Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
BAKIYEV FACES STRONG, MATURING OPPOSITION IN KYRGYZSTAN
One year after Kyrgyzstan's March 24 Tulip Revolution Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev faces outspoken criticism of his regime from both political and non-governmental sources. Although the current political situation in Kyrgyzstan largely resembles the final years of former president Askar Akayev's regime, when the general... MORE
RUSSIA VIEWS MONGOLIA AS GATEWAY TO CHINA
Russian banks have announced plans to fund a major refinery project in Mongolia. The oil refinery will not only process Siberian crude, but it is also designed to cater to the needs of the Chinese market. A group of Russian and Czech banks have signed... MORE
MOSCOW COUNTS THE PROS AND CONS OF “SELECTIVE COOPERATION”
Until very recently the Kremlin dismissed the possibility that Washington might seriously reevaluate the format and style of its relations with Russia. At his extended press conference on January 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin ridiculed the "adversaries" who expressed doubt about Russia's place in the... MORE
RUSSIA POISED FOR BOLD INROADS INTO WEST’S ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEMS
On March 10-11, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid what he characterized as an "historic" visit to Algeria. The trip was the first by a Kremlin leader since the Soviet heads of state and government, Nikolai Podgorny and Alexei Kosygin, visited in 1969 and 1971, respectively,... MORE
AZERBAIJAN SIGNALS EASTWARD TILT WITH PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO JAPAN
President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Japan on March 8 marks another milestone in Azerbaijan's slow re-orientation toward Asia. During the visit, he met with Japanese Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Taro Aso, and the head of the Japanese International Development Agency... MORE
RUSSIA HINTING IT MAY ESCALATE TRANSNISTRIA STANDOFF
A Kremlin-dispatched interagency delegation has completed a three-day visit to Transnistria, hinting that it would recommend strong Russian countermeasures against the international trading regime just introduced by Ukraine and Moldova on their common border with Western encouragement (see EDM, March 8, 9). Officials who coordinate... MORE
NAZARBAYEV THREATENS TO CRACK DOWN ON LIBEL, BRIBERY
In a televised address to the nation on March 1, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev elaborated at great length on the country's economic priorities, promising a solid package of social benefits to a large section of the population and reiterating his ambition to place Kazakhstan among... MORE
KARIMOV SEEKS STRONGER MILITARY FORCES
Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov has set an ambitious agenda to strengthen Uzbekistan's armed forces, despite recent bilateral problems with Washington. The precise nature of what Karimov wants to improve, how this will be implemented, and the perception of U.S. foreign policy goals in the region... MORE
MOSCOW AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORDER IN TRANSNISTRIA
Russia is reacting aggressively against the introduction of a lawful, internationally approved trading regime on an international border not its own. This fact bears direct relevance to Moscow's bid for admission to the World Trade Organization. In Washington on March 7, Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov... MORE
INGUSH REBELS TARGET LOCAL RUSSIAN POPULATION
Late on the night of February 27, Magomed Chakhkiev, a deputy to the parliament of Ingushetia, was driving in the town of Nazran when masked gunmen suddenly blocked his way near the town's main sports arena. The gunmen shot through the wheels of Chakhkiev's car,... MORE