Russia and Turkey may soon sign an agreement lifting bilateral visa requirements, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva will visit Russia on May 13-14, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Ukraine has not as yet agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the size of a loan to patch up its economy under a new partnership program, the country's finance minister said on Wednesday.

Leading members of the Kyrgyz interim government have been accused of accepting bribes to help the ousted leader and his family escape the country, the 24.kg news agency said on Wednesday.

Trade between Russia and Turkey may recover from last year's 40% decline in 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday after talks with his Turkish counterpart.

Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation against former Ukrainian premier and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko over an alleged misuse of state funds, the UNIAN news agency said.

Tymoshenko has to appear in the Prosecutor General's office on Wednesday to receive an official notification of a criminal case against her.

"She [Tymoshenko] has been called to the Prosecutor General's office on Wednesday to receive an official notification of a criminal case which is aimed at discrediting her and limiting her travel around Ukraine and the world," UNIAN quoted Tymoshenko's spokesperson Marina Sorokina as saying.

"These political repressions are an intentional move on the part of the authorities to hamper the activities of the opposition," Sorokina said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has accused Tymoshenko, who led the Cabinet from 2007 until 2010, of costing the state 100 billion hryvnas ($12.5 billion), and said that 2008-2009 budget documents should be examined by law enforcement agencies and independent auditors.

On May 5, the Ukrainian Cabinet decided to hire Washington-based Trout Cacheris, PLLC to conduct an audit of the state budget during Tymoshenko's term in office.

RIA Novosti

The lower house of the Kazakh parliament unilaterally voted on Wednesday to grant President Nursultan Nazarbayev the title of "Leader of the Nation" and give him a wide range of privileges after the expiration of his presidential term.

The Mozyr oil refinery in Belarus has started refining a first shipment of oil imported from Venezuela, a spokesman for the refinery said.