A poll conducted October 15-18 by the Levada Center, the independent polling agency headed by the eminent sociologist Yuri Levada, delivered a mixed message concerning Russians' attitudes towards various types of rights and freedoms. The poll's results suggested, on the one hand, that more Russians... MORE

Analysts from Moldovan NGOs have drafted a concept for post-Soviet conflict settlement. Titled "Demilitarization, Decriminalization, Democratization," the "3Ds" concept is tailored specifically to the Trans-Dniester conflict, but it can serve as a reference point in efforts to settle other conflicts in Eurasia. Discussion of this... MORE

Kazakhstan has positioned itself as a staunch supporter of the war on terror, not least in its steadfast commitment to peace support operations in Iraq through its deployment of KAZBAT. It deepened these credentials recently by hosting a conference in Almaty on measures of trust... MORE

On October 27 Kazakhstan officials announced plans to turn Almaty into an international financial center. The proclamation came as no surprise to anyone familiar with the decision-making process within the higher echelons of power in Kazakhstan. President Nursultan Nazarbayev himself had raised the plan during... MORE

Iran's nuclear program, especially its recent launch of a uranium enrichment process, could trigger a massive international crisis. Tehran has hitherto ignored European, Israeli, and American pressure to desist enrichment activities and terminate its program, fanning concern that it seeks a nuclear weapon that would... MORE

Analysts from Moldovan NGOs have drafted, and intend to present in Washington and Brussels, a concept for post-Soviet conflict settlement. Titled "Demilitarization, Decriminalization, Democratization," the "3Ds" concept is tailored specifically to the Trans-Dniester conflict, but it can serve as a reference point in efforts to... MORE

A recent wave of apparently racist attacks, including the murders of an Uzbek migrant worker in Moscow and a Vietnamese student in St. Petersburg (see EDM, October 15 and 18), has sparked discussion in the media and among politicians about rising ethnic tensions in Russia.... MORE

After at least a year of warnings, the situation across the entire North Caucasus has deteriorated alarmingly. All the republics in the region share the same problems: Islamist militants, popular distrust of the authorities, and conflicts among the governing elite. The tragedy in Beslan made... MORE

On the eve of the October 31 Ukrainian presidential elections, the political situation in the country may be spiraling out of control. President Leonid Kuchma cancelled a one-day visit to Poland last weekend, blaming the "complicated internal situation in Ukraine." On October 25 he again... MORE

As the price of oil soars above $50 a barrel, Saudi Arabia and Russia have begun to approach each other with a view to increase cooperation in stabilizing oil markets. Moscow's ambassador to Riyadh, Andrei Baklanov, has mentioned Saudi approaches to Moscow about cooperation in... MORE