Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
POLISH COMPANY ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN LITHUANIA’S OIL SECTOR
Lithuania’s oil industry holding, Mazeikiai Nafta, seems finally to be safe from takeover by Russian state-connected interests. The holding’s centerpiece, the Mazeikiai refinery, is the only refinery in the three Baltic states and the single most lucrative business entity in the three states. The Russian... MORE
RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES TALK ABOUT GLOBAL THREATS, BUT PREPARE FOR LOCAL WAR
On May 10 Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an address to the Russian Federal Assembly. Focusing on issues such as reform of the armed forces and threats to national security, Putin declared that Russia now had to address many security issues and the army should... MORE
CHINESE INVESTORS CONSIDER JOINT PROJECTS WITH RUSSIAN FAR EAST
Moscow and Beijing have long hailed regional cooperation as an important element of bilateral ties. While meeting Volgograd Governor Nikolai Maksyuta on May 27, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), noted that the Volgograd region has enjoyed successful... MORE
COALITION TALKS: YUSHCHENKO DECIDES TO STEP IN
President Viktor Yushchenko will strive to carry on as the main powerbroker in Ukraine despite the constitutional reform that came into effect on January 1, 2006. This assertion was probably the main message of Yushchenko’s first speech before the new parliament elected in March. The... MORE
ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN UNDER STRONG PRESSURE TO HAMMER OUT KARABAKH PEACE
The United States, Russia, and France are stepping up pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan in a last-ditch attempt to secure a framework agreement settling the Karabakh conflict this year. The three powers co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group have set the stage for yet another Armenian-Azerbaijani... MORE
IRAN BLAMES “FOREIGN POWERS” FOR RECENT ETHNIC UNREST
Last week’s protests by Azeris in several major cities of Iran caught official Tehran off guard. Based on their response, Iranian officials fear domestic unrest could destabilize the ruling regime in Tehran. Leaders were quick to play up ethnic harmony inside Iran and argue that... MORE
MOSCOW GROOMS ACCUSED TERRORIST GIORGADZE FOR ROLE IN GEORGIA
The Russian government has announced its decision to grant political asylum to Igor Giorgadze, former chief of Georgia's state security, the presumed organizer of the 1995 assassination attempt that injured then-president Eduard Shevardnadze in the State Chancellery in Tbilisi. Indicted in Georgia on terrorism charges... MORE
PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE TO TRANSFORM RUSSIAN “PEACEKEEPING” IN MOLDOVA
International talks were held on May 24 in Brussels on the possible transformation of Russia's "peacekeeping" operation in Moldova into an international mission. The talks were held in a 3+2 framework -- that is, Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE as "mediators" and the United States... MORE
CHAOS IN THE KYRGYZ SECURITY STRUCTURES
Kyrgyz Armed Forces Day, scheduled for May 27, normally passes with a routine military parade. However, in the current tense political climate in Kyrgyzstan, routine has given way to suspicion and rumor. Opposition groups ignited controversy surrounding the parade, notably the "For Reforms" movement, by... MORE
RUSSIA, EUROPE DRAW BATTLE LINES IN THEIR DISPUTE OVER ENERGY
After the discussions at the latest Russia-European Union summit laid bare the growing disagreements between Moscow and the European bloc over how to guarantee "energy security" to the Old Continent's countries, the leaders of the pro-Western GUAM grouping (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) launched an initiative... MORE