Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Dostum Says He Is Not in Exile in Turkey and Remains a Potent Force in Afghanistan
A Turkish newspaper has reported that Rashid Dostum, the leader of ethnic Uzbeks in Afghanistan, was flown to Turkey as part of a special operation arranged by the Turkish government. The report maintained that Dostum might be sent into exile by the Afghan government as... MORE
Russia, LNG, and the U.S. Natural Gas Market
In 2006, when oil and natural gas prices began steadily climbing, Russia’s state-owned gas company Gazprom announced that it had ambitions to become a leading Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplier to the enormous U.S. gas market. Gazprom and its Kremlin masters were eager to claim... MORE
Russia’s Gazprom Eyes Governmental Support
Russia's Gazprom Eyes Governmental Support Despite the current economic climate, the state-run gas monopoly Gazprom has pledged to move ahead with its ambitious development program, but it now appears that it will be forced to rely increasingly on government support.Earlier this month, Gazprom started construction... MORE
Gul Hosts Karzai and Zardari for a Trilateral Summit in Istanbul
Turkey is hosting another major international gathering, marking its growing profile in regional and international diplomacy. Turkish President Abdullah Gul has brought together Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in a trilateral meeting being held in Istanbul on December 5 (www.cnnturk.com,... MORE
Kazakhstan Offers Military Airfield to NATO Forces in Afghanistan
Recently, members of the Kazakhstan Senate ratified two agreements allowing U.S. and NATO coalition forces to use Almaty airport as an emergency airfield for fighter planes flying on missions to Afghanistan. The news hardly produced any comments from government headquarters, but what leaked through the... MORE
Ukraine Beefs Up Its Military Defenses with an Eye on Russia
Since the Russian invasion of Georgia in August, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has stressed the need to review defense priorities, with reference to the budgetary allocations to the military (The Times, August 23). The president warned that he would refuse to sign the state budget... MORE
NATO ANPs Instead of MAPs for Ukraine and Georgia
NATO has pushed aside the Membership Action Plans (MAPs) as mechanisms for Ukraine’s and Georgia’s eventual accession to the alliance. On December 3 in Brussels, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting at the level of ministers of foreign affairs decided to develop Annual National Programs... MORE
Kyrgyz Opposition Presents Its Program to the President, Sets Conditions
On December 3 a Kyrgyz opposition group comprised of leading political parties and organizations presented President Kurmanbek Bakiyev with its suggestions for changes necessary in the country’s political and economic systems. In particular, the group submitted a document adopted at a major meeting on November... MORE
President Abdullah Gul Takes an Active Role in Easing Kurdish Unrest
During his visits to different cities in the Kurdish region in early November, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan encountered forceful street protests encouraged by the Democratic Society Party (DTP). Erdogan created deep concern during these visits with his ultranationalist statements. He went so far as to... MORE
OSCE Avoids the Hard Issues at Year-End Conference
In common with all OSCE chairmanships since 2003 (when Russian veto power mauled the organization irreparably during the Dutch chairmanship), Finland set itself a minimal task in 2008: to ensure institutional survival by deferring to Russia in Europe’s East and hosting a “successful” year-end conference,... MORE