Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis met the new Ambassador of Japan to Latvia Toshiyuki Taga. Both parties agreed that the two countries have stable relations in politics, economy, culture and education. It will become a stimulus for new projects, particularly in economics, and in the investment area, informed BC the State Chancellery and the Latvian Institute.

• January 15, 2013

Iran is working with southern secessionists in Yemen to expand its influence and destabilize the strategic region around the Straits of Hormuz, the U.S. envoy to Yemen was quoted as saying, Reuters reported.

• January 14, 2013

Reclusive Turkmenistan will launch a privatisation of state-held assets in its tightly regulated economy in coming months but looks set to keep control of the vital oil and gas industry, officials said on Saturday

• January 12, 2013

Tension continued to simmer and prevail along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan. The military activity has been increased mainly in Kashmir and Jammu, APA reports citing RIA Novosti.

• January 12, 2013

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has published a commentary on future cooperation with Russia at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday.

• January 10, 2013

Kyrgyzstan's economy depends on the situation in Russia, Kazakhstan and China, the Kyrgyz National Bank's report on 'Stability of the financial sector of the Kyrgyz Republic', published on its website said, KyrTAG reported today.

• January 9, 2013

The lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament ratified an agreement on the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Wednesday, January 9 concluding Dushanbe's drive to join the trade body, RIA Novosti reported.

• January 9, 2013

A top Iranian official says the country's oil exports have been slashed 40 percent in the past nine months by Western sanctions.

• January 8, 2013