Plunging oil prices and the global financial crisis have raised questions in Latin America about Russia's reliability as an economic partner.

More than three months after their war over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia and Georgia on Wednesday got down to "intensive" and "productive" talks aimed at defusing the conflict, but some participants said the process could last for years.

Russia's Gazprom said it will lower prices starting in 2009, while Prime Minister Vladimir Putin swore the country has no plans to join a gas-exporting cartel.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has rejected U.S. proposals on a missile defense system that Washington plans to deploy in Europe, Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unidentified Kremlin source as saying Wednesday.

Thousands of opposition supporters demonstrated Friday in the first major protest against President Mikhail Saakashvili since Georgia's August war with Russia.

The marriage of business interests between Russia and Germany is strengthening even as the global financial crisis deepens.

The United States and NATO are updating plans for defending allies bordering Russia, and may increase joint military exercises with those states.

President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia, projecting Moscow's diplomatic clout in the Caucasus, pushed Tuesday to bring the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan together for talks on the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

German investors may be a little wary of Russia as it suffers from falling energy prices and the credit crisis, but the growing business ties reflect the depth of commitment by thousands of companies.

The U.S. and Russia sent their top military officers to Helsinki for an unannounced meeting to seek common ground.