* Russian President Vladimir Putin told Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel that he hoped Austria's six-month EU chairmanship in 2006 would further boost relations between the Union and Russia
* The Finance Ministry said Russia would pay off $641.81 million in foreign debt in December 2005
* The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan sentenced 25 people to 12-25 years in prison for organizing the terrorist attacks on Andijan
* The Russian Natural Resources Ministry said Japan might provide Russia with sorbents to prevent the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan from being polluted with benzene after a toxic spill in China
* A Russian hydrographic expert said the work to survey the seafloor segment of the North European Gas Pipeline would be completed by the end of the year
