Seeking closer economic ties, Iran posited itself as an attractive transit destination to other countries and a net provider of energy security at a press conference by top official Saeed Jalili, who is being spoken as a presidential candidate to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his completion of two terms in office

• January 5, 2013

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili recalled ambassadors from several countries, presidential administration reported.

• January 4, 2013

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said his country planned to sign an Association Agreement with the EU in the course of 2013. But he also stressed that the country would develop its relations with Russia’s Custom’s Union in areas which do not contradict other “international obligations”.

• January 4, 2013

Iran says it agrees in principle to resume international talks on its controversial nuclear program later this month.

• January 4, 2013

The guidelines will abolish electricity and coal contracts from 2013. Coal companies and power plants will be able to settle coal prices through negotiations, says an article in 21st Century Business Herald.

• January 3, 2013

Bulgaria's Deputy Economy Minister noted that the existence of gas grid interconnections would give Bulgaria the opportunity to develop the gas market and to persuade the European Commission that it took the problem seriously.

• January 3, 2013

Thanks to relative political stability and strong oil and gas prices, Russia's retail turnover more than quintupled from 2001 to 2011 and now exceeds US$600 billion annually. Data suggest that this sector is entering the steepest part of its growth curve. How will Russia's retailers face the challenges of this critical period of expansion? Will foreign retailers manage to get a slice of this growing pie?

• January 3, 2013

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the government will be more oriented towards integration into the European Union. Euro-Atlantic course of Georgia will be unchanged in the next year, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maya Panjikidze in an interview to "Rustavi-2".

• January 2, 2013