Russia hopes next week’s visit by US President Barack Obama will help restore confidence between the two biggest nuclear powers, a Kremlin aide said today, after strains over Georgia and a US missile shield plan. Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to “reset” ties damaged under previous administrations. …

BRUSSELS, Belgium The European Commission is to fund projects worth a total of 40 million euros (56 million dollars) in countries along its Eastern border, among them Russia and Georgia, officials in Brussels said Friday. The money will be used for initiatives such as improving air quality, preventing drug abuse …

A key intergovernmental agreement on the European Union’s Nabucco gas pipeline will be signed on July 13 in Ankara, Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Energy Petar Dimitrov told journalists in the city of Varna. The information was confirmed by the European Commission. An invitation for the ceremony in Ankara has …