Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
BEWARE OF TRAPS IN GEORGIA-RUSSIA TROOP WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT
The Georgian Parliament passed a resolution on March 10 that requires Russia unconditionally to withdraw its forces from Georgia no later than January 1, 2006 -- unless Moscow reaches agreement with Tbilisi before May 15, 2005, on a "reasonable timeframe" for the troop withdrawal (see... MORE
PRO-WESTERN GOVERNING COALITION POSSIBLE IN MOLDOVA
On March 11, Moldova's Central Electoral Commission released the final results of the country's March 6 parliamentary elections. The outcome, verified by election observers in parallel vote-counting, shows the Communist Party with 56 parliamentary seats (one more than initially announced), the heterogeneous Bloc Moldova Democrata... MORE
GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT ORDERS RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW ITS MILITARY BASES
On March 10, the Georgian parliament unanimously (158-0) approved a resolution that orders Moscow to withdraw Russian bases from Georgia no later than January 1, 2006. Analysts have already predicted that the landmark resolution will be yet another irritant in Georgia's prickly relationship with Russia.... MORE
WILL PUTIN PULL THE PLUG ON THE CIS?
Observing the bitter disputes around Russian military bases in Georgia, sour demarches in the State Duma against Moldova, and icy diplomatic exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, it is hard to believe that the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is still a functioning organization. As Russian... MORE
SHOULD UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS MERGE WITH NEW PARTY OF POWER?
Ukraine's two strongest nationalist parties have refused to merge with President Viktor Yushchenko's new People's Union Our Ukraine party (NSNY). Addressing the party's founding congress on March 4, Yushchenko made it clear that he was unhappy about this development (see EDM, March 9). But staying... MORE
ISLAMIST NAMED FORMAL HEAD OF CHECHEN RESISTANCE
Observers in Russia and elsewhere continue to mull the significance of the March 8 killing of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov. Meanwhile, Maskhadov's London-based emissary, Akhmed Zakaev, said in a statement that the rebel leadership had agreed back in July-August 2002 that should the separatist... MORE
RIFT BETWEEN MOSCOW AND BALTIC STATES: IS IT ALL ABOUT HISTORY?
The presidents of Estonia and Lithuania have refused invitations to attend the May 9 ceremonies in Moscow celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. This move marks the climax of the ongoing "battle over history" between Moscow and the Baltic countries... MORE
JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER DECLINES INVITATION TO MOSCOW VE-DAY CELEBRATION
Russo-Japanese relations appear to have digressed back to the zero-sum, tit-for-tat, tenor that defined the relationship throughout the Cold War. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced on Thursday, March 10, that he would not attend the VE- Day celebrations to be held in Moscow this... MORE
WILL MELNYCHENKO TAPES BE USED AS EVIDENCE IN GONGADZE PROSECUTION?
As an Interior Ministry colonel confesses to the murder of opposition journalist and Ukrayinska pravda founder Heorhiy Gongadze, one major issue remains; namely what evidence will the courts accept? (Segodnya, March 9) Former presidential guard Mykola Melnychenko secretly recorded 700 hours of tapes in President... MORE
DAGESTAN SECURITY OFFICIALS SEARCH FOR TRAITORS IN THEIR RANKS
A recent police search of insurgents in Dagestan turned up a list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of more than 100 security officials in the North Caucasus republic. The discovery has sent chills through the republic's leadership and indicate the rebel's increasing pressure... MORE