5 obstacles to peace in Syria
RIA Novosti contacted leading Russian experts on the Middle East who spelled out five problems that stand between Syria and peace
US-Russian initiative on Syria was supported by Ban Ki-moon
An international conference on Syria awaits to be held under the auspices of the UN. The uncertainty of who will represent Syria is holding up preparations for the forum
Putin, Zuma vow to cement Russia-South Africa interaction within BRICS
After their talks in Sochi, Putin and Zuma signed eight agreements covering education, energy, defence, fisheries, mineral resources, transport and science and technology
Does the path to peace in Syria run through Geneva?
The campaign to resolve the Syrian crisis has entered a new phase. However, if the upcoming international conference, dubbed Geneva-2, focuses entirely on increasing the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, there will be a long way to go before pe
Why Putin wants U.S. bases in Afghanistan
The security that the U.S. provides to Russia’s southern borders is so important to the Kremlin that Putin is willing to refrain from his trademark, overblown anti-U.S. rhetoric
Moscow, Washington downplay scandal involving US “spy”
The Cold War era is long gone, but it might be useful to architects of bilateral relations to keep in mind key priorities and not to let the excesses, such as the latest spy scandal, wreck their strategic plans
Last chance to prevent a Mediterranean Somalia
The Syrian peace conference that Russia and America’s top diplomats have agreed to organize in the next few weeks might be the last chance for this Arab country’s warring factions to find a political solution to their conflict and prevent the sliding
Russian higher education fair returns to India
The annual fair offers counselling and on-the-spot admissions to some of the leading Russian institutes
Syria down to abyss unless violence stops
Though acts of violence in the country are committed by both the government forces as well as rebels, the barbarity on the parts of the rebels has defied all human notion of civility, even in conflict
Alleged US spy arrested in Moscow
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) says it apprehended an American spy in the process of recruiting a Russian agent
Russia-ASEAN bilateral investment set to grow
In 2012, Russia invested $2.2 billion in the ASEAN countries and received some $1.4 billion in return investment. There is immense potential for two-way trade and investment, according to experts
Poppy: The growing Afghan threat
Opium cultivation is expected to rise in the country’s south and in particular in those areas where foreign troops have been withdrawn or are in the process of withdrawal
BRICS profile continues to rise
The selection of Roberto Azevedo as Director General of the WTO last week has set the stage for the BRICS to increase their influence in shaping global economic affairs
Brahimi calls Russia-US deal on Syria "significant step"
Lakhdar Brahimi praised the agreement between Russia and the United States to convene international talks on Syria that will involve both representatives of the Syrian government and opposition
Moscow's view on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
Russia views strengthening the NPT regime as a crucial task, and considers it, unquestionably, a foreign policy priority
Kerry’s Moscow visit and the Middle East
The US will likely persuade Russia to support harder international sanctions in the United Nations Security Council against the Assad regime, which may further pave the way for international invention
UN has testimony of Syrian rebels using sarin gas
Sarin is a highly toxic nerve agent, which was reportedly first used for military purposes during the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s
Prospects for Eurasian Integration
Recent developments indicate that the leaders of Central Asia, some of whom were groomed during the Soviet era, are increasingly realising the importance of coming together of the countries of the vast Eurasian space
NATO keen to learn from the Soviet experience in Afghanistan
Representatives of the alliance have approached Moscow with a request to share various materials and analysis of the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country in 1989
Russia plans to create jobs in Central Asia to combat drug trafficking
Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service talks about how the country intends to fight drug trafficking from Central Asia with the help of a new corporation