Moscow/Yerevan - President Dmitry Medvedev began a two-day visit on Monday to Armenia, caught in a precarious security deadlock in the Caucasus following Russia's recent war with Georgia.

The trips marks Medvedev's fifth meeting this year with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, a firm Moscow ally.

"The main provision on the agenda of Medvedev's visit will be talks in the tete-a-tete and extended formats talks with Sarkisian,"

a Kremlin official said on customary condition of anonymity Monday. "This vividly proves the high level of political dialog aimed at the further strengthening of strategic partnership."

The official added that trade and economic relations were the primary topics of discussion.

Moscow - Nothing could be a more visual throwback to the scarcity of Soviet days then the yawning bare shelves at some of Moscow's small grocery chains this week.

Kremlin critics have even voiced hope that such - so far limited - signs of economic crisis could turn the populace against former president-turned-premier Vladimir Putin.

"It's the crisis," affirmed a sales girl at grocer Samokhval behind a glowing refrigerated counter empty of all but frozen veggies. "They haven't stopped paying me yet, but it's all over the papers - the victims of the crisis."

With that she held up a tabloid expose of affected oligarchs headlined "The Rich Are Crying" in daily Zhizn.

Moscow - Nothing could be a more visual throwback to the scarcity of Soviet days then the yawning bare shelves at some of Moscow's small grocery chains this week.

Kremlin critics have even voiced hope that such - so far limited - signs of economic crisis could turn the populace against former president-turned-premier Vladimir Putin.