As Russia's Vladimir Putin heads for his first prime ministerial visit to Bulgaria on Saturday, differences of opinion between the two countries may cast a shadow on his tour.

• November 12, 2010

Finland has cleared the country's power grid operator, Fingrid [FGRDO.UL], to build a 320 million euro ($441 million) cable under the Baltic Sea linking it with Estonia, the government said

• November 11, 2010

A planned pipeline to ship Russian oil to Greece could pose an environmental threat, Bulgaria said Tuesday, effectively stalling the project days before talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

• November 10, 2010

Tajikistan has emerged after a bloody civil war following independence, to become a functioning democracy that is a model for the region.

• November 10, 2010

Iran has proposed a resumption of its long-stalled nuclear negotiations with major world powers in Istanbul on November 23 or December 5, a European diplomatic source said.

• November 10, 2010

Croatia will not take part in the construction of Bulgaria's Belene nuclear power plant, while Serbia is reportedly asking for a larger stake in the project.

• November 10, 2010

Russia expects Tehran to resume talks with the Iran Six over Iran's controversial nuclear program soon, Russia's envoy to the United Nations

• November 9, 2010

Iran agreed to talks with the United States and other world powers on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, provided negotiations take place in neighboring Turkey

• November 9, 2010