Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Kazakhstan Sticks to Old Political Playbook Despite Kyrgyz Upheaval
In the wake of last week's democratic revolution in Kyrgyzstan, top officials in Kazakhstan have launched what appears to be a wave of spectacular political reforms, at least on the surface. On March 29 the National Commission on Democratization and Civil Society convened in Astana.... MORE
Technical, Security and Funding Woes Delay Afghanistan Elections
Afghanistan's parliamentary elections have once again been postponed. According to the 2001 Bonn Accords, the elections were scheduled to be held concurrently with the presidential polls in June 2004. When the presidential election was moved to October 2004, the parliamentary vote was slated for April... MORE
Georgian Defense Officials Arrested for Embezzlement
Backstabbing, intrigue, and corruption continue to plague Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's government, despite its repeated statements about centralizing power and eradicating corruption. To the delight of Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, on March 27 the Prosecutor's Office arrested Zurab Khutsishvili, deputy chief of logistics at the... MORE
RUSSIA SEEKS CLOSER TIES WITH POST-REVOLUTIONARY KYRGYZSTAN
In the aftermath of the revolution that has swept the Kyrgyz leadership from power and ushered in another democratic revolution in the former Soviet Union, Russia has sought to re-affirm its close ties with Kyrgyzstan. Indeed the Kremlin's handling of the crisis reveals that Russian... MORE
PUTIN VISIT HIGHLIGHTS RUSSIAN INTEREST IN ARMENIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined Armenia's geopolitical importance for Russia as he paid a brief working visit to Yerevan on March 24-25. The visit came against the backdrop of Moscow's loss of influence over its "near abroad," which has been accelerated by a series of... MORE
SERBIA, GEORGIA, UKRAINE, KYRGYZSTAN: UKRAINE DEBATES NEXT REVOLUTION
Last week's violent revolution in Kyrgyzstan was different from the peaceful transformations in Serbia, Georgia, and Ukraine. At the same time, this fact has not stopped debates in Ukraine and the West over whether further "dominos" are likely to fall in the Commonwealth of Independent... MORE
WHEN ETIQUETTE IS AN ALIEN CONCEPT
"Etiquette" is a loan word in Russian, as in other languages, but the practice does not seem to have been borrowed along with the word by some Russian diplomats, particularly when assigned to the Baltic states. On March 29, Russia's ambassador to Lithuania, Boris Tsepov,... MORE
RUSSIA’S BLACK SEA FLEET CAUSES INCIDENT IN UKRAINE
On March 23-24, a Russian naval landing force held for approximately 24 hours a beachhead near Feodosia on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, as part of a military exercise not authorized by Ukraine. At 6am on March 23, a Russian marine infantry unit based in Temryuk, Krasnodar... MORE
OPPOSITION SCORES TWO GAINS IN AZERBAIJAN
On March 21, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev signed an amnesty decree, releasing 115 prisoners. The decreed, timed to coincide with the Novruz spring holiday, freed many individuals that the Council of Europe, local, and international human rights organizations considered to be "political prisoners" (ANS TV,... MORE
MOSCOW CRACKS DOWN ON INDEPENDENT MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS
Muslims in Russia's Middle Volga region have taken to the streets to protest what they say is a rising tide of xenophobia and official brutality directed against them. On March 13, there were demonstrations in Kazan and Ufa, the capitals of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, respectively,... MORE