The United States sent its top Asian diplomacy and security officials to South Korea and Japan to calm tensions between two U.S. allies whose squabbling has frustrated efforts to deal with a troublesome North Korea and an increasingly assertive China.

• January 15, 2013

Russia has called for political transition in Syria but reiterated that Syrians themselves should decide about the future of their country without outside interference.

• January 12, 2013

Russian and U.S. diplomats plan to hold a meeting with the international mediator for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, on Friday in Geneva, Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying on Wednesday.

• January 11, 2013

Iran today has put forward some preconditions for the future talks regarding country's nuclear program, Mehr agency reported.

• January 9, 2013

Japan's government is likely to increase defense spending for the first time in 11 years, Japanese media reported on Saturday, as newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges a sterner response to a territorial dispute with China.

• January 5, 2013

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

• January 4, 2013

Russia is seeking to revive last summer's peace plan for Syria in talks with a senior Syrian diplomat and an international envoy, according to Moscow's foreign ministry.

• December 27, 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