct talks with North Korea to solve the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. North Korea and Iraq top the agenda during Thursday's top-level talks in Beijing between the two countries.
  • RUSSIA/CHECHNYA VOA 16 Feb 2003 -- A senior European human rights official has endorsed Russia's plan to hold a referendum in Chechnya next month on a new constitution. Until now the Kremlin has been repeatedly criticized for its plan to hold a vote in the war-torn region.
  • RUSSIA / OIL DEAL VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- British Petroleum, one of the world's largest oil companies, Tuesday announced a major investment in Russia.
  • RUSSIA/PAKISTAN VOA 06 Feb 2003 -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, concluding a three-day vis