Ashgabat hosted a meeting of the interdepartmental commission of Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea, which defined near-term tasks, "Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary" state news service reported on Monday.

• January 21, 2013

Ukraine continues to import European natural gas via Poland as it seeks to break the stranglehold of Russian supplies, Kiev's energy minister says

• January 21, 2013

China said on Monday that the United Nations Security Council needed to pass a cautious resolution on North Korea's December rocket launch, saying that was the way to ensure regional tensions do not escalate further.

• January 21, 2013

The Indian government has said that it will not rush into talks with Pakistan over the recent military tensions at the international border in the disputed territory of Kashmir even as ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi Friday made it clear that the country's dialogue with its immediate neighbors must be based on the accepted principles of civilized behavior.

• January 19, 2013

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed the need at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider the issue of Turkmenistan's joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Turkmen government said today.

• January 19, 2013

In the short term, construction of ship repair and construction plant in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi is planned, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

• January 19, 2013

U.N. inspectors failed again in talks in Tehran this week to secure a breakthrough deal on Iran's atomic activity in a setback for diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute with the Islamic state peacefully.

• January 18, 2013

China's economy grew at its slowest pace in 13 years in 2012, though a year-end spurt supported by infrastructure spending and a jump in trade signaled the foundation for the stable growth path Beijing says is vital for economic reform may be in sight.

• January 18, 2013