Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
FIGHTING ERUPTS BETWEEN NOGAI REBELS AND RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES
Stavropol Krai, a predominantly ethnic-Russian region in the North Caucasus, is the frontier zone that separates the volatile Caucasian republics from the rest of Russia. Now Stavropol has become the scene of a fierce battle between Russian troops and insurgents. On February 9, a police... MORE
TWO-TRACK RESOLUTION — GEORGIA’S BEST OPTION ON PEACEKEEPING IN SOUTH OSSETIA
The Georgian parliament is debating the terms of a resolution that would instruct Georgia's government to demand the termination of Russia's "peacekeeping" operation in Georgia's Tskhinvali Region (South Ossetia). The parliament is acting pursuant to its October 11, 2005, resolution that had assessed this operation... MORE
SAAKASHVILI TRUMPETS SUCCESSES, WHILE OPPOSITION PLOTS “NETTLE REVOLUTION”
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address at the first meeting of the parliament's spring session on February 14. Like his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yushchenko, who in his February 9 address described his country as "the regional leader for integration processes" (EDM, February... MORE
TAJIK OFFICIALS WARN OF RISING ISLAMIC ACTIVITY IN THEIR COUNTRY
According to Abdughaffar Kalandarov, chief prosecutor of Sogd district in northern Tajikistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan considerably stepped up its activity in the region after the punitive operation conducted by Uzbek security forces in Andijan, Uzbekistan, in May 2005. Kalandarov claims that the Islamic... MORE
RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN DELEGATION IN MOLDOVA/TRANSNISTRIA SHORT-CIRCUITS THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS
In his state-of-the-nation address to parliament on February 9, President Viktor Yushchenko claimed for Ukraine the role of "regional leader," one "serv[ing] as the basis for integration processes in the region of Central and Eastern Europe." By way of substantiating that claim, Yushchenko went on,... MORE
BAKIYEV WINS BATTLE AGAINST PARLIAMENT LEADER, BUT LOSES PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THE PROCESS
On February 13, Kyrgyz Parliamentary Speaker Omurbek Tekebayev confirmed his decision to resign following a shocking clash with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. In his address to the legislature on February 3, Bakiyev criticized the parliamentarians for intrigues, laziness, and corruption. The president called parliamentarians "puppets... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN SET TO BOOST MILITARY EXPORTS
Kazakhstan is set to boost its military exports markedly during 2006, as it seeks to expand its access to international arms markets and further strengthen its defense industry. This concerted drive towards enhancing Kazakhstan's role as an arms exporter will put a priority on several... MORE
MOSCOW’S INITIATIVE: YOUR TERRORIST IS OUR DEAR GUEST
Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to Spain last week was not a great success. Spanish journalists asked too many direct questions, and senators at the closed-door meeting were not shy about raising unpleasant issues like judicial independence and human rights (Nezavisimaya gazeta, February 10).... MORE
MOSCOW SEEKS TO ACQUIRE RUSSIAN DIAMOND MONOPOLY
As the Russian government moved to take over the country's diamond monopoly, Alrosa, the company simultaneously opted to diversify by acquiring majority stakes in several Siberian oil and gas assets. While Alrosa has been seen as a potential nucleus for a state-owned natural-resources giant, the... MORE
PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT RE-FREEZES KARABAKH CONFLICT
On February 10-11, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian met in France in an attempt to break a deadlock in the Karabakh peace process. The talks failed to produce a framework agreement for the resolution of the conflict, disappointing Western observers and... MORE