- Russia will not submit to blackmail from anyone, including Georgia
- Immigration laws that allow foreigners to work and do business in Russia should be reviewed
- The government has drafted an array of amendments to laws regulating the gaming business in Russia
* Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:
- The country will not let itself be provoked by Georgia's leadership
- Prospects for an improvement of Russia-Georgia relations fully depend on the conduct of President Mikheil Saakashvili's government
- The United States and North Korea should begin a dialogue to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem
- Russia will oppose a new status for Kosovo in the UN Security Council if the decision is not supported by all sides
* Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said:
- Russia might accelerate the withdrawal of two Soviet-era military bases from Georgia and no measures will be taken to reinforce the bases despite mounting tensions between the two countries
- He is upbeat about military cooperation with Kyrgyzstan
- Russia will continue to develop a military base near the Kyrgyz capital, but has no plans to increase the number of personnel at the Kant air base
- Russia will allocate significant funds for military-technical assistance to its allies
- North Korea should exercise restraint in its plans to conduct a nuclear test, which could damage the Russian environment
* A second draft resolution on Georgia, which is milder in tone than the Russian one, has been submitted to the UN Security Council, the Russian envoy to the UN said
* Russia's lower house of parliament adopted a statement on the anti-Russian and anti-democratic policies of the Georgian leadership
* State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov refused to rule out new sanctions against Georgia and said amendments affecting postal and banking operations will be made to the national security law
* Russia's Interior Ministry has shut down a second Moscow casino allegedly controlled by the Georgian mafia, a ministry official said
* Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran will proceed with the development of its nuclear program,
* A proposal to set up a joint plant for uranium enrichment and reprocessing with Iran in Russia remains in force, Russia's nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said
* The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tehran was still considering Russia's proposal to set up in Russia a joint venture with Iran on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
* Ukraine has signed contracts on supplies of Central Asian natural gas in 2007, the country's Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko said
* Russia's civil aviation authority said it was planning to increase tariffs for air navigation services provided to foreign airlines from 2007
* Moscow will host the 2007/2008 UEFA Champions League final, the Russian Football Union said
