In their comments released on February 20-22 (see EDM, February 22), unnamed representatives of the Shah Deniz producers’ consortium postponed from mid-2012 to mid-2013 the selection of a pipeline route for Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Whether they spoke for the multinational consortium or for their... MORE

A recent amendment to the law on National Intelligence Service (MIT) personnel, requiring the prime minister’s authorization for their trial, seems to have resolved a crisis among Turkey’s security and judicial apparatus for now. However, this solution also raised many more issues than it solved... MORE

On February 18, the first North Caucasus forum of human rights organizations took place in Ingushetia. About 100 participants from other regions of the North Caucasus and Russia took part. In one of the most revealing statements to date, the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov,... MORE

Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom has repeatedly pledged to increase natural gas production and exports. However, the gas giant appears to face an uncertain export future as its credibility in Europe has been dealt a blow and some of its ambitious plans have proved slow... MORE

On February 20-22, one or more anonymous representatives of the Shah Deniz gas producers’ consortium announced their preferred pipeline options for transporting Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Of the existing five rival options, those representatives have eliminated one pipeline project; suggested (thus, prejudging) the order of... MORE

As arithmetically predetermined, the nays handily prevailed over the ayes in Latvia’s constitutional referendum on instituting Russian as a parallel state language in Latvia. The Russian party, Harmony Center, triggered this referendum in the knowledge that it could only lose, aiming however to demonstrate its... MORE

Army-General Nikolai Makarov, the Chief of the Russian General Staff launched an apparently scathing attack on the domestic defense industry. His comments were offered in two parts over a fortnight, provoking public controversy with the Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin (EDM, February 16). However, as... MORE

Signs are multiplying that Moscow has launched a new initiative toward Tokyo to improve Russo-Japanese relations. In addition, this initiative is part of Moscow’s never-ending quest to be considered a major Asian player. The evidence of these twin initiatives became visible on Foreign Minister Sergei... MORE

On the final stretch of the presidential campaign, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rushes from one region to another demonstrating attention to local needs and asserting his readiness to lead the country for six more years. Governors are competing in staging support rallies and the official... MORE

On February 11, over 1,000 Circassian activists gathered in Maikop, Adygea, to discuss the issue of repatriating Circassians from war-torn Syria. In a special declaration passed at the conference, the participants called on the Russian government “to take the Circassians-compatriots living in Syria under its... MORE