Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
A CSTO Rapid-Reaction Force Created as a NATO Counterweight
On February 4 the presidents of the Russian-dominated, seven-member Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) gathered in Moscow to sign an agreement to create a joint rapid-reaction force. In recent years Moscow has done its best to transform the CSTO--a loose alliance that has served mostly... MORE
Erdogan: The Conqueror of the Arab Streets
Until Israel invaded Gaza in January, Turkey had devoted its energy and resources to developing an outline for a possible peace deal between Israel and Syria. Just three days before the Gaza operation, in fact, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid an official visit to... MORE
Chancellor Merkel’s Letter Perturbs EU’s Energy Debate
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reacted negatively to the high-level meeting in Budapest, which improved the prospects for European Union funding of the Nabucco gas transport project (see EDM, January 29, 30). Merkel has taken a contrary position in a confidential letter to EU Commission... MORE
Moscow Eyes Stronger Partnership with Tashkent
Despite some recent setbacks, the Kremlin has intensified efforts to expand its relations with Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation. Following talks in Tashkent, Uzbek President Islom Karimov praised the bilateral summit meetings on January 22 and 23, which served to clarify important issues of... MORE
Bakiyev Pleases Moscow, Seeks to Oust U.S. Military Base
At a February 3 press conference in Moscow Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that his government had decided to shut down the U.S. military base at the Manas airport. Although Bakiyev had previously been playing with the idea of ousting the U.S. base, his statements... MORE
AKP Government’s Policies Toward Anti-Semitism May Not Be Enough
Israel's military operation in Gaza and the reactions from the Turkish government and the public have put the Turkish Jewish community in a delicate situation in which they could face attacks from Islamist and other segments of society. After the Gaza incident a growing number... MORE
Kazakhstan Raising Its Afghanistan Profile
On January 28 the United States announced plans to purchase a "significant part" of the goods needed to supply its forces in Afghanistan from Kazakhstan. U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Hoagland clarified these intentions in the context of the U.S.-Kazakh agreement on the transit of... MORE
How Much Longer Can Azerbaijan Wait For Nabucco to Materialize?
"It's a good question, how long we are going to wait," Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev warned with regard to the Nabucco gas transport project during the World Economic Forum just held in Davos. As a potential large-scale producer with proven reserves of 2 trillion cubic... MORE
Yerevan Again Avoids Council of Europe Sanctions
In a major boost to the administration of President Serzh Sarkisian, the Council of Europe has once again refrained from punishing Armenia for a government crackdown on the opposition sparked by the disputed presidential election of February 2008. The Strasbourg-based organization's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has... MORE
Will the AKP’s Foreign and Economic Policies Help in Local Elections?
Following his controversial remarks about Israel's policies in Gaza made at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refocused his attention on domestic politics. The municipal elections on March 29 are expected to be a major test of... MORE