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Tue, 21st May -- The Russian government has no plans to break up Gazprom, a senior offical said on May 20, despite growing pressure on the state-owned gas giant to improve corporate governance and efficiency.

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Tue, 21st May -- Tajikistan signed a wide-reaching strategic partnership agreement with China on May 20, including deals covering cooperation in security, the wider economy, and joint development of energy and mineral resources.

Ben Aris in Moscow
Tue, 21st May -- When the Soviet Union fell in 1991 and the borders were thrown open to consumer goods, the first thing to arrive from the West, predictably enough, was cigarettes. The second was good shoes. Now Obuv Rossii is looking to become the "Magnit of shoes", following in the footsteps of Russia's super successful supermarket chain.

Molly Corso in Tbilisi
Fri, 17th May -- A peaceful protest against intolerance turned violent in Tbilisi on May 17, when a mob - led by Georgian Orthodox priests and their followers - swept past police barricades and tried to attack a group of human rights activists attempting to celebrate the annual International Day Against Homophobia.

Julia Reed in Moscow
Fri, 17th May -- Over the last few months, the Russian authorities have been raiding Russia's leading NGOs - both domestic and foreign - to make sure they comply with the new law, but so far only one organisation has accepted the new moniker voluntarily, and another, Golos, an election watchdog, was branded the same as a result of checks.

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Thu, 16th May -- Investment guru Mark Mobius expressed rising optimism for emerging markets on May 16, insisting investors are bullish on their performance over the next decade, despite the current economic problems affecting the globe.

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Thu, 16th May -- Azerbaijan took an agressive stance on May 15, as the head of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (Socar) said it is ready to discuss a new oil transit agreement with Russia following the cancellation of an existing deal € but only under the right terms.

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Thu, 16th May -- Lithuania has set a deadline of June 11 for the final call on its plan to wrest control of its pipelines from Gazprom and reduce its reliance on Russian gas. The board at national gas company Lietuvos Dujos announced on May 15 that it will hold an extraordinary shareholder meeting to vote on unbundling the company, and setting up a new network operator.

Ben Aris in Moscow
Thu, 16th May -- Leading French bank SocGen had high hopes for Russia, but those dreams are rapidly unraveling. In the latest gust of a ground swell of bad news, the CEO of its Rosbank subsidiary was arrested on corruption charges on May 15, accused of accepting a RUB5m ($160,000) bribe and demanding another $1.5m.

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Wed, 15th May -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested US diplomat Ryan Fogle on May 14, who was allegedly caught red handed trying to recruit a Russian Interior Ministry official to spy for the CIA.

Dr Mark Galeotti of the Center for Global Affairs at New York University
Thu, 16th May -- A new breed of Eurasian criminal is spreading his tentacles into Europe and the Czech Republic in particular.

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Mon, 13th May -- The Russian government is mulling an order that would oblige state-controlled companies to raise dividends further, as it seeks funds to help balance the budget, according to reports. However, officials and analysts question the effectiveness of the move unless companies are forced to report their financial results according to international standards.