* Kazakhstan and Armenia concluded a number of agreements to develop bilateral relations during Armenian President Robert Kocharyan's visit to Astana
* Russia and China are planning to sign 17 bilateral agreements in various spheres during the Russian prime minister's visit to China on November 9-10, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said
* A draft resolution on Georgia's immediate withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States was put on the agenda of the country's parliamentary sessions this week
* Ukraine's prime minister said his country is interested in expanding military-technical cooperation with the United States
* The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow welcomes an agreement between radical Palestinian organization Hamas and the moderate Fatah party to form a new national unity government
* The Iranian president said his country is ready to expand its cooperation with Belarus in all spheres
* Georgia cannot withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States at this stage, a deputy speaker of the country's parliament said
* With a 65.3% voter turnout, the presidential elections in Tajikistan may be declared valid, the central election committee said
