* Up to 800 members and supporters of a political party led by a Georgian opposition leader staged a protest outside a government building in the country's capital calling for President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation
* Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko instructed the government to form a committee to coordinate preparations for the country's accession to NATO
* The leaders of Russia's two major liberal parties - Union of Right Forces (SPS) and Yabloko -signed a memorandum to continue negotiations about possible unification
* Ukraine's Yulia Tymoshenko bloc accused one of its allies, pro-presidential grouping Our Ukraine, of siding with the pro-Russian Party of Regions led by former presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych
* Presidential aide Sergei Yastrzhembsky said:
- Russia wanted visa facilitation and readmission agreements due to be signed this week with the European Union to come into force from January 1 next year
- Russia should not be alarmed over the European Union's aim of diversifying its energy supplies
* Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said:
- Rosneft's initial public offering would proceed according to schedule and would not be affected by dramatic falls on the country's markets
- Six issues remained open in Russia's talks on accession to the World Trade Organization with the United States
- The Russian currency would be officially convertible from July 1, but it would take more than a year for the ruble to become convertible in practice
- Gas, electricity and rail freight tariffs would rise by 15%, 10% and 7.5% respectively in 2007.
- Amendments to the law on the Stabilization Fund that will allow it to be used for investment in blue chips could be adopted only in 2007
* Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:
- Russia and Kuwait had settled the issue of the former Soviet Union's debt to the Persian Gulf country
- Talks between the EU3 negotiators, the United States, Russia and China would produce a consensus for starting talks with Iran over its nuclear program
* The Finance Ministry said:
- A fall in Russian share prices on Monday was a market correction
- Inflation in May would be between 0.4-0.5%
- The average price for the Urals oil blend in January-May 2006 would be $61
* A senior Education Ministry official said independent adoptions of Russian children by foreigners would be banned in Russia by the end of this year
* Moscow City Court Tuesday extended the detention in custody of former nuclear minister Yevgeny Adamov, facing charges of embezzlement and abuse of office, until August 8
* An organization representing Russian pipe manufacturers proposed that a law be adopted to force national pipeline projects to use at least 70% Russian piping
* The results of an investigation conducted by prosecutors into the Beslan school massacre that claimed the lives of 331 people, including 186 children, in September 2004 will be made public in October, presidential envoy Dmitry Kozak said
* An official with Rostelecom said the company had launched a fiber-optic data transmission line to link Russia's Far East and China
* Gazprom said it could repay the remainder of the $2.5 billion loan it took out to purchase a stake in Sibneft Oil Company ahead of schedule
