Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
AZERBAIJAN AT THE FOREFRONT OF CASPIAN BASIN ENERGY INITIATIVES
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov is meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington today to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for energy security. Crafted to a large extent by Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza during recent visits to... MORE
FORMER AND CURRENT UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTERS READY TO CONFRONT EACH OTHER
Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies are not concealing their displeasure with the behavior of former interior minister Yuriy Lutsenko, one of the key figures of the 2004 Orange Revolution. Lutsenko has set up the “People’s Self-Defense” movement and is touring the regions in order to find out... MORE
NISEPI POLL REVEALS OFFICIAL DECEPTIONS IN BELARUS
The release of the latest opinion poll from the Independent Institute for Social-Economic and Political Research, headed by Dr. Aleh Manayeu, provides many insights into recent political events in Belarus. Based on 1,474 respondents, the survey was conducted in all regions of the country in... MORE
IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE: FAR MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
On March 19 Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Robert Kocharian of Armenia inaugurated the operations of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline (Armenpress, IRNA, March 19, 20). Although the project’s scope is modest in terms of volume and market potential, its commissioning reflects two incipient trends... MORE
WHEN STABILITY IS UNCOMFORTABLE: AIR ATTACK ON THE UPPER KODORI VALLEY
Increasing direct evidence as well as strong circumstantial evidence suggests that the air attack on Georgia’s upper Kodori Valley during the night of March 11-12 was carried out by Russian helicopters. An investigative report is due for release in the next few days under a... MORE
MOSCOW WEIGHS ESCALATION OPTIONS IN ABKHAZIA PENDING INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS
Georgia’s response to the Russian helicopters’ attack on the upper Kodori Valley reflects a balance of four imperatives: prevent a possible recurrence or escalation of such attacks; avoid being drawn into armed conflict with Russia or its proxies; ensure unambiguous international support for Georgia; and... MORE
RAKHMONOV LAYS FOUNDATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION WITH BAKU
On March 14 Tajikistan’s parliament finally passed legislation updating the country’s “Law on Combating Terrorism.” According to Rano Qayumova, a member of the Assembly of Representatives, the legal reform was designed to comply with recent changes to the structure of central state bodies tasked with... MORE
RUSSIA’S MILITARY PR PART OF KREMLIN INTRIGUES
After one month as Russia’s second first deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov is enjoying ample, uniformly positive media attention that will secure him higher numbers in opinion polls and expert ratings. He receives exactly the same amount of TV coverage as Dmitry Medvedev, the other... MORE
FRADKOV SUGGESTS ADDING PARALLEL GAS LINE FROM SIBERIA TO PACIFIC
On March 13, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov voiced support for the idea to build a gas pipeline alongside the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline. "I regard it positively," Fradkov told reporters at a meeting in the Sakha-Yakutiya Republic. He suggested plan has provisions for... MORE
ARMENIAN DIASPORA GROUPS FACE NEW AZERI CHALLENGE
On March 9, the first meeting of a new “Forum of Azerbaijani-Turkish Diaspora Organizations” convened in Baku, Azerbaijan. But as one participant described the event, “Lots of talk, but I wonder if all of this will turn into a real action. Perhaps the real goal... MORE