China has welcomed North Korea's agreement to freeze nuclear activities in return for US food aid, a deal that raised cautious hopes of an easing of tensions under Pyongyang's new young leader.

• March 1, 2012

Russia expects Iran to answer all existing questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over its controversial nuclear program, which will confirm its right to peaceful atomic energy generation, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

• February 27, 2012

Within the framework of the IMEMO’s Oil and Gas Dialog Forum BP's chief economist Christof Rühl presented BP Energy Outlook 2030 to the audience of the Russian academics It was stressed that the outlook’s ‘base case’ reflects a ‘to the best of our knowledge’ assessment of the world’s likely path from today’s vantage point, drawing on expertise both within and outside the company. The outlook highlights the growing role of developing economies in global energy consumption, and the increasing share of non-fossil fuels in global energy supply. It emphasizes the central role markets and well-designed policy can play to meet the dual challenge of solving the energy needs of billions of people who aspire to better lifestyles, and doing so in a way that is sustainable and secure. It also notes the uncertainties attached to any long term projection. The discipline of building a numerical projection sharpens our thinking, but the precise numbers are less important than the underlying story of the challenges we all face and the choices we make in producing and consuming energy. To read the report please click EGF or BP

• February 27, 2012

Vitali Lukyanchenko, Premier Azarov’s press secretary, said if Russia stops using Ukraine pipelines for pumping its gas, Ukraine will use them to pump gas from Azerbaijan and Central Asia to Europe.

• February 25, 2012

Iran has warned Israel against mounting an attack on its nuclear facilities amid rising international tension over its uranium enrichment programme.

• February 25, 2012

Bulgaria is set to renew on Tuesday its electricity exports that it stopped due to the severe winter conditions in the country.

• February 21, 2012

Russia has offered Ukraine a 10 percent discount on gas supplies on the condition that Kiev scraps plans to drastically cut its imports, Kommersant Ukraine newspaper reported on Monday, citing a source close to the talks.

• February 20, 2012

“There needs to be a significant Azerbaijani gas supply to Europe, and that will enhance European energy security and position Azerbaijan as a major player in the international arena”

• February 18, 2012