Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
AZERBAIJAN SEES ARMENIA DIFFERENTLY AFTER ELECTIONS
“Democracy in Azerbaijan is at least no worse than in Georgia, but the comparison with Armenia is almost impossible,” said Khazar Ibrahim, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.day.az, April 29). This statement came as a result of... MORE
TURKEY HOLDS JOINT AIR FORCE EXERCISES WITH PAKISTAN
While American and European airspace is crisscrossed with commercial aircraft, Eurasia's airspace is increasingly resounding to the roar of military aircraft. Last week the Commonwealth of Independent States held its “Ariel” exercises stretching from the Polish border to the Pacific, while in Afghanistan International Security... MORE
RUSSIA STRUGGLES TO ENCOURAGE JAPANESE INVESTMENTS
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has made his first trip to Russia since his election last September. Despite optimistic official pronouncements, Russia appears to be struggling to secure any significant economic commitments from Tokyo, notably on the Pacific-bound oil pipeline route. Meanwhile, both sides remained... MORE
NEW ARMENIAN LEADER FORMS CABINET
On April 22 Armenia’s new President Serzh Sarkisian completed the formation of his cabinet comprising representatives of four political parties and key loyalists of his predecessor Robert Kocharian. The appointment of the last five government ministers came after weeks of horse-trading within the ruling coalition,... MORE
TURKMENISTAN DOUBLES NATURAL GAS PRICES TO IRAN
Nearly four months after a pricing dispute shut down Turkmen natural gas deliveries to Iran, the pipelines are again open. The bad news for Tehran is that the new price per thousand cubic meters (tcm) is nearly twice what it paid Ashgabat in 2007. On... MORE
IS TURKEY PLAYING A REGIONAL ROLE AT LAST?
Turkey has played down hopes that it would soon be able to broker a peace agreement between Syria and Israel. “We are still at the very beginning of the process,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on April 28. “Talks will continue to take place... MORE
EXPERTS DOUBT THAT RUSSIA’S POPULATION DECLINE CAN BE HALTED
Health and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova told her ministry on April 25 that over the past 15 months, Russia had experienced what she called “a real demographic explosion,” with more than two million children born between January 1, 2007, and April 1, 2008. Golikova... MORE
PUTIN PACKS HIS BAGS BUT MEDVEDEV STILL BIDES HIS TIME
Russia has effectively closed down for the long holidays as the Orthodox Easter comes close to May Day, which opens the traditional week of dacha spring works to be concluded by the always high-spirited celebrations of Victory Day. Coming back to business after this break,... MORE
YUSHCHENKO, TYMOSHENKO CLASH OVER PRIVATIZATION
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko have demonstrated that they would not stop short of open confrontation when big property is at stake. Yushchenko cancelled Tymoshenko’s orders to replace the head of the privatization body, the State Property Fund (FDM), and to... MORE
A DAZED AND CONFUSED AKP STRUGGLES TO STAVE OFF CLOSURE
On April 26 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had yet to formulate a strategy to counter the application for the party’s closure, which was filed by Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya with the Constitutional Court on... MORE