Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Faced with a Crippled Economy, Putin Strikes a Conciliatory Tone at Davos
The annual World Economic Forum in Davos was a somber event this year. Its trademark bragging and success stories and the schmoozing among the rich-and-famous were overtaken by the scale of damage from the global crisis that the forum had confidently talked out of existence... MORE
Yet Another Crisis in Turkey-Israel Relations
In an earlier EDM analysis it was observed that since Israel’s Gaza offensive began, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh criticism of the operation has made him the champion of the man in the street in the Muslim world (see, EDM, January 7, 15).... MORE
Kazakh Opposition Criticizes Half-Hearted Democratic Reform Efforts
As Kazakhstan’s term of chairmanship of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) draws near, state officials have intensified diplomatic maneuvering, constantly shuttling between Western capitals and Astana. Outwardly, Kazakhstan has made some impressive steps toward democratization of political processes to justify its... MORE
Ukrainian Chief Banker in Legal Limbo
The Ukrainian parliament has exacerbated both the political and economic crises in Ukraine by voting to dismiss National Bank (NBU) head Volodymyr Stelmakh. Consequently, it is not clear who is running the central bank in a country that has been among the hardest hit by... MORE
Nabucco Conference in Budapest, Part Two: Gas Supply and Transport—Diversification’s Twin Sides
The high-level conference in Budapest on the Nabucco gas project (see EDM, January 20, 22, 23, 27, 29) underscored a reality that seems to slip from the conceptual grasp of some influential West European circles. This reality is that diversification of supply sources and transport... MORE
Turkey and the IMF Take a Break to Review Remaining Disagreements
After 18 days of intense negotiations on a new financial package, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission failed to reach an agreement with Turkey and left Ankara on Tuesday. Mehmet Simsek, the minister of state responsible for the economy, told reporters on Monday that the... MORE
Bakiyev Stifles Small and Medium Businesses, Further Angers the Public
Last December Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev amended the tax code, significantly increasing taxes for small and medium-sized businesses. A month later the effect of the new tax is being acutely felt, with numerous businesses shutting down and unemployment rising. In the meantime, the number of... MORE
Nabucco Conference in Budapest, Part One: Moderate Expectations, Moderate Promise
On January 26 and 27 Hungary hosted a high-level policy conference on the Nabucco gas transport project, with participants encompassing the entire producer-transit-consumer chain from the Caspian basin to Europe, and with active involvement by the European Union for the first time. The event did... MORE
Moscow Sends the West Friendly Signals While Relations with Georgia Worsen
On January 28 Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed official in the Russian Defense Ministry that plans to deploy Iskander SS-26 missiles in the Kaliningrad region, which borders NATO member nations Poland and Lithuania, have been halted. Last November President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to station... MORE
Commentary – Territorial Claims Can Work Two Ways: Russia and Ukraine
The majority of Western comments on territorial claims arising from the breakup of the USSR focus on Russia’s demands against its neighbors. The best known, such as the Crimea and frozen conflicts in the Caucasus, are frequently mentioned in the Western media. Added to this... MORE