| January 2010 |
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MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Dmitry Babich) - On Monday the presidents of three influential Muslim states, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan, gathered for a summit in Istanbul. This top-level meeting is another testimony to Turkey's ambition to take a lead in the Islamic world. Given that Russia is Turkey's second largest partner after the European Union with a $25 billion annual trade turnover, Ankara's success may boost Moscow's weight on the international stage.
Outgoing Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has used his last days in office to elevate Second World War guerilla leader Stepan Bandera to the status of a national hero. But Bandera, a nationalist who fought both Nazis and Soviets in his quest for an independent Ukraine, is seen in Russia as a Nazi collaborator and a war criminal.



