The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan took their longest stride to date in linking their economies, forming a customs union that they say will soon evolve into a more ambitious common market, with Russia at its hub.

• July 6, 2010

Bulgaria plans to overcome its overwhelming dependence on Russian energy by building new gas pipeline links with neighboring Greece, Romania, Turkey and Serbia, a draft energy strategy showed on Monday.

• July 6, 2010

Recently, much has been made of the notion that EU accession is losing importance for Turkey. But this doesn't mean Ankara is turning its back on Europe, says Bahaeddin Guengoer of Deutsche Welle's Turkish service.

• July 6, 2010

Normal life is disrupted in parts of India as opposition parties begin a 12-hour strike over fuel price increases.

• July 5, 2010

Bronislaw Komorowski, the candidate of Poland's ruling pro-business Civic Platform party, will win Sunday's presidential run-off election, according to exit polls.

• July 5, 2010

Though sometimes overlooked, Azerbaijan’s geopolitical status far outweighs its size. Located just north of Iran and just south of the volatile Caucuses, it sits on the Caspian Sea, astride major oil and gas transshipment routes that avoid Russia.

• July 5, 2010

A 2008 civilian nuclear energy pact between the United States and India was meant to lift a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade despite New Delhi's longstanding weapons programme, a move seen as bolstering it as a counterweight to China.

• July 5, 2010

Russia's backyard on a major tour against the background of the discovery of an alleged Cold War-style Russian spy ring in the United States. "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country that has the right to choose its own alliances and NATO's door

• July 3, 2010