Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
RUSSIA AND THE TWO-KOREAS: THE LATEST ROUND
The latest round of the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program took place November 9-11 in Beijing. Like many of the preceding rounds, this one ended inconclusively. While U.S. President George W. Bush and his officials are still busy trying to organize a unified... MORE
REVISITING THE ORANGE REVOLUTION: STILL FAR TO GO
Ukraine held the second round of its contentious 2004 presidential election on November 21. When the incumbent regime of President Leonid Kuchma tried to steal the election from popular favorite Viktor Yushchenko, thousands of Ukrainians took the streets in what came to be known as... MORE
CLANS, CRIME, AND POWER IN KYRGYZSTAN
Despite their assassinations in recent months, Jyrgalbek Surabaldiyev, Bayaman Erkinbayev, and Tynychbek Akmatbayev remain influential in Kyrgyz politics. Now the slain parliamentarians' closest family members are struggling for power. Surabaldiyev's nephew, Erkinbayev's widow, and Akmatbayev's brother are going to compete for their loved ones' now-vacant... MORE
SECURITY COLONEL’S REVELATIONS: A PROVOCATION AGAINST YUSHCHENKO?
Two weeks ago, a retired colonel from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Valentyn Kryzhanivsky, accused SBU chief Ihor Drizhchany of corrupt activities ranging from election rigging to smuggling. The SBU denied the accusations, and the whole matter initially smacked of ordinary revenge, as it... MORE
OSCE’S YEAR-END MEETING: QUIET SURVIVAL THROUGH MINIMAL RELEVANCE
In the likely event of its adoption, the draft ministerial declaration of the OSCE's upcoming year-end conference is already setting a record on two counts: brevity and irrelevance. The year-end political declarations (and documents attached to them in some cases) traditionally serve as the main... MORE
GEORGIA’S ACTION PLAN ON SOUTH OSSETIA: A TEST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Georgia has begun implementing this month the first phase of its action plan for a political settlement of the South Ossetia conflict. This first phase consists mainly of socio-economic measures, such as humanitarian assistance to South Ossetia's population and laying the groundwork for the post-conflict... MORE
MOSCOW AND OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP BLINDSIDING GEORGIA ON SOUTH OSSETIA
Following Georgia's presentation of a political settlement plan on South Ossetia to the OSCE Permanent Council, the Russian side has apparently enlisted the OSCE Chairmanship's assistance in derailing Georgian initiatives on that issue ahead of the OSCE's year-end ministerial conference. Anxious to avoid controversy at... MORE
HOPES FOR KREMLIN DIALOGUE WITH KABARDINO-BALKARIA INSURGENTS FADE
On November 4, the Kabardino-Balkaria branch of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) summoned Ruslan Nakhushov, chairman of the local Islamic Institute, for interrogation. According to Kommersant, Nakhushov visited the FSB the very day that the summons was served. He returned to his office after... MORE
KAZAKH OPPOSITION ACTIVIST MYSTERIOUSLY DIES AHEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The sudden death of Zamanbek Nurkadilov, a prominent opposition activist in Kazakhstan, has triggered a flurry of speculation that is raising the tension level ahead of the December 4 presidential election. Nurkadilov's wife, the popular singer Makpal Zhunusova, found him dead in their home in... MORE
ANDIJAN SHOW TRIAL VERDICT CONDEMNED BY WEST
The first criminal trial related to the May uprising in Andijan, Uzbekistan, ended in Tashkent on November 14. The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan sentenced the 15 defendants to prison terms ranging from 14 to 20 years. According to Judge Bakhtier Dzhamalov, the investigation proved that... MORE