At the July 5 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana member states agreed to request a deadline for ending the U.S. military presence in Central Asia, now that the situation in neighboring Afghanistan has stabilized (see EDM, July 6). This request inevitably concerns Kyrgyzstan not... MORE

"I am the president of all Ukrainians, those who voted for me and those who didn't, those who understand me and those who don't," President Viktor Yushchenko said upon his July 15 arrival in the eastern city of Donetsk, which remains largely hostile towards him.... MORE

Ukraine appears to have found a short-term solution to the problem of gas supplies from Russia for the remainder of 2005. However, the issue of supplies beyond December 31 -- that is, during the peak heating season, in the run-up to the March parliamentary elections... MORE

When Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka bid farewell to the outgoing Russian ambassador, Alexander Blokhin, on July 5, he remarked that the past few years have been an especially fruitful time for bilateral relations, and particularly the most recent year. His comments raise the question how... MORE

On June 30, 2005, Afghanistan concluded the Disarmament Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) process. During the closing ceremony, President Hamid Karzai called the experience a success and symbolically accepted the last weapon from a commander (Afghan Tolo TV, July 9). Ariane Quentier, a spokesperson for the... MORE

On July 7 Eribek Ibraghimov, a former Tajik opposition field commander, went on trial before Tajikistan's Supreme Court. Better known by his nickname "Sheikh," Ibraghimov stands trial with four other former militants of the United Tajik Opposition: Davlat Sahovarov, Umar Shomahmadov, Hudoer Saidov, and Ahkomiddin... MORE

Russia's media have been unusually quiet, even restrained, about the July 9 announcement that North Korea would return to the six-party talks on its nuclear program on or around July 27. While the Foreign Ministry voiced its happiness over this decision, and other official media... MORE

Ukraine responded to the July 7 terrorist attacks in London by expanding preventative measures to combat potential terrorists. With Ukraine contributing the fourth-largest contingent of troops in Iraq, the Ukrainian government understandably fears that terrorists could target Kyiv and its metro system. The terrorist attacks... MORE