Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

RUSSIA AMBIVALENT ABOUT SAKHALIN PRODUCTION SHARING DEALS

Russian energy projects governed by production sharing agreements are now facing environmental scrutiny, possibly indicating Moscow's unhappiness over the terms of deals made almost a decade ago. Russian officials went as far as threatening to shut down the country's largest production sharing agreement (PSA) project,... MORE

WILL THE OPPOSITION BOYCOTT LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BELARUS?

On January 14, 2007, voters in Belarus will again go to the polls to elect local governments. The opposition, including the United Democratic Forces (UDF) movement, is debating the wisdom of participating in another election that is little more than a façade. A majority, encouraged... MORE

RUSSIAN GENERALS LOSING HOPE FOR MILITARY VICTORY IN CHECHNYA

On October 12, Russian Colonel-General Yevgeny Baryaev told a meeting of law-enforcement agency representatives in Grozny, the Chechen capital, “At the beginning of October the situation deteriorated in Chechnya, especially in the mountainous Vedeno district.” As an example, Baryaev mentioned that one week earlier a... MORE

OUR UKRAINE QUITS CABINET — BUT HINTS AT RETURN

The pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc will be in opposition to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s cabinet, Our Ukraine’s formal leader, Roman Bezsmertny, declared in parliament on October 17. He urged the four ministers representing Our Ukraine in the cabinet to resign, and the next day President... MORE

WESTERN SANCTIONS OVER IRAN DAMAGE RUSSIAN AVIATION INDUSTRY

Russian aircraft producer Sukhoi and the official arms trader Rosoboroneksport are beginning to feel the sanctions imposed last July by the U.S. Department of State for violating the Iran Non-Proliferation Act of 2000 (EDM, August 7). Sukhoi Civil Aircraft announced that the restrictions might hamper... MORE

RUSSIAN AND WESTERN ENERGY INTERESTS CLASH IN KAZAKHSTAN

Astana played host to the Commonwealth of Independent States Energy Council on October 13, a meeting that triggered mixed emotions in Kazakhstan. The session was orchestrated by the head of Russia’s Unified Energy Systems, Anatoly Chubais, who optimistically reported that the meeting was “a very... MORE

PUTIN’S LOGIC ON GEORGIA AND THE FROZEN CONFLICTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks during the European Union-Russia informal summit in Lahti, Finland, on October 20 underscored some major theses -- often confusing to the West -- behind Russia’s policy toward Georgia and the frozen conflicts. The summit was held against the backdrop of... MORE

TAJIKISTAN CLAIMS SUCCESS IN COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATION

Tajikistan is claiming success in its counter-narcotics capabilities based on its performance during the “Operation Channel 2006” program conducted among Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries October 9-15. In fact, during the second stage of these rapid response and preventative operations (the first stage was... MORE

TAJIKISTAN’S BILL ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS CURTAILS POLITICAL OPPOSITION

Tajikistan’s new bill on religious freedoms threatens to become the most rigid and illiberal regulation of its type in Central Asia. Developed in January 2006, “On Freedoms of Confessions and Religious Organizations” restricts religious education for children, curbs women’s rights to practice religious traditions, and... MORE