Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Medvedev Appoints Krasnoyarsk Governor to Head New North Caucasus Federal District
On January 19, President Dmitry Medvedev announced the establishment of the North Caucasus Federal District and appointed Alexander Khloponin as the president’s plenipotentiary representative in the region. The newly formed federal district will consist of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and the Russian-speaking... MORE
Conscription Used as a Deterrent by Belarusian Government
On December 29, Franak Vyachorka, the son of the former leader of the Belarusian Popular Front Vintsuk Vyachorka, was transferred from his military unit in Mazyr to a hospital after having discovered scabies. He also suffers from high blood pressure. However, although the hospital doctor... MORE
Russian Oil Supply Cut Hits Belarusian Refineries
Moscow is tightening the squeeze on Belarus’ large-capacity, in the absence of an oil supply agreement for 2010, mainly on export-oriented refineries. The Mozyr and Navapolatsk refineries and other oil sector assets in Belarus are targets for Russian acquisition. The two refineries operate at only... MORE
FSB Contemplates Procuring Israeli UAV’s
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has reportedly opened negotiations to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) in Israel for use within the FSB border guard service. On January 13, Kommersant claimed that the FSB had entered discussions with the Israeli defense company Aeronautics Defense Systems,... MORE
Kabardino-Balkaria Leaders Offer Few Attractive Alternatives to Nationalism and Islamism
One of the Balkar people’s leaders, Sufian Beppaev, declared at a press conference on January 14 that a land ownership dispute is threatening peace and stability in Kabardino-Balkaria. A Russian constitutional court decision about the land distribution issue in the republic handed down in April... MORE
The Latest Reshuffle in the Russian Military
On January 13 the Russian defense ministry confirmed important changes within the military leadership (Interfax, January 12; www.mil.ru, January 13). According to an official account, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces Army-General Vladimir Boldyrev and the Commander of the North Caucasus Military District Colonel-General... MORE
Russia Reflects on the Presidential Elections in Ukraine
The outcome of the first round of elections in Ukraine is fairly clear, despite the usual procrastination with confirming the results, but it could have more impact on Russia’s stalled political modernization than the misanthropic political elite in Moscow expects. Taking a lesson from their... MORE
Erdogan Fosters Nuclear Cooperation with Russia
The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by several of his ministers, including Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, recently visited Moscow. Carrying a busy portfolio, he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.Reflecting the spirit of... MORE
Kyrgyzstan Boosts Cooperation With China
This week a Kyrgyz government delegation, led by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s son Maksim, visited Beijing to strengthen economic relations with China. At a meeting with Chen Jian, the Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce, Maksim Bakiyev expressed strong interest in building links with China in its... MORE
Rebel Ideologue Vows More Frequent Attacks on “Russian Occupiers”
The year ended unexpectedly for Dagestan’s Sharia Jamaat. Completely by accident, a group of Khasavyurt city policemen encountered a car that disregarded their demands to stop. As a result of the ensuing gun battle, all four occupants of the vehicle were killed (Interfax, December 31).... MORE