Gazprom head Alexei Miller is holding talks in Athens on March 12 with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras over a potential bid for DEPA, Greece's national natural gas company, the Capital.gr website reported.

Moldova's Cabinet on March 8 tendered its resignation to President Nicolae Timofti after a vote of no confidence March 5 by the parliament, Interfax reported.

Russia's consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has approved the registration of products in Russia from 36 Georgian wineries and four Georgian producers of mineral water, Voice of Russia and RIA Novosti reported March 6.

Russia has invited Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, to Moscow for talks about missile defense and other issues, Dempsey's Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, said March 6, RIA Novosti reported.

Russia is concerned that militants and drugs may begin spilling over from Afghanistan to Central Asia, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, RIA Novosti reported March 2. The ministry released the statement after Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov met with a U.S. delegation to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and withdrawal of NATO forces from the country. Russia has considered expanding cooperation with India over concerns about the spillover of militants from Afghanistan into Central Asia.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich will visit Russia on March 4 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xinhua reported March 1.

An envoy for Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and a high official in Russia's Foreign Ministry will meet in Prague on March 1 to discuss restoring air transportation links between their countries, Vestnik Kavkaza reported Feb. 27, citing News Georgia.