Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
KOSOVO AND THE POST-SOVIET CONFLICTS: NO ANALOGY MEANS NO “PRECEDENT”
Russian policy seeks to obfuscate the stark differences between the Kosovo conflict on the one hand and the post-Soviet conflicts on the other hand, as well as between the four post-Soviet conflicts. The most fundamental criteria for assessing the nature of each one of these... MORE
KOSOVO AND THE POST-SOVIET CONFLICTS: NO ANALOGY MEANS NO “PRECEDENT”
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and other officials have shifted their tactics regarding the negotiations on the status of Kosovo. The new theme of their statements and tactical approach to the negotiations is: "No Haste." In their view, the negotiations must prepare a... MORE
ALIYEV’S INVITATION TO THE WHITE HOUSE: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
Officials in Baku are rejoicing. Three years after his election, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has received an official invitation to visit the White House and meet with U.S. President George W. Bush. In a press release issued by the White House on April 10, the... MORE
PUTIN’S FEAR OF ELECTIONS AND FEAR OF INVESTMENT
Every recent election in Europe has severed a connection with Moscow, allowing Russia to drift further and further away from the rest of the continent. Italy is the latest point in this trajectory since Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's defeat this week signifies for Russian President... MORE
A WEAKENED LUKASHENKA STARTS THIRD TERM
On Saturday April 8, Alexander Lukashenka was inaugurated for a third term as president of Belarus, eight days later than originally scheduled and following the most controversial election campaign in the brief history of the independent country. The stability of his extended presidency rests on... MORE
BAKU PREPARES FOR NEW PHASE IN U.S.-AZERBAIJANI STRATEGIC RELATIONS
As Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev prepares to visit the United States at the end of April, several high-ranking officials from Azerbaijan have already toured Washington and explored ways to strengthen U.S.-Azerbaijan relations. On March 29, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov arrived... MORE
GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT QUESTIONED ABOUT SECRET FUNDS
Questions are flying about how the Georgian government operates two special bank accounts earmarked for developing the army and law-enforcement agencies. The funds were established shortly after the November 2003 Rose Revolution. Specifically, Georgian media mogul Badri Patarkatsishvili publicly charged the authorities with forcing Georgian... MORE
ORANGE REVOLUTION LEADERS DECIDE TO RE-UNITE
After weeks of difficult consultations, the Our Ukraine bloc of President Viktor Yushchenko, the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, and the Socialist Party have decided to re-establish their alliance. On April 10, they launched talks on the shape of a cabinet coalition. Our Ukraine rejected coalition proposals... MORE
KYRGYZ NGOs CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO FIGHT ORGANIZED CRIME
By-elections for Kyrgyzstan's parliament were held on Sunday April 9. Reputed mafia chief Rysbek Akmatbayev won 79% of the votes in the parliamentary by-elections in Balykchi, Kyrgyzstan. Akmatbayev has a criminal reputation and is known to have strong connections with top government officials. His victory... MORE
RUSSIA AND TAJIKISTAN HOLD JOINT ANTI-TERROR EXERCISES
Russia and Tajikistan have completed anti-terrorist drills in Tajikistan aimed at improving cooperation between the two states as part of their anti-terrorist strategy. Although such exercises are a regular occurrence, reflecting strong bilateral security cooperation, the exercises themselves differed in significant ways from previous high-profile... MORE