Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
Zurab Noghaideli’s National Council Bandwagons With Russia
On May 13 in Tbilisi, the political bloc “National Council” announced its intention to open representative offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The declared goals are to maintain liaison with Russia’s executive and legislative authorities and also with the Georgian diaspora in Russia (Civil Georgia,... MORE
Tbilisi’s Municipal Election: a Game on the Radical Opposition’s Turf
Georgia is holding local elections country-wide on May 30. The municipal election in Tbilisi is the main event in these elections. Many in the opposition and in Moscow regard the Tbilisi election as a possible trigger of upheaval for regime-change in Georgia.Most opposition groups, whether... MORE
Bishkek’s Dependence on Russia and Kazakhstan Deepens
During the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) informal summit on May 7 in Moscow, member states – Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – expressed concern over the ongoing instability in Kyrgyzstan. In the joint statement CSTO members agreed that the regime change in... MORE
Moscow Seeks to Remove Restraints on Naval Base Upgrade in Ukraine
Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, has dismissed reports about the possible basing of Russian naval units in Mykolayiv, Odessa, and the Danube estuary, as “fantasies” (Interfax-Ukraine, www.news.ru, May 13).Such reports have leaked out of the preparatory work for Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev’s, May 17-18 visit to... MORE
Medvedev’s Ineffectual Foreign Policy Lacks Putin’s Firm Hand
Glitz and fanfare in foreign policy have been President, Dmitry Medvedev’s, main preoccupation since the Victory Day parade on May 9. After the back-to-back official visits to Syria and Turkey, he telephoned US President, Barack Obama, and in Moscow greeted the Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio... MORE
Violence Accompanies Russia’s May Holidays in the North Caucasus
Russia’s tendency to govern the national republics of the North Caucasus as its patrimonial estates has long been the major cause for uprisings in the region. It is in line with this historical pattern that the chief of the administration of Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev,... MORE
Violent Incidents Reported in Dagestan, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria
Five people were killed and four wounded in Dagestan yesterday (May 13) when a convoy of telecommunications workers accompanied by police was the target of twin bombs and gunfire. The incident took place near the village of Vanashimakhi in Dagestan’s Sergokalinsky district, where the previous... MORE
Biden Proposes Moving Beyond the CFE Treaty
US Vice-President, Joseph Biden’s, landmark article (Biden Proposes New Tasks for the OSCE, EDM, May 14) also heralds new US proposals on conventional arms control in Europe. These would seek to improve military transparency through exchanges of military data and on-site visits. According to Biden,... MORE
Vice President Biden Envisions New Tasks for the OSCE
The Obama administration is about to launch policy initiatives regarding Europe’s eastern neighborhood and conventional arms control in Europe. US Vice-President Joseph Biden has unveiled a number of ideas through the May 6 New York Times/International Herald Tribune article, “Advancing Europe’s Security,” under his byline.Biden’s... MORE
Government Authorities Fail to Provide Security in the North Caucasus
On May 9, several explosions and a suicide attack attempt took place in Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, May 9). The situation could be called almost normal for the region, which has been plagued by violence in previous years, but with one slight difference. Following... MORE