Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY VISITS KABUL TO DISCUSS ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS
Afghanistan remains the world's number one supplier of drugs, mainly opium. In 2001 it produced 600 tons of opium, now, post-Taliban, it produces more than 5,000 tons. Drug money constitutes more than 60% of the country's GNP. A recently announced government amnesty for major growers... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN GAMBLES ON HOMELAND NATIONALISM TO FILL DEMOGRAPHIC GAP
In his annual message to the nation last April, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed concerns about the worsening demographic situation in the country. He challenged government agencies to boost population growth in order to reach a population of 20 million people by the year 2015.... MORE
LITTLE TO SHOW FROM FIRST YEAR OF GEORGIAN ARMY REFORM
Last week two events highlighted the unstable situation in the Georgian armed forces. The army's supreme command shuffled its top personnel yet again and "Justice and Freedom," a military watchdog group, released a report criticizing the government's performance in the field of defense from January... MORE
TIME SHORT, OPTIONS NARROWING, CALL NEEDED FOR A NEW GEORGIA BMO
Two months after Russia killed the OSCE's Georgia Border Monitoring Operation (BMO) -- and many months after Moscow had served advance notice of that move -- Georgia's Western partners are still bogged down in inconsequential talk about organizing a substitute operation. Only two months remain... MORE
YUKOS-MENATEP EXECS TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS
The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing yesterday (February 17) on "Democracy in Retreat in Russia." The star witnesses were Steven Theede, the embattled Yukos oil company's chief executive officer, and Tim Osborne, a member of the board of directors of Group... MORE
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PRESSED TO REIN-IN LAWLESS OLIGARCHS
The Armenian authorities have been under domestic pressure in recent weeks to end what many see as the virtual impunity enjoyed by the country's tiny class of millionaire businessmen with close government ties. The Armenian version of post-Soviet "oligarchs" are widely hated -- and feared... MORE
YUSHCHENKO POISONING INVESTIGATION NEARING CLIMAX
During a February 15-16 visit to Lviv, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko optimistically predicted that the investigation into his near fatal poisoning in September 2004 would soon be finalized. "There is greater optimism now on this issue," he said. "I don't think it's a complicated case,"... MORE
KWASNIEWSKI, TARASYUK URGE A EUROPEAN SOLUTION IN TRANSNISTRIA
"Ukraine is the start, next up is Moldova," Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski told the Wall Street Journal on February 17, referring to Poland's active role in shaping European Union policy in the region. Citing the Russian military presence and transnational crime haven in Transnistria, the... MORE
CAN RUSSIA TAKE ITS PLACE IN THE G8 FOR GRANTED?
International financier George Soros has once again shown his unique talent as a newsmaker. In an interview with the Austrian Die Presse, he suggested expelling Russia from the G8 due to its retreat from democracy. The Russian media instantly jumped on the story (Izvestiya, February... MORE
SECURITY IN CENTRAL ASIA MOVES CLOSER TO MOSCOW’S ORBIT
Recent events within Central Asia, ranging from maneuvers toward Western military deployment in Kyrgyzstan to political statements from Bishkek indicating the intention of closer security integration with Russia, coupled with accusations from Uzbek officials that Kazakhstan is harboring terrorists, highlight the complexity of post-9/11 security... MORE