Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
ASTANA ERECTS INFORMATION BLOCKADE TO FEND OFF KYRGYZ “RIOT”
Incredible as it may sound, the majority of Kazakhstan's population has no idea about recent events in the country next door, Kyrgyzstan. Long after the "governable democracy" of Kyrgyzstan had become clearly unmanageable and President Askar Akayev fled his country on March 24, Kazakhstan's government-controlled... MORE
AUTHORITIES REACT TO PROTESTS IN MINSK
Recent events in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan clearly affected the traditional "Independence Day" demonstration in Minsk on Friday, March 25, when the Belarusian authorities reacted with a fearsome display of force and intimidation along the central street of the capital city. The march, dubbed the "Day... MORE
BALTIC SEA-BLACK SEA “AXIS” ADUMBRATED
On an official visit to Kyiv on March 25-26, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, used the term "Baltic Sea-Black Sea Axis," referring to countries pursuing shared interests in this region: the three Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Georgia.... MORE
MOSCOW CRITICIZES EU AND OSCE OVER KYRGYZ ELECTION
Russian diplomacy is pointing a finger at the European Union and the OSCE, attempting to suggest that their goal of upholding democratic election standards in Kyrgyzstan is partly responsible for the outbreak of post-election unrest. Moscow wants international organizations to lower their evaluation criteria, ostensibly... MORE
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AND SOME POLITICOS URGE NON-INTERFERENCE IN BISHKEK
President Vladimir Putin made his first comments on the events in Kyrgyzstan from Yerevan today (March 25). The events in Kyrgystan were not unexpected and were the result of both the Kyrgyz authorities' weakness and "social and economic problems that have accumulated," Putin said. He... MORE
MOSCOW PUNDITS PONDER TURMOIL IN KYRGYZSTAN
As Askar Akayev's regime collapsed across Kyrgyzstan, Russian policymakers and analysts considered whether the upheaval in the Central Asian republic falls into the same category as the Rose Revolution in Georgia and Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Most Russian commentators note some important parallels between events... MORE
GEORGIAN ADVISORS STEPPING FORWARD IN BISHKEK
Early this week Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sent a formal letter to Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev calling upon him to be more tolerant toward the opposition's demands and offered to personally mediate in negotiations with the opposition forces. Georgian emissaries have reportedly worked with all... MORE
CROWD SEIZES GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN BISHKEK
This morning, 15,000 to 20,000 people gathered in Bishkek's central square demanding President Askar Akayev's resignation. The protesters then stormed the government headquarters. There are reports of severe fights between the protesters and hooligans allegedly hired by the government to stir up tensions in the... MORE
KARIMOV AGAIN SEARCHES FOR WESTERN SUPPORT
Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov re-launched his efforts to secure further Western support for his regime during a visit to Slovenia March 15-17. His campaign comes at a time when NATO officials are actively seeking to develop Uzbekistan's role within the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and... MORE
YUSHCHENKO PROPOSES INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR CENTRAL ASIAN GAS
On an official visit to Ashgabat on March 22-23, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko proposed creating an international consortium to build, own, and operate a new large-capacity gas pipeline from Turkmenistan via Kazakhstan and Russia to Ukraine and on to Western Europe. Yushchenko outlined the concept... MORE