Kazakhstan has worked out a deal to acquire 10 percent of the Karachaganak oil and gas field, the last major oil and gas field in Kazakhstan that did not have any Kazakh shareholders, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

• December 14, 2011

Kazakhstan may join the World Trade Organization (WTO) next year, Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov said in Astana addressing a meeting with Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions' heads on Tuesday.

• December 13, 2011

Ukraine may have to continue paying a relatively high price for imported Russian gas in 2012, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was quoted as saying on Tuesday, after Moscow indicated that talks on a new supply deal were far from conclusion.

• December 13, 2011

The administration of United States President Barack Obama has launched a virtual US Embassy in Iran that, as expected, has been immediately filtered. Tehran sees it as yet another subversive initiative by Uncle Sam to sow divisions between the people and the Islamic regime that overthrew a US-friendly dictator and then took American diplomats as hostage for 444 days in 1979-1980, prompting the US to sever diplomatic ties with Iran

• December 13, 2011

Iran is facing ominous rhetoric and deadly explosions as the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia step up efforts to open Iran's nuclear facilities to inspection. Tehran is gauging its support from abroad. Syria, a longstanding ally, is in turmoil and Hezbollah in Lebanon would be of only limited help.

• December 12, 2011

According to Statistics Estonia, in October 2011 compared to the same month of the previous year, exports of goods grew by 23% and imports by 26% at current prices. The trade with Russia influenced the increase of exports as well as imports the most.

• December 12, 2011

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's spokesman says the results of contested parliamentary polls will stand despite massive street protests and a probe by the election authorities.

• December 12, 2011

Thousands of people have attended the biggest anti-government rally in the Russian capital Moscow since the fall of the Soviet Union.

• December 10, 2011