April 1999	Moody's downgrades Moscow's rating to Caa1; Latvia approves Russia's stance on the Kosovo crisis; Poles sue Germany for time spent in Nazi camps
March 1999	Polish economic growth predicted to fall to three per cent in 1999; Czech President describes resignation of entire European Commission as 'no tragedy'; Latvia accused of intolerance and anti-Semitism
February 1999	Estonian Government approves introduction of four free economic zones; Polish legislators pass final version of 1999 budget; Romania and the Ukraine make positive moves towards resolving their differences
January 1999	Moldova receives US$35 million loan from the IMF; Kazakhs flood polling stations in first presidential elections since independence; NATO peacekeepers defend killing of Bosnian war crimes suspect
December 1998	The World Bank approves a $400 million dollar loan to Russia; US threatens suspension of scientific co-operation with Russia; Estonian ministers acquitted of embezzlement charges
November 1998	The Czech Republic's long-term currency rating is reduced; concerns about Yeltsin's health continue; Kazakh President accused of running a corrupt regime
October 1998	Russian economic plan for dealing with foreign debt is delayed; progress is made towards withdrawal of Serbian troops from Kosovo; Slovakia's new government takes office; first round of general elections is held in Macedonia
September 1998	Russia in crisis: government shake-up while the IMF gathers policy makers. There is political pressure on Yevgeny Primakov, the Russian prime minister, to solve it by printing more money. Albania's government suffered from internal division, while elections in Slovakia defeated the current government of Vladimir Meciar, paving the way to restoring foreign relations
3-20 August 1998	Consumer prices in the Czech Republic grew 1.9 per cent and 10.4 per cent in real prices (year-on-year basis), while inflation reached 3.5 per cent month-on-month and 9.4 per cent year-on-year. In the first seven months of 1998 Estonia's State budget received 8,992 million kroons ($633 million) in revenue, 58.8 per cent of the total planned for the year
13 - 31 July 1998	Pavel Merlik, Czech Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy, announced the Government's plans to submit proposals to Parliament to alter the structure of taxation while the Lithuanian Prime Minister, Gediminas Vagnorius, estimated that the country's GDP rose by about eight per cent
20 June - 10 July	UN Economic Commission for Europe warns that Russia is 'dangerously exposed to volatile short-term capital flows from abroad to finance its budget deficit'; Clinton to visit Moscow to discuss economic situation, the deteriorating situation in Kosovo and disarmament
1 - 14 June	Poland may receive one billion dollar loan from The World Bank; EU decide to ban investment in Serbia and instead call for NATO-led military action in Kosovo
18 - 30 May	Estonia and Hungary sign free trade agreement; Russia's stock market falls by 15 per cent; Yeltsin under pressure as miners' protest spreads across country
9 - 17 May	Latvia's Unibanka reports net profit of 2.3 million lats ($3.9 million) in the first four months of 1998 alone; low turnout at Hungarian General Election
27 April - 6 May	World Bank approves three year fund strategy for Bulgaria; Latvian President visits Italy; Yeltsin completes line-up of new Government
6 - 19 April	Estonia reports net profit of 50.9 million kroons in the first quarter of 1998; ten day strike at the Rudna copper mine; Czech President reported to have undergone emergency surgery
30 March - 5 April	Lithuanian Government introduce excise on tobacco, alcohol and petrol; NBP reports foreign trade deficit at US$11,269; general elections set by President Havel
23 - 29 March	Lithuanian Government confirms current account deficit reached 3.8 billion litas in 1997; Russian Government plans to cut jobs for more than 200,000 state employees; Yeltsin holds summit with leaders of France and Germany
16 - 22 March	Azerbaijan receives US$1.7 million credit; plans revealed for an Estonian-Ukrainian free trade agreement
9 - 15 March	Russian Prime Minister appeals to US Vice-President to lift all restrictions on Russian exports; bomb in Albania damages offices of Deloitte & Touche
2 - 8 March	The World Bank approves loan to support Hungarian higher education system; 30 people killed in Serbia following two days of clashes between Albanian rebels and police forces
23 - 28 February	Czech Cabinet approve list of 36 state companies and 43 joint ventures to be privatised this year; Russian Foreign Ministry denies that it is continuing to develop biological weapons under the cover of defence research
16 - 22 February	IMF announces end of standby agreement with Hungary, due to its satisfaction with the state economy; President Yeltsin calls for more spending cuts
12 - 18 January	1998 economies forecast places Central and Eastern European countries among the top six worldwide; Miroslav Maxon becomes Slovakian Finance Minister; Ukrainian Parliament ratifies friendship treaty with Russia
2 - 11 January	Czech Finance Minister resigns; Valdas Adamkus wins Lithuanian presidential elections; Romania's ruling coalition bitterly divided
22 December - 1 January	Officials of the five central European countries preparing their entry to the European Union meet to discuss their strategy; Clinton visits Bosnia; Russian Deputy Prime Minister loses political authority over Gazprom
15 - 21 December	Ambassadors of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary will participate in a special session of NATO's supreme body;
