Almost 20 years after Eastern Europe embarked on the post-communist transition, Moldova has a chance to start that process in earnest after the repeat parliamentary elections held on July 29. The repeat elections' outcome is almost as indecisive as that of the April 5 elections.... MORE

Moldova's nominal Communist Party has won the parliamentary elections yet again on July 29, far ahead of the other parties. These elections were a repeat of the elections held on April 5, which the nominally Liberal opposition had refused to recognize as valid, in contrast... MORE

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden's visit to Ukraine (EDM, July 28) underscored the shift from enthusiastic support of Euro-Atlantic integration goals to conditional support, depending on Ukraine's own performance. Dubbed "tough love," this revision in U.S. policy was long in the making, but had not received... MORE

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden held out prospects for a revitalized and expanded relationship with Ukraine during his July 20-22 visit to Kyiv (and Georgia on the next leg). A prompt follow-up to President Barack Obama's July 6-7 Moscow visit, the vice-president's trip was designed to... MORE

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed large governmental delegations for bilateral talks on July 16 in Munich. The process, known as Russo-German inter-governmental consultations, involves informal semi-annual summits at which leading business representatives join the cabinet ministers on either side. The... MORE

Writing in yesterday's (July 23) issue of the German business daily Handelsblatt, former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder offers an updated view of the Russo-German "strategic partnership." Schroeder hails Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting last week in Munich with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in the format of a... MORE

The open letter to the Obama administration (EDM, July 22) carries the signatures of 22 personalities including former heads of state and prime ministers, other statesmen and policymakers from Central-Eastern European countries. Made public on July 16, the letter draws on a concept paper issued... MORE

In an open letter to the Obama administration, leading public figures from Central-Eastern Europe are calling in urgent terms for U.S. strategic re-engagement with that region, both directly and through NATO. Released to the media on July 16, and based on a concept paper issued... MORE

Whether by coincidence or design, Russian authorities are threatening to stop the Hungarian MOL company's oil extraction in Russia at the same time as Surgut Neftegaz appears to be forcing its way into MOL's ownership in Hungary (EDM, April 3, 6, 22, June 10, 24).... MORE

The inter-governmental agreement (IGA) on the Nabucco project, signed on July 13, depends existentially on Azerbaijan for start-up and first-phase gas supplies. Azerbaijan remains a staunch supporter of Nabucco and other components of the E.U.'s Southern Corridor project, but not an unconditional supporter to be... MORE