Belarus, Kazakhstan and Mongolia all added to their gold reserves in the final month of 2011, with purchases by the trio totaling more than 320,000 troy ounces of bullion, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.

• January 25, 2012

Russia's foreign minister says Moscow is "open to constructive proposals" for dealing with the crisis in Syria but remains opposed to any move by the United Nations supporting sanctions or the use of force against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

• January 25, 2012

Tightening sanctions and Iran’s reactions have become a race against time. Every day brings a new event as the competition between the US and Iran plays out on a global level.

• January 25, 2012

Countries without natural borders are like amoebas. Over centuries, they expand and contract, expand and contract.As the Western world wonders why Russia has such a nuanced policy toward Iran’s nuclear program, it is important to skip back over four centuries of history.

• January 24, 2012

Ukraine aims to increase the production of its own natural resources by exploring alternative resources and expanding coal production, the president said.

• January 24, 2012

Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics took part in a session of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels during which the foreign ministers discussed the current situation in Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Serbia, Kosovo, as well as Belarus, LETA was informed by the Foreign Ministry's press and information department.

• January 24, 2012

The decision by European Union foreign ministers to stop taking deliveries of crude oil from Iran might well represent a momentous change and a blow to Tehran.

• January 23, 2012

Russia has condemned a decision by the European Union (EU) to impose tougher sanctions against Iran, warning such measures will only make things worse with regards to Tehran’s nascent nuclear program and undermine the diplomatic process.

• January 23, 2012