Russia

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden ruled out a military solution to end Syria's conflict in remarks published on March 7, calling for a political transition despite the difficulty.

Automotive exports from Turkey increased by 17 percent in February, the country's Automotive Industry Exporters' Union said on March 7, reaching the highest value since 2008.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi highlighted in a phone conversation yesterday that the fight against terrorists should continue not only in Syria but also in Libya and Yemen, the Kremlin said in a statement. 

Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic met on Monday in Belgrade with Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Chepurin.

Djordjevic "thanked Russia for its strong support for Serbia's foreign policy priorities."

"111 countries have recognized our independence, despite the continued, and regrettable, hostility of Serbia and Russia towards us," says Petrit Selimi.

This has been stated in a opinion piece penned by Kosovo's acting foreign minister, published by the Financial Times, and carried by the Belgrade-based daily Danas.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will on March 9 and 10 visit Russia where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin and Russian Patriarch Kirill.

Nikolic will receive the award of the International Public Fund of Unity of Orthodox Peoples for 2015.

Russia's biggest carmaker Avtovaz, majority owned by Renault-Nissan, said on March 7 its chief executive Bo Andersson is to step down.

Hit hard by Russia's economic crisis, the company, which makes Lada cars, has been battling with bankruptcy fears since last month reporting a tripling of net losses for 2015.

Economic sanctions imposed by the Kremlin after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane last year have begun to take their toll on Turkey's economy, with the country's set to lost upwards of $8.3 billion in 2016After Turkey shot down a Russian war plane along the Syrian border on Nov. 24, 2015, the Russian administration decided on a series of economic sanctions against Turkey.

Turkey and Iran, two countries on opposite sides of Syria's civil war, must develop a "common perspective" in order to end sectarian strife in the region, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu said during a visit to Tehran on March 5.

A fragile truce in Syria must be used to try to secure a lasting peace without President Bashar al-Assad, European leaders told Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 4, according to a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron.