IRI Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday expressed Iran's readiness to expand economic, trade, parliamentary and cultural cooperation with Vietnam.

• December 25, 2012

Kazakh State Oil and Gas Company "KazMunaiGas" and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) are in talks to create the infrastructure needed to transport oil from Kazakhstan's Kashagan field within the second phase of its development, Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Serik Primbetov said at a press conference at the Trend International News Agency on Tuesday.

• December 25, 2012

India and Russia signed on Monday a dozen accords in New Delhi in such areas as defense – with the delivery to India of war materiel worth some $3 billion – and the promotion of direct investment between the two countries.

• December 25, 2012

Majlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan at a regular meeting of the fourth convocation ratified the Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Cooperation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, an official Turkmen source said.

• December 24, 2012

Kyrgyzstan's state-owned natural gas company says it is to be sold to Russia's energy monopoly Gazprom, raising hopes of an end to debilitating energy shortages in the impoverished Central Asian nation.

• December 24, 2012

Russia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars today as president Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally

• December 24, 2012

Chemical weapons are under the control of the Syrian government, which has consolidated them in one or two locations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

• December 22, 2012

Russia and the European Union believe the Palestinians and Israelis should open direct peace negotiations without any preconditions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, December 22, according to RIA Novosti.

• December 22, 2012