Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
NORTH CAUCASUS-TESTED STRATEGIES USED TO COUNTER MARCH OF THE DISCONTENTED
Russian police severely beat many participants in the April 14-15 demonstrations against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Known as the “March of the Discontented,” the rallies were organized by the “Other Russia” movement. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s deputy press secretary, dismissed the recent... MORE
KAZAKH OPPOSITION FORCES PRESS GOVERNMENT FOR GENUINE DEMOCRACY
On April 12 dozens of opposition activists picketed the Department of Justice office in Almaty, demanding the immediate registration of Alga (Forward), an opposition party intended as the successor to the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. Police forces watched calmly and did not interfere as... MORE
U.S.-TURKISH INTERESTS COLLIDE IN IRAQ, BUT MESH IN AFGHANISTAN AND KOSOVO
Turkey and the United States are increasingly at odds over the entwined issues of the Kurdistan Worker’ Party (PKK) mounting hit-and-run guerrilla operations from northern Iraq into southeastern Turkey and Washington’s reluctance to rein in those activities, along with plans by the Kurdish Provisional Government... MORE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT SPELLING OUT BALTIC OIL TRANSPORT PLANS
Addressing the “Pipeline Transport 2007” conference in Moscow on April 17, Transneft president Semyon Vainshtok and Deputy Industry and Energy Minister Andrei Dementiev declared that expansion of the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS) is currently the Russian government’s number-one priority for oil transportation (Interfax, RIA-Novosti, April... MORE
OUR UKRAINE AND VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO REVIVE THEIR FORTUNES
On April 18, the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and Our Ukraine blocs permanently withdrew their deputies from Ukraine’s parliament. Together, the factions account for 202 of the Rada’s 450 deputies. With no constitutional majority, the parliament -- which was disbanded by presidential decree on April... MORE
KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT SPLITS OVER LOYALTY TO BAKIYEV, PLUNGING COUNTRY DEEPER INTO CHAOS
Since April 11, ongoing opposition rallies in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, have paralyzed both the government and parliament. Neither President Kurmanbek Bakiyev nor the legislature is trying to find compromises with the opposition. Instead, both seem to be waiting until the protests calm down and the opposition’s... MORE
RUSSIA LAUNCHES NEW STRATEGIC SUBMARINE
The Russian nuclear shipbuilding industry celebrated two successes on Sunday, April 15. At Sevmash -- Russia's largest nuclear submarine-building shipyard -- in Severodvinsk, located north of Moscow on the White Sea, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov officially launched the first of the Borei class... MORE
INDEPENDENT RUSSIAN GAS PRODUCER INCREASES COOPERATION WITH GAZPROM
Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, has long been seen as the country's major independent gas player. However, earlier this month Novatek took another step toward further cooperation with state-controlled gas giant Gazprom by taking part as a proxy in a controversial auction to sell... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN LAUNCHES AMBITIOUS MILITARY REFORM PLAN
On April 7 Kazakhstan published its new military doctrine, outlining both its strategic interests and priorities for future military cooperation. The doctrine advocates intensified cooperation within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), as well as broadening Astana’s strategic partnership with Russia and... MORE
CAN UKRAINE’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BE UNBIASED?
Today, April 17, Ukraine’s Constitutional Court (CC) began considering an appeal by a group of pro-government parliamentarians regarding President Viktor Yushchenko’s April 2 decree on the dissolution of parliament. The CC should decide not only on the question of early parliamentary elections, but also, indirectly,... MORE