Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
BTC PIPELINE COULD MAKE CEYHAN AN ENERGY HUB
On Thursday, July 13, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline will be inaugurated at a ceremony in Ceyhan, Turkey. More than 40 high-level officials from some 30 countries plan to attend (Trend.az, July 11). President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia have already... MORE
BASAEV GONE, BUT MOSCOW STILL HAS HEADACHES IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS
The July 9 death of Chechen warlord Shamil Basaev from an accidental explosion -- not a Russian-planned operation -- removes the Chechen rebels’ most charismatic and probably most ruthless commander from the scene. Although Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Nikolai Patrushev claimed, “The effort became... MORE
ARMENIA’S GREEK-OWNED TELECOM OPERATOR PUT UP FOR SALE
Greece’s Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) is pressing ahead with the surprise sale of its commanding share in Armenia’s national telephone company, ArmenTel. Four companies and consortiums, two of them Russian, have already been short listed to take part in a tender called by the Greek... MORE
TAJIKISTAN CAUTIOUS ON TIES WITH WESTERN MILITARIES
There are growing signs of unease within Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense over relations with Western militaries. While these ties are valued and needed in order to assist in reforming key military infrastructure, Tajik officials are becoming increasingly cautious regarding Western security-assistance ties. The Tajik Ministry... MORE
EVERYTHING READY FOR A CONTENT-FREE G-8 SUMMIT
The final countdown to the 2006 G-8 summit has begun. After months of heated debates, miles of memos, and tons of paperwork, after many rounds of preparatory talks among shrewd “sherpas” and many moments of hesitation about whether to boycott the event or just skip... MORE
SIBERIA HOSTS MAJOR MILITARY EXERCISE, BUT KOREAN MISSILE TESTS SUGGEST FLAWED PLANNING
Russia's Siberian military district held major war games this summer, officially to explore avenues for military reform as well as better ways to confront terrorism. However, the simultaneous North Korean missile tests provided a stark reminder that Russia’s eastern region could face far graver challenges... MORE
SUKHUMI’S ANTI-GEORGIAN STANCE JEOPARDIZES INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INITIATIVES
The promising movement toward reopening railways to link Russia, Georgia, and Armenia via Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region is now in jeopardy. The $300 million project to restore the Abkhaz section of the Russo-Georgian railway after it was cut in 1992-93 appears to have stumbled over... MORE
STATEMENT BY OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS SPARKS DEBATE IN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
On June 22, during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the Minsk Group co-chairs announced the main principles of the Karabakh peace process. The accompanying statement described these principles as “a set of core principles that [the co-chairs] believe are fair, balanced,... MORE
RUSSIA TURNS THE OTHER CHEEK ON NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCH
Moscow’s muted reaction to North Korea’s missile launches on July 4 comes as somewhat of a surprise. North Korea endangered Russian commercial vessels, the Russian Navy in the Sea of Japan, and Russian citizens in the Far East. Its calm response to the missile tests... MORE
EXPULSION OF TURKISH ELECTRICITY COMPANY PROMISES GEOPOLITICAL LOSSES FOR AZERBAIJAN
After months of mutual accusations, arrests, investigations, and political statements, the Turkish electricity company Barmek has broken its contract with the Azerbaijani government to manage electricity supplies for Baku, the capital, and the northern regions of the country. “I did not want to do it,”... MORE