Countries without natural borders are like amoebas. Over centuries, they expand and contract, expand and contract.As the Western world wonders why Russia has such a nuanced policy toward Iran’s nuclear program, it is important to skip back over four centuries of history.

• January 24, 2012

Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics took part in a session of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels during which the foreign ministers discussed the current situation in Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Serbia, Kosovo, as well as Belarus, LETA was informed by the Foreign Ministry's press and information department.

• January 24, 2012

The decision by European Union foreign ministers to stop taking deliveries of crude oil from Iran might well represent a momentous change and a blow to Tehran.

• January 23, 2012

Russia has condemned a decision by the European Union (EU) to impose tougher sanctions against Iran, warning such measures will only make things worse with regards to Tehran’s nascent nuclear program and undermine the diplomatic process.

• January 23, 2012

After a three-sided meeting with the Russian President, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that they were ready to speed up the talks on the Karabakh problem – part of the strife that has lingered since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

• January 23, 2012

China's premier, Wen Jiabao, was in the Persian Gulf this week talking about oil.
China has become increasingly concerned about all the threats of conflict with Iran in the Persian Gulf, which supplies China with a great deal of its oil.

• January 21, 2012

Iran is being paid for oil sales to India through a Turkish bank, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company said Friday on Mehr news agency.

• January 21, 2012

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Ian Kelly on behalf of his government is insisting on permitting independent doctors to examine the state of health of ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko, who is now in the Kachanovska prison, the press service of the Batkivschyna party said on Saturday.

• January 21, 2012