Latest Articles about The Caucasus

COUNCIL OF EUROPE ADVISES BAKU AHEAD OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

The past two weeks have marked new, intensified efforts by the international community to ensure that Azerbaijan conducts free and fair parliamentary elections, which are set for November of this year. Outsiders are putting more pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities to democratize and implement reforms.... MORE

FRANCE LEADS THE EU’S NYET TO GEORGIA BORDER MONITORING

Meeting in Luxembourg on April 15-16, the ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union's 25 member countries missed the last chance for the EU to undertake an unarmed border-monitoring operation in Georgia. Since December the Georgian government and several friendly countries had asked the... MORE

SAAKASHVILI CONCERNED AS HIS MARGIN OF SUPPORT CONTINUES TO DECLINE

At a closed-door meeting on April 9, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sharply criticized his ministers for alienating the general public. Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli later confirmed the tongue-lashing (Rustavi-2 TV, Imedi TV, April 11). Saakashvili had good reason to lecture the cabinet; the latest opinion... MORE

BMO RIP; TAP STILLBORN

On April 14 in Vienna, the OSCE's Permanent Council approved a Training Assistance Program (TAP) for Georgian Border Guards to replace the OSCE's Georgia Border Monitoring Operation (BMO). Russia had exercised its veto power to terminate the BMO as of December 31, 2004, thus removing... MORE

NORTH CAUCASUS AWAITS PROMISED SPRING OFFENSIVE

At the moment, the atmosphere in the North Caucasus can best be described as "the calm before the storm." As the weather becomes warmer, the population and the authorities are bracing for the renewed attacks that the rebels promised all winter. In February rebel military... MORE

BAIT AND SWITCH: MOSCOW’S SHELL GAME IN CHECHNYA

Even though Moscow successfully eliminated Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov in an apparently carefully planned and long-term operation in March, there is little sign of progress towards peace in the breakaway republic. In fact, the number of Russian troops stationed there has recently risen by 5,000... MORE

RUSSIAN BASES WON’T SOLVE PROBLEMS IN JAVAKHETI

Armenia appears to have given Georgia fresh assurances that it will use its influence to prevent a major destabilization of the situation in the southern Georgian region of Javakheti, which is predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians. Tension in the impoverished area bordering Armenia and Turkey... MORE

MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ZHVANIA’S DEATH STILL UNANSWERED

The mysterious death of Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania continues to worry many Georgians because the investigation has yet to fully clarify the circumstances. Zhvania was found dead on February 3 at the home of Raul Usupov, who was about to become deputy governor of... MORE