Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
MOLDOVA’S PRESIDENT KREMLIN VISIT DOES NOT UNFREEZE RELATIONS
Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Vladimir Voronin of Moldova met in the Kremlin on August 8, following Voronin’s repeated requests for a bilateral meeting over the past year. Other than the group meetings at Commonwealth of Independent States summits, Voronin had not met with... MORE
“UNITING UKRAINE”: A HARD SELL FOR THE YUSHCHENKO-YANUKOVYCH COALITION
The formation of a majority-based parliamentary coalition and legitimate government promises relative stability to Ukraine after a year of chaos and misgovernance. Simply ending the turmoil and attending at last to the country’s pressing needs is a promise that undoubtedly meets the expectations of voters... MORE
NEW WAVE OF REBEL ATTACKS IN DAGESTAN AND INGUSHETIA
On July 8, insurgents in the North Caucasus region of Dagestan simultaneously attacked two senior local officials. Early in the morning a roadside bomb killed Bitar Bitarov, prosecutor for the town of Buinaksk, as he was driven to his office. After the blast, Bitarov’s car... MORE
UKRAINE SENDS MIXED SIGNALS
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s team is trying to dispel the fears widespread in the West that Ukraine may swerve on its foreign political course after the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych as prime minister. Yanukovych is perceived by many as pro-Russian; however, his party pledged in... MORE
SAAKASHVILI UNVEILS NEW ECONOMIC STRATEGY
Opponents have long criticized Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for not adopting a consistent strategy for the country’s economic development. The past five years have brought unprecedented levels of unemployment, rising prices, and declining standards of living to many households. Salaries in Georgia are reported to... MORE
MOSCOW AND ASTANA AT ODDS OVER RUSSIAN ROCKET CRASH
On the night of July 26 the Russian Dnepr rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kyzylorda region, Kazakhstan, and crashed 74 seconds after launch. The 250-ton Dnepr booster rocket was meant to carry 18 foreign satellites into space, the most important cargo aboard being... MORE
UKRAINE’S NEW GOVERNMENT: DARK BLUE, PALE ORANGE, SOME PINK, TOUCH OF RED
The mere fact that Ukraine finally has a cabinet of ministers since August 4 is an achievement after a seven-month vacuum. (The outgoing cabinet had been dismissed by parliament in January, continued as a powerless caretaker beyond the March elections, resigned officially in May both... MORE
YEREVAN ANNOUNCES CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT TAX REVENUE STILL LAGS
Armenia’s economy is on track to expand at a double-digit rate for a sixth consecutive year, earning the government in Yerevan more praise from Western lending institutions. The Armenian authorities say that growth may slow down in the coming years but will still be strong... MORE
TAJIKISTAN RETHINKS BORDER SECURITY
Tajikistan, painfully aware of the weaknesses within its border security structures, is embarking on key strategic and operational changes to the Tajik border guard service. These will be evident in the new level of cross-border cooperation with Afghanistan, which has been long overdue in Dushanbe’s... MORE
MOSCOW OUTRAGED BY U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST TWO RUSSIAN COMPANIES
On the evening of Friday, August 4, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a statement that condemned in the strongest possible way the decision of U.S. State Department to introduce sanctions against Rosoboroneksport and Sukhoi for violating the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000 (Lenta.ru, August 4).... MORE