Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Transformation of Russian Combat Training Begins
On June 3 the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) defense ministers met to consider intensifying military cooperation and formalizing the new rapid reaction forces. They are currently finalizing preparations to hold a CSTO military exercise in Belarus to "test" the new formation. Leanid Maltsaw, the... MORE
Putin Resolves Protest in Pikalevo
A mass riot induced by the developing economic crisis, served to confirm the identity of the real boss and decision maker in Russia. While Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was speaking to the World Economic Forum in St. Petersburg on June 4, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin... MORE
Obama’s Cairo Speech Receives Mixed Reaction Among Turkish Intellectuals
On June 4 during his trip to the Middle East President Barack Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University outlining how his administration intends to develop a new relationship with the Muslim world. Obama delineated seven interrelated issues which need to be addressed. Those included... MORE
Ankara Reverts to Obstruction on Azerbaijan’s Gas Pricing and Transport
Participants in the Caspian oil and gas forum, just held in Baku, confirmed that Turkey's AKP government has reverted to obstruction of the Nabucco project for Caspian gas to Europe (Trend Capital, Day.az, Turan, Reuters, June 3-5). The government in Ankara seemed to have adopted... MORE
Controversial Fraud Trial Closed in Moscow
On June 2 the long-awaited trial began in Moscow's Tushinsky District Court of Vladimir Nekrasov, the reputed owner of Arbat Prestige, the largest chain of cosmetics stores in Russia and the CIS and his co-defendant, Semyon Mogilevich, (alias Sergei Shneider), a person wanted by the... MORE
Medvedev Promotes Intellectual Economy and Putin Resorts to Soviet Methods
On June 6-7 the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg had a far more somber atmosphere and a greatly reduced entertainment program than last year, when Russia was still portrayed as an "island of stability" in the sea of troubles. The central event was again the... MORE
Planned De-Mining of Turkey’s Border with Syria Referred to Court
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has announced that it will take the de-mining law adopted in parliament on June 3 to the constitutional court. The controversial draft bill was approved by 255 to 91, following a 15-hour long stormy debate, during which some... MORE
Kyrgyz Opposition Unable to Challenge the Regime
As the July 23 presidential election approaches in Kyrgyzstan, the number of contenders is rapidly dwindling. From the original twenty two candidates registered to run for the presidency, the number has now dropped to seven. The list will continue shrinking further, according to Kyrgyz experts,... MORE
Ukrainian Intelligence Promotes Lustration in Ukraine
On May 11 in an interview with Dziennik the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) chief Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, outlined how previously secret documents from 1917-1991 were being released that will reveal details about the "crimes of communism." Nalyvaychenko described the opening of formerly secret documents and plans... MORE
Ramzan Kadyrov Squashes the Idea of an Independent Ichkeria
For the second time in the last three months, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has forced former leaders of the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria to admit the error of their earlier ambitions to build an independent Chechen state during Aslan Maskhadov's presidency in front of... MORE