Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
ANTICLIMACTIC END TO KYRGYZ REVOLUTION
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's August 14 inauguration demonstrated that Western expectations and Russian fears of a democratic revolution in Kyrgyzstan were equally misplaced. By the same token, the inauguration and its immediate aftermath highlighted the daunting cultural distance to democracy that Kyrgyzstan (and some of... MORE
RUSSIA’S REGIONS: NEVER-ENDING RESHUFFLING WITH DIMINISHING RETURNS
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be having second thoughts about his decision to cancel regional elections and appoint governors with only pro forma confirmation by respective parliaments. Just a year ago, the plan appeared to offer a perfect solution to the multiple problems of federalism,... MORE
RUSSIAN-CHINESE WAR GAME MEANT TO BOOST BILATERAL PARTNERSHIP
As Russian troops started their first joint military exercise with China, the war game is seen as a manifestation of the Moscow-Beijing bilateral "strategic partnership." But at the same time, Russia's simultaneous northern war game appears intended as a demonstration of Moscow's strategic military might.... MORE
RUSSIA’S UPS AND DOWNS IN THE KOREAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS
The most recent session of the six-power talks over North Korean nuclearization finally got down to serious negotiations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev, head of Russia's delegation, confirmed afterward that the draft statement of principles is 95% complete. What remains, he said are several... MORE
THE SAGA OF THE NEW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO BELARUS
The appointment of the former Saratov governor, Dmitry Ayatskov, as the new Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belarus has resulted in a protracted scandal that has complicated relations with Russia and the proposed formation of a Union state. It indicates a clear hardening of... MORE
TBILISI, SUKHUMI, MARK WAR ANNIVERSARY
Georgia and its separatist region of Abkhazia have marked the 13th anniversary of their civil war in understandably different ways. This difference, accompanied by challenging statements and moves from the Abkhaz leadership, suggests that a mutually acceptable conflict settlement remains a very remote prospect. Last... MORE
UKRAINIAN PARTIES SCRAMBLE FOR MEDIA, FOREIGN ALLIES, AHEAD OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
When the Ukrainian parliament reconvenes in early September, the March 2006 parliamentary election campaign will officially begin. Over the summer Ukrainian political parties have been energetically seeking media resources (especially television) and foreign support. Since Viktor Yushchenko became president, several television channels have changed hands.... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN’S TRANS-CASPIAN OIL EXPORT PLANS AND ITS COMPETITORS
Interviewed in the current issue of the Caspian Investor monthly, Kazakhstan's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Vladimir Shkolnik confirms that negotiations are advancing toward an agreement on the transportation of oil from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan and through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (Turkey) pipeline. At the same time,... MORE
CELL PHONE NETWORK FAILURE HIGHLIGHTS ARMENIA’S TELECOM WOES
The long-awaited liberalization of Armenia's underdeveloped mobile phone sector could not have had a more unexpected and illogical outcome: the near-collapse of the country's main wireless network. ArmenTel, the unpopular national telecommunications monopoly that operates the system, has still not clearly explained the causes of... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN QUESTIONS U.S. MILITARY ROLE IN CENTRAL ASIA
Kazakhstan's delicate foreign policy, predicated upon balancing its relations among China, Russia, and the United States, has come under increased pressure both from its involvement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the growing tendency within the region to question the long-term strategic role of... MORE