
Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles

Meseberg Process: Germany Testing EU-Russia Security Cooperation Potential
The Franco-German-Russian summit in Deauville and its timing (Medvedev Deflects Merkel-Sarkozy Proposal on Transnistria at Deauville Summit, EDM October 22) reflects the fragmentation of Euro-Atlantic and EU policy-making vis-à-vis Russia. This process was ongoing for some time and accelerated recently. The financial-economic crisis has stimulated... MORE

Medvedev Deflects Merkel-Sarkozy Proposal on Transnistria at Deauville Summit
French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, met on October 18-19 in Deauville, France, with Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, ahead of summit events scheduled for the coming weeks: NATO, NATO-Russia, and European Union-Russia. The Deauville meeting seemed designed preemptively to influence the discussions... MORE

Turkey Maintains Reservations About US Missile Defense
Turkey’s position on US efforts to create a ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Europe has emerged as another source of tension in US-Turkish relations. The Bush administration originally contemplated the installment of a missile shield in Eastern Europe, yet failed to achieve its stated... MORE

Russian Influence Intensifies in Kyrgyzstan After Elections
The leaders of four political parties –Ar-Namys, Ata-Jurt, Respublika, and Social-democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SPDK) – traveled to Moscow days after the October 10 parliamentary elections (www.24.kg, October 15). Reportedly, they met with Russian officials to discuss the possibility of forming a coalition. All four... MORE

Factional Divisions within the Chechen Separatist Movement
The summer and fall of 2010 have not been pleasant for the leadership of the Chechen armed resistance movement. A split in the supreme leadership was for a period of time carefully hidden from the public eye by victorious communiqués voiced from other parts of... MORE

Russian Government Denies Reports of Serdyukov’s Dismissal
A tabloid Moscow weekly reported that Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has ordered Defense Minister, Anatoliy Serdyukov’s resignation (Argumenti Nedeli, October 20). High-level sources in the Russian government are reported to have dismissed the report as “lunacy” (Interfax, October 21). The public fray reflects a serious... MORE

Moscow angered by Georgian move that breaks the North Caucasus’ isolation
On October 13, the Georgian government unilaterally introduced a visa-free regime for the North Caucasians. Tbilisi’s surprise move evoked divergent reactions in Russia - furious criticism from Russian officials and tacit appreciation across the North Caucasus. The new rules affect Adygea, Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria,... MORE

Power Struggle Intensifies in Nazarbayev’s Court as Presidential Elections Draw Near
In anticipation of the 2012 presidential elections, political tension is mounting in Kazakhstan. Recent developments suggest President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who celebrated his 70th birthday last July, intends to perpetuate his presidency. In August, Nazarbayev appointed his loyal servant, Nurtai Abykaiev, as head of the National... MORE

Russia Increases Pressure on Lukashenka
Belarusian President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has been trying desperately to offset the impact of a scathing attack on him by Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, on October 4. Since that time Lukashenka has made conciliatory statements regarding relations with Russia, while at the same time bolstering trade... MORE

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan Agree To Look Beyond Politics
September 27 marked the second visit by Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliev to Uzbekistan since 2004. Meeting with Uzbek President, Islam Karimov, Aliev emphasized the high degree of bilateral political relations, while calling for a boost in their lagging economic relationship (www.ru.trend.az, September 29; www.rian.ru, September... MORE