Russian media continue to discuss the consequences of the Communist electoral victory in Moldova.
Irina Khakamada said that she does not expect Moldova to join that union in the near future, Interfax reported. Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, said on 27 February that the patriarchate remains opposed to a visit by Pope John Paul II, Russian and Western agencies reported. Chaplin insisted that the obstacle to the visit is Catholic, not Orthodox behavior. The possibility of holding an international seminar on Central Asian security issues was also discussed. Also on 26 February, Kazakhstan's Defense Minister Lieutenant General Sat Toqpaqbaev met in Astana with Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgenii Kartashov to discuss bilateral military cooperation.