President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed settlement of the Ukrainian crisis in the context of the possible meeting between the Heads of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in Astana.
Latvia said Russia seemed more open to a negotiated solution over the conflict in Ukraine, raising the prospect of an easing of sanctions against Moscow.
The lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s Parliament - the Majilis - has ratified a draft bill on Amendments to Articles 25 and 26 of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
French President Francois Hollande said Monday that biting Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted if progress were made in resolving the Ukraine crisis.
Hungarians protested at what they see as the country's move towards Russia in the latest demonstration against the government of controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Strengthening of tenge against Russian ruble negatively affects industrial sectors of Kazakh economy, therefore National Chamber believes it is necessary to introduce trade barriers.
One of Ukraine's biggest TV networks faced the threat of being taken off air for filling its highly-rated New Year's Eve show with Russian pop songs beamed live from Moscow.
The year 2014 was a special one for the Kazakh car market given the recent depreciation of the ruble. Experts told Tengrinews about its effect on Kazakhstan's car market in 2015.
Ukraine's Western-backed leader Petro Poroshenko promised to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin and involve US President Barack Obama in his stalled push for peace.
Russian gas giant Gazprom said it had taken complete control of the company behind the abandoned South Stream pipeline project, buying shares belonging to France's EDF.