Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
KAZAKHSTAN’S SHOW OF FORCE MEANT TO COUNTER ISLAMIC EXTREMISM
Kazakhstan has conducted military exercises in its western region, partly to demonstrate more effective coordination of its security forces, but also to convey a powerful signal to Islamic extremists and confidently display its ability to protect its facilities in the Caspian Sea. These exercises, though... MORE
ARMENIA, EU TO LAUNCH “ACTION PLAN” ON CLOSER TIES
Next month the European Union and Armenia will sign a five-year action plan related to the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) program that enables EU neighbors to establish preferential relations with the 25-country bloc. The development will be hailed by the authorities in Yerevan as an... MORE
RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN “INTERNATIONAL” GAS CONSORTIUM BACK ON THE AGENDA
On October 10, President Viktor Yushchenko’s office issued two policy announcements regarding control over Ukraine’s gas transit pipeline system: regarding national ownership in the morning and regarding a Russian-German-Ukrainian consortium in the evening. Meeting in the morning with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to discuss government... MORE
MOSCOW EYES COORDINATION WITH CHINA OVER NORTH KOREAN TEST
As Russia backed measured UN sanctions against Pyongyang following its October 9 nuclear test, Moscow appears to be seeking concerted action with Beijing regarding North Korea’s mercurial behavior. Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the North Korean test and argued that Pyongyang's nuclear program should be... MORE
AZERBAIJAN BECOMING POPULAR DRUG TRAFFICKING ROUTE
Last week the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan broke up a transnational network funneling illegal drugs from Iran toward Europe via Azerbaijan. Two citizens of Azerbaijan were arrested in relation to this case, and authorities confiscated 19 kilograms of hashish from them. They had... MORE
EUROPE’S PATRONIZING ATTITUDE TOWARD TURKS CAN PUSH ANKARA CLOSER TO MOSCOW
Turkey’s prospects of becoming a full-blown member of the European Union are again seriously endangered -- this time by a fierce row with France over the “Armenian genocide” bill. According to analysts, the West’s continuous snubbing of the Turks could result in Ankara’s moving strategically... MORE
RUSSIA UNFAZED BY NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST
Although North Korea’s nuclear test on October 9 transformed the Northeast Asian landscape, it apparently has not changed the postures of the members of the six-party talks all that much. Russia’s reaction to this test is very much a linear progression from its previous stance... MORE
MOSCOW BEEFS UP SECURITY TIES WITH KYRGYZSTAN
Russia has moved to boost security ties with Kyrgyzstan in a perceived bid to guarantee the loyalty of the Central Asian state, once considered to be among Moscow's most trusted allies in that strategically important region. Russia and Kyrgyzstan held joint anti-terrorism exercises October 2-5... MORE
RUSSIA REVERSES PLANS ON SUPERGIANT SHTOKMAN GAS FIELD
On October 9 Russia’s Gazprom announced that it has canceled the international tender for part-ownership and development of its supergiant Shtokman offshore gas field in the Barents Sea. Instead, Gazprom will itself develop the field as 100% owner. Moreover, the eventual output’s planned destination has... MORE
SAAKASHVILI’S PARTY WINS LOCAL ELECTIONS AMID STANDOFF WITH RUSSIA
As expected, President Mikheil Saakashvili’s National Movement party won Georgia’s October 5 local elections by a landslide. Held amid Tbilisi’s sharpest confrontation with Moscow in a decade, the elections provided an opportunity for the ruling party to tout its tough stance toward Russia in connection... MORE