MEMBERS of Syria's Turkmen minority have joined forces with rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime in a struggle they say is for democracy and revenge for years of oppression.

• Date: 31.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 31.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from heraldsun.com.au

Iran has imported 4 billion bcm of gas from Turkmenistan since March 19, 2012, Deputy Oil Minister Javad Owji said, Mehr reported.

• Date: 30.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 30.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from trend.az

Cyprus' president said Wednesday that Russia is ready to join the European Union in putting together a rescue package for the heavily indebted country.

Dimitris Christofias said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin assured him of Moscow's readiness to "extend a helping hand" to Cyprus in a telephone conversation the previous day.

• Date: 30.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 30.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from news.yahoo.com

Moscow and Astana have signed a deal to establish a regional defense system, which will also include missile defense.
The document was signed on Wednesday during a meeting between Kazakh Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is paying an official visit to Astana, the Kazakh capital.

• Date: 30.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 30.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from rt.com

Repeating the past, North Korea's young ruler Kim Jong Un has threatened the US and South Korea with dire consequences for opposition to the nation's missile adventurism. In a break from the past, Kim issued thinly disguised criticism of North Korea's principal benefactors - China and Russia. The latest turn in North Korea's brinkmanship will test China's newly installed party Secretary General Xi Jinping.

• Date: 29.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 29.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from asiasentinel.com

Given the turmoil in the Middle East and South Asia and the tension in East Asia, success in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue is needed and still could be within reach, despite North Korea's harsh response to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning it for the missile launch in December.

• Date: 28.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 28.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from atimes.com

The U.N. nuclear watchdog signaled on Friday it would keep trying to secure Iran's cooperation with a long-stalled investigation, but a senior Iranian lawmaker suggested Tehran would only cooperate if it won sanctions relief in return.

• Date: 26.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 26.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from news.yahoo.com

Russia has repeatedly pledged to boost strategic security cooperation with China. In the past, both sides preferred only to make verbal statements on the matter. But now Moscow and Beijing appeared to pledge actual joint action in connection with issues of strategic security, including the United States’ missile defense plans in Asia.

• Date: 26.01.2013  |  Published on EGF: 26.01.2013  |  External Relations  |  from jamestown.org