8 - 14 December	Latvian Bank to be listed on London's Stock Exchange; Bulgarian President promises to repay US$80m debt to Poland
1 - 7 December	Poland's new banking law takes effect; Czech Prime Minister resigns; Yeltsin visits Sweden
3 - 9 November	Hungarian farmers protested in Budapest against the proposed government land reform; US Secretary of State confirms some forms of US military presence will be required in Bosnia
27 October - 2 November	European Forex Conference shows that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are unlikely to join the EU before the year 2010; Bulgaria announces privatisation of up to 73 per cent of its state assets over the next three years
20 - 26 October	Hungary and Israel sign their first bilateral free trade agreement; Poland's Finance Ministry announces the introduction of a new currency law from the beginning of 1998
13 - 19 October	Polish Economy Minister signs an agreement with the government of Israel on delivery of anti-tank weaponry for the Huzar military helicopter; Russia is expected to rejoin the diamond cartel organised by De Beers of South Africa
5 - 12 October	A compromising agreement between the Kazakhstan government and the Canadian mining group Placer Dome is reached after two years of dispute over one of the largest gold deposits in the world; the Lithuanian Investment Agency and Lithuanian Export Promotion Agency merge into the Lithuanian Development Agency
29 September - 5 October	EBRD direct foreign investment to Central and Eastern Europe to reach US$16-18 billion by the end of 1997; Poland will be assisted by Denmark to enter the EU
21 - 28 September 1997	IMF confirms the GDP growth forecast for the Russian economy; the First Central and Eastern Europe Investors Protection Fund started operating in Hungary
14 September - 21 September	Increase in Polish trade deficit, IMF issues report on the Hungarian economy
7 September - 14 September	Russia to build nuclear power plant in India, Polish parties neck and neck, Estonia receives credit rating
31 August - 7 September	Tough IMF programme to restabilise Albania, Huge Czech budget deficit 'caused by floods', Polish no confidence vote fails
24 - 31 August	Car sales in region grow, Tax rises in Hungary, Russian bank borrows money
17 - 24 August	Tajikistan mutiny crushed, 'Growing organised crime' in Russia, Plavsic leaves Serbian Democratic Party
10 - 17 August	Five Moscow banks declared bankrupt, Renewed fighting in Tajikistan, Serbs demand debt write-off
4 - 10 August	Rouble to be devalued, French troops leave Albania, Ukrainian austerity programme finalised
27 July - 4 August	Huge insurance claims in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine pay gas bill, Russia to sell oil giant after all
21 - 27 July	Emergency flood relief for Poland, Bosnian Serbs threaten Dayton Accord, Albanian President resigns
14 - 21 July	Catastrophic floods in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, Major aid operations underway, NATO signs charter with Ukraine
9 - 14 July	Yeltsin promises to pay public-sector wages, Economic growth in region positive, NATO shoot Bosnian war crimes Serb
2 - 9 July	NATO to expand, Czech demo blocks nuclear plant, Albanian monarchists in police shoot-out
23 June - 2 July	Berisha concedes defeat, Nazi gold may be returned to Slovak Jews, EIB extends $85M loan to Czech Railways
9 - 16 June	Attempt to assassinate Berisha, EU, NATO talks to Central European Presidents, $1 billion disappears from Russia monthly
26 May - 9 June	Russia to remove nuclear threat, IMF surprise Czech loan, Romania and Ukraine sign treaty
19 - 26 May	NATO plans in doubt for Romania and Slovenia, Former Yeltsin adviser fears show trial, Czech Trade Minister says cabinet should resign
12 - 19 May	Albanian deal paves way for elections, Olszewski attacks Polish constituion, Slovakian PM rejects criticism
5 - 12 May	Eleven die in Polish train crash, Troops fail to stop Albanian exodus, Romanian hospital can't afford baby burials
28 April - 5 May	Russia and Slovakia work on economic ties, Pope visits Czech Republic, Romanian human rights monitoring ends
21 - 28 April	Former Yelsin advisor arrested, Kohl: Poland will be equal partner in NATO, Romanian Orthodox Church denounce homosexuality
14 - 21 April	Czech Deputy Finance Minister resigns, Italian troops land in Albania, Czechs record US$32 million in stock transfers
7 - 14 April	Six killed in Albania, Walesa: Russia won't block Polish NATO bid, Polish President to meet Pope
31 March - 7 April	NATO: no second-class membership, Slovakia accuses Hungary over dam, Czech Premier defends economy
24 - 31 March	Polish President says Yeltsin agreed to NATO expansion, EU warns Slovakia over Russian free trade, Polish shipyard jobs may be saved
17 - 24 March	Large protests on Hungary's national day, Polish shipyard workers close Gdansk, Slovakian President calls referendum on constitution
10 - 17 March	Yeltsin returns to public view, Chernomyrdin signs debt agreement, Receiver in at Gdansk shipyard
3 - 10 March	FDI increases into region, Albania declares state of emergency, Coca-Cola invests in Tashkent
24 February - 3 March	Russian anti-monopoly chief sacked, Romanian PM outlines 'shock therapy', Increase in Czech earnings,
17 - 24 February	New invitations for Hungary's power companies, Latvian PM voted back in, Chernobyl fund debated by G7
10 - 17 February	Bass in Czech beer market, Polish finance minister resigns, Albanian pyramid payout
3 - 10 February	Demonstrations in Albiania, Chechens vote for independence, Yeltsin Dutch trip cancelled
27 January - 3 February	Oil deal in Turkmenistan, Yeltsin leaves hospital, Latvian PM resigns
20 - 27 January	Yeltsin ill, Demonstrations in Sofia, Belgrade protests continue