Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Davutoglu Outlines the Contours of the New Turkish Foreign Policy

The Turkish foreign ministry is currently holding its third ambassadors’ conference, entitled “Visionary Diplomacy: Global and Regional Order from Turkey’s Perspective,” which brings together diplomats serving in Turkish missions worldwide. These conferences, held since July 2008, have been a major component of Ahmet Davutoglu’s agenda... MORE

Putin Honored by the Kyrgyz Government

Despite the Russian government’s ongoing crackdown of opposition protests in Moscow and extending the politically-motivated prison term to former influential oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Kyrgyzstan has honored Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, with his own mountain. Shortly before visiting Moscow late last month, Kyrgyzstan’s newly elected... MORE

Moscow Inspired by the US Senate START Ratification

The Kremlin remained uncertain about whether US President, Barack Obama, would manage to push through the lame-duck Senate session the ratification of the new START III. There was fear in Moscow that if the arms treaty was postponed until the spring of 2011, the new... MORE

Belarus Elections End in Violence and Repressions

The end of voting in the presidential election on December 19 was followed by a large demonstration in October Square, which eventually moved to Independence Square. There followed a violent attack by riot police that left numerous people hospitalized, seven of the nine presidential candidates... MORE

Ukraine Launches Administrative Reform, Cuts Central Government

Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, has launched a reform of public administration. This is the second major reform related to the economy undertaken by his government after the tax reform, which was rubberstamped by parliament in early December. Next will be pension, housing and customs service... MORE

Russia’s Armed Forces: Adrift in a Storm

Since the highly ambitious reform of Russia’s conventional armed forces was launched, December became a month for setting out future plans, achieving key targets or making various claims about its “success.” December 2009, for instance, marked the official completion of the transition to the brigade-based... MORE