Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
MOSCOW’S STRATEGY ON TURKMEN GAS IS STRATEGY TOWARD EUROPE
On November 15-18, Ashgabat hosted concurrently two international oil and gas exhibitions and conferences: a bilateral event on "Turkmenistan-Russia Oil and Gas Partnership Prospects," and an international one on "Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan 2004." The two events illustrated Russia's head start over Western consumer... MORE
ABKHAZIA’S COUNCIL OF ELDERS CONVENES TO ADDRESS CURRENT CRISIS
Abkhazia's political polarization deepened suddenly on November 17, amid continuing attempts by presidential election loser Raul Khajimba and his Moscow backers to prevent the election's winner, Sergei Bagapsh, from taking office. Nodar Khashba, an Abkhaz-born Russian officer recently installed by Moscow as prime minister in... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN FACES POTENT MIX OF EXTREMISM, NATIONALISM, AND TERRORISM
On November 16 the Senate (upper) chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament held a round-table debate that focused on the problems of terrorism and protecting human rights in conflict situations. Most of the participants said that Kazakhstan should wield a strong national ideology rather than military muscle... MORE
DEMOGRAPHICS, BORDERS COMPLICATE ANTI-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN CENTRAL ASIA
The terrorist group "Jamaat of Central Asian Mujahideen," which is structurally affiliated with the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda, has been exposed and dismantled in Kazakhstan. According to Vladimir Bozhko, first deputy director of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB), the group included four female members, trained... MORE
AMERICAN TAXPAYERS MAY PAY FOR TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER SECURITY
As preparations continue for the transfer of sections of the Tajik-Afghan border to full control by the border service of Tajikistan, Dushanbe's search for American financial support for the venture is rapidly escalating. Bilateral talks between the United States and Tajikistan, currently in progress in... MORE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES RESOLUTION TO NORTHERN TERRITORIES DISPUTE
In a televised interview on an NTV Sunday morning talk show, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the Russian government would be prepared to fulfill its obligation under the 1956 Joint Soviet-Japanese Declaration. This declaration, ratified by the USSR Supreme Soviet, called for a... MORE
RUSSIA AND INDIA: A STRONG PARTNERSHIP OR WANING FRIENDSHIP?
On December 3-4 Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a summit with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already gone to India to lay the groundwork for this summit (Itar-Tass, October 9). Putin's agenda in India comprises security and economics. Although... MORE
RUSSIA REPUDIATES ISTANBUL COMMITMENTS IN JCG MEETINGS
On November 9 and 16, the OSCE's Joint Consultative Group (JCG), meeting in Vienna, witnessed Russia's overt repudiation of its obligation to withdraw its troops from Georgia and Moldova. The 30-country JCG deals with issues related to the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe... MORE
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SCRAMBLE TO COLLECT MORE SUPPORT AHEAD OF RUN-OFF
On November 10, the Central Election Commission issued the final results of the October 31 Ukrainian presidential election. The final tally gave challenger Viktor Yushchenko a slight lead of 0.55%. This edge was challenged by exit polls that gave Yushchenko a far higher lead of... MORE
KAZAKH SECURITY SERVICES TRUMPET VICTORY OVER “AL-QAEDA MEMBERS”
The National Security Committee (KNB) has announced a major coup in its anti-terrorist operations. In a televised interview, the first deputy director of the National Security Committee, Vladimir Bozhko, disclosed that the security services have uprooted a network of al-Qaeda terrorist operatives in Kazakhstan. He... MORE