31.  Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is planning to visit Moscow for talks with the Russian leadership, the Iraqi ambassador to Russia said Tuesday.

32.  Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono asked the Russian leadership to provide detailed information about the plans to bring Mir down, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported Friday.

33.  NATO officials say that the expanded alliance will not threaten Russia, but the Russian leadership remains skeptical.

34.  Once considered a strong contender for Russian leadership, Zhirinovsky is now known as much for his attention-getting antics as for his politics.

35.  President Boris Yeltsin sharply rebuked his communist opponent Monday, making a rare response to opposition rhetoric usually ignored by the Russian leadership.

36.  Rabin, who will also meet with Russian officials in Moscow later this week, is expected to raise this issue with the Russian leadership.

37.  Secondly, I was pleased to see comments from Russian leadership that talked about missile defense.

38.  Secretary General Javier Solana said it was up to the Russian leadership to convince its people that NATO is not a threat.

39.  The offensive has left the Russian military leadership in disarray.

40.  The offer might also signal a new commitment by the Russian leadership to end the six-month war in Chechnya.