By empty (9/15/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The Georgian Foreign Ministry in a Friday statement expressed deep indignation over ongoing processes in breakaway South Ossetia and the proposed referendum there slated for November 12. It says that the independence referendum \"lacks any legitimate basis and goes against the peaceful settlement of the conflict.\" The ministry regrets \"the open support for the referendum by high- ranking Russian politicians.

By empty (9/15/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Vardan Oskanian said on September 14 that another round of talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart is planned for later in the month, RFE/RL\'s Armenian Service reported. Speaking to journalists in Yerevan, the foreign minister added that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to meet during the New York meeting of the UN General Assembly in an attempt to restart the peace talks aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The format of the talks, set for September 25-26, will be limited to the foreign ministers but are intended to achieve progress in anticipation of a subsequent meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents sometime before the end of the year.

By empty (9/15/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao plans to discuss with the Tajik leadership in Dushanbe the whole range of issues of trade, economic, military and technical cooperation, says a written statement of Wen Jiabao upon his arrival in the Dushanbe airport on Thursday night. “Over 14 years of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties between the two countries in the political, trade, economic, transport and educational spheres have expanded,” the document stresses. According to the Chinese prime minister, “close interaction is also carried out in settlement of international regional problems.