On June 21, unusually fierce clashes between government forces and the insurgents took place in northern Dagestan’s Kizlyar district. The security services and the rebels fought each other throughout the day in a wooded area near the village of Kuznetsovka. The government forces suspended the... MORE

(Part Two)The lack of progress on missile defense in recent talks between NATO and Russia, highlighted misperceptions on both sides, and, in the views of Russian commentators, also underestimated shifts in the strategic environment (See “NATO-Russian Discussions Fail on Missile Defense: Implications for Negotiations on... MORE

The issue of official support for “traditional Islam” to counterbalance radical Islam once again emerged as a pressing theme following the June 7 murder of the Head of the Institute of Theology and International Affairs, Maksud Sadikov, in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Yet, Islam cannot itself be... MORE

Kazakhstan’s Senate vote on June 9 to reject plans to deploy military personnel to Afghanistan seemed to mark an apparent blow to London and Washington hoping to persuade Astana to join the coalition. However, the nature of the political controversy in Kazakhstan, triggered by the... MORE

Negotiators are meeting in Moscow today (June 21) to re-launch the 5+2 format (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, the United States, European Union, Chisinau, Tiraspol) for Transnistria conflict-settlement, after a five-year breakdown in the official negotiations. This meeting is expected to decide the resumption of official negotiations... MORE

(Part One)Over the last several months most of the conversation on NATO-Russia cooperation has focused on NATO-Russia discussions of European missile defense. President Dmitry Medvedev during the NATO summit in Lisbon in November 2010 indicated more willingness to cooperate with the Alliance in the development... MORE

At a press conference in the National Library of Belarus for central and regional media, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka denied that his country is in crisis. He defined the latter as a time when enterprises cease production, or else they lack raw materials, they cannot... MORE

The International Economic Forum took place in St. Petersburg, Russia, over June 16-18. Delegations from the North Caucasian republics attended the event and a special session “North Caucasus: Unlocking the Potential” took place on June 18. From the statements of Russian officials, it transpired that... MORE

The annual economic forum in St. Petersburg is not known for quality debates and builds its reputation around a major political speech traditionally delivered by the leader or a candidate with the ambition to set Russia’s course for years to come. President Dmitry Medvedev rose... MORE

With the recital of verses from the Koran, on June 7 the seventh World Islamic Economic Conference opened in Astana. The widely publicized event marked an important milestone in Kazakhstan’s relations with Islamic states and a new diplomatic overture on the international scene for the... MORE