Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
CRITICISM, SUSPICIONS MOUNT REGARDING CLOSED TALKS ON MANAS
Talks aimed at settling the dispute over the future of the Manas coalition base in Bishkek ended without agreement, despite intense negotiations May 31-June 1. The U.S. delegation, headed by Robert Loftis, met with senior officials from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense and Ministry of... MORE
BISHKEK BECOMES SCENE OF CONTINUOUS ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS
For more than a year the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has witnessed numerous demonstrations and protests. According to estimates from the Ministry of the Interior, on average there have been two different protests each day in various parts of the country since the beginning of 2006.... MORE
RUSSIA EYES CENTRAL ASIA URANIUM DEPOSITS
Officials in Russia’s nuclear sector have long eyed Central Asia’s uranium deposits. Now Russia appears prepared to invest in the uranium-mining sector in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in order to supplement domestic production. In May representatives from the Russian nuclear agency, Rosatom, and Kazakhstan's nuclear company,... MORE
KYRGYZSTAN RELENTING ON U.S. AIR BASE
On May 31-June 2 in Bishkek, American and Kyrgyz negotiators made some progress toward a possible agreement to prolong the use of the Manas air base by U.S. and allied forces. Kyrgyzstan no longer seeks a “hundredfold” increase in U.S. annual rent payments, as President... MORE
USTINOV’S FIRING REVEALS CLAN MANEUVERING INSIDE KREMLIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin is known to have a penchant for surprise cadre changes that invariably leave experts second-guessing the move. His decision to sack Prosecutor-General Vladimir Ustinov, taken late last Thursday (June 1) and approved by the astonished Federation Council at the next morning’s... MORE
KYIV’S POLITICAL STALEMATE COMPLICATES RELATIONS WITH NATO
The ongoing anti-NATO protests in the Crimean city of Feodosiya and their political impact in Kyiv could have been avoided or quickly defused had the parliament moved in time to authorize the entry of troops from NATO countries for joint exercises in Ukraine. President Viktor... MORE
RUSSIA-TURKEY RELATIONS: COOPERATION AND COMPETITION IN ENERGY SPHERE
Both Moscow and Ankara appear intent on further developing their lucrative energy ties. At the same time, Russia and Turkey are destined to continue vying for the role of major fuel supplier to the countries of Southern Europe. The recent visits to Turkey by two... MORE
WEAK AUTHORITY EMBOLDENS ANTI-NATO PROTESTS IN UKRAINE
The post-election crisis of Ukrainian state institutions may undermine President Viktor Yushchenko's and the Orange forces' goal to bring Ukraine into NATO during their term of office. Amid a growing deficit of effective governance, pro-Russia groups find unprecedented leeway to frustrate Kyiv's policies on this... MORE
SOCHI TALKS CONCEAL DEEP MISTRUST BETWEEN ASTANA AND MOSCOW
There is every reason to believe that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian resort town of Sochi on May 20 were highly successful for Astana. Putin generously offered his Kazakh counterpart Russian military equipment and, in what seems... MORE
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