True alliances between nations arise out of common values and interests -- not from nice declarations.

It was only a few months ago that Russians were united in their condemnation of the ""evil"" United States.

Former Russia striker Oleg Salenko has written off the team's hopes at the World Cup, blaming the state of the country's coaching system.

Kazakh Meeting On MOSCOW (Reuters) -- The leaders of India and Pakistan will meet President Vladimir Putin next week in Kazakhstan but have not agreed to talks with each other, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said. Speaking at NATO talks in Italy on Tuesday, Losyukov urged both sides to resume talks to end their confrontation over Kashmir, Interfax reported. Losyukov said Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had agreed only to bilateral talks with Putin at a regional security summit. ""Not all participants at the forthcoming talks have agreed to the staging of a trilateral meeting,"" Interfax quoted Losyukov as saying. Losyukov said Russia viewed the talks in Kazakhstan ""with cautious optimism. The talks will have a big deterrent effect and that is absolutely vital in the current situation.

Beijing is watching warily as Moscow cozies up with its old foe NATO, concerned that Russia's newly forged alliance could in the long run bring the U.S.-led coalition right up to China's borders.

RTS Dives Further MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Shares fell for the second consecutive session Wednesday as key oil stocks were hit hard by profit-taking sparked by weaker crude prices and a softer dollar, traders said. The RTS index closed 2.12 percent lower at 389.50, after losing 4 percent on Tuesday, in active trade of $37.18 million. The Reuters index of the ruble-denominated MICEX fell 1.34 percent to 1,655.69 at 6 p.m. on turnover of 4.1 billion rubles ($130 million). Sibneft, the No. 5 oil producer, led the fall in oil stocks, closing 5.71 percent lower at $1.735 but recovering from an intraday loss of 9 percent. It fell almost 5 percent Tuesday. Recent market darling Yukos also underperformed, shedding 4.74 percent to $9.44. No. 1 oil producer LUKoil closed 1.69 percent lower at $17.50. Metal Duty Axed MOSCOW (Reuters) --Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a resolution Wednesday removing export tariffs on ferrous metals, the government said.