Eurasia

Russia welcomes Kazakh proposal for electronic single currency

MOSCOW – The Kazakh president’s idea for a unified currency for payments between states in the Eurasian Economic Community will be examined and could go forward, Russia’s foreign minister said on Saturday. President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s suggestion would not mean replacing national currencies with an equivalent of the euro, but would …

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Medvedev offers condolences over Russians killed in Vietnam

MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered his condolences on Saturday to the families of the Russian tourists involved in a bus crash in Vietnam that killed at least 15 people, his spokeswoman said. Natalya Timakova also told journalists that the president had ordered Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu to …

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Georgian protesters demand Saakashvili resign

TBILISI  – About 7,000 Georgians rallied in the capital Friday to demand the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili. The demonstration was a warm-up for a day of protest on April 9 planned by opposition groups who blame Saakashvili for the disastrous war with Russia last August and for failing to …

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President Parvanov Voices Bulgaria Support for Moldova EU Aims.

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has stated his support for Moldova achieving “European integration” late Thursday at the start of his two day official state visit to the country, after meeting with his Moldavian counterpart Vladimir Voronin. At a joint press conference Parvanov was clear in his support for Moldova’s European …

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Orthodox Church Requests Bulgaria European Human Rights Court Appeal

Representatives of 12 Bulgarian Orthodox Churches have supported the Patriarch Maxim, calling on the Bulgarian government to stand united with the Church in appealing against a recent decision made by the European Court of Human Rights. The court gave its backing to the Inokentii synod in their bid for independence …

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Kazakhstan President Pushes for Bulgaria Energy Cooperation

The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has called for a fast development of transit-transport cooperation with Bulgaria and Greece in the context of the plans on diversification of energy deliveries to Europe. Nazarbayev made his statement during the ceremony of presentation of credentials from the Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassadors of …

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Panel Frees Albanian Jailed for Kosovo Bus Bombing

Florim Ejupi has been found not guilty of bombing a bus in Kosovo by a panel of international judges. A panel of international judges ordered the release of an ethnic Albanian convicted of a 2001 bus bombing that killed 11 Serbs in Kosovo, a spokeswoman said on Friday. Florim Ejupi …

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Athens Police Disperse Youths With Teargas

Greece has been rocked by violence since December, when the fatal police shooting of a teenager triggered the worst riots in decades. Greek police fired teargas to disperse a group of about 150 hooded youths who damaged dozens of shops in the centre of Athens on Friday, police said. Greece …

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Russia Tries New Tactics to Quell Insurgency

Ingushetia has overtaken its neighbour Chechnya as the centre of violence along Russia’s turbulent south challenging the Kremlin. The man chosen to rein in Russia’s most violent insurgency says he will tackle the root of the problem by stamping out the official corruption driving young men into the arms of …

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Greek, Turk Businesses Back Swift Cyprus Deal

Greek and Turkish Cypriots started peace talks in September 2008, the latest bid to end a conflict. Business leaders of Greece, Turkey and the two communities on Cyprus on Thursday urged leaders of the divided island to reach a peace deal this year. Greek and Turkish Cypriots started peace talks …

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