Latest Articles about The Caucasus
BAGAPSH IN MOSCOW CONFIRMS GOAL OF SECESSION FROM GEORGIA
On August 17 in Moscow, Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh openly confirmed the political program of Abkhazia's secession from Georgia and de facto merger with Russia. Speaking at a specially organized, widely covered news conference, he outlined a set of legislative, economic, and military measures to... MORE
AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES DECIDE TO HOLD ELECTIONS IN KARABAKH
Although the Azerbaijani constitution sets the number of national parliamentary seats at 125, the actual number of deputies in the Azerbaijani parliament has always been 124. The empty seat belonged to district 122, located in Khankendi (Stepanakert), the capital of Karabakh, which is currently under... MORE
TBILISI, SUKHUMI, MARK WAR ANNIVERSARY
Georgia and its separatist region of Abkhazia have marked the 13th anniversary of their civil war in understandably different ways. This difference, accompanied by challenging statements and moves from the Abkhaz leadership, suggests that a mutually acceptable conflict settlement remains a very remote prospect. Last... MORE
CELL PHONE NETWORK FAILURE HIGHLIGHTS ARMENIA’S TELECOM WOES
The long-awaited liberalization of Armenia's underdeveloped mobile phone sector could not have had a more unexpected and illogical outcome: the near-collapse of the country's main wireless network. ArmenTel, the unpopular national telecommunications monopoly that operates the system, has still not clearly explained the causes of... MORE
“PEACEKEEPERS” IN ABKHAZIA ARE OTHERWISE ENGAGED
Lt.-General Valery Yevnevich, responsible for "peacekeeping" operations as deputy commander-in-chief of Russia's Ground Forces, commented on the withdrawal from Georgia, "Russia does not withdraw, it consolidates." While Yevnevich is posted in Tbilisi to oversee the first phase of that withdrawal, his immediate subordinates in Russia's... MORE
SAAKASHVILI-YUSHCHENKO “BORJOMI DECLARATION” BROADENS EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION VISION
On August 12 in Borjomi, Georgia, Presidents Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine signed a declaration broadening the horizon of European and Euro-Atlantic integration to the entire "Baltic-Black Sea-Caspian" area, and called on the leaders of all countries within this area who... MORE
U.S. TROOPS IN AZERBAIJAN? MOSCOW SAYS NO, BUT BAKU SAYS MAYBE
Reports of potential U.S. military bases in Azerbaijan have intensified in the wake of another expected visit to Baku by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Donald H. Rumsfeld is expected to arrive in Baku sometime this month, but this information has not yet been confirmed.... MORE
ABKHAZ DERAIL RAILROAD TALKS
Abkhaz leaders have derailed the tripartite talks on rehabilitating the railroad between Russia and Georgia in Abkhazia that were scheduled to begin in Sukhumi on August 9. The group of nine Georgian railroad experts had to return to Tbilisi after the Abkhaz authorities unexpectedly refused... MORE
ANTI-SAAKASHVILI OPPOSITION STRIKES ELECTION DEAL
The month-long negotiations among Georgia's opposition parties about fielding common candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary by-elections on October 1 have produced an agreement. On August 5, leaders of the Conservative, Labor, Tavisupleba (Freedom), and the New Right parties signed a memorandum about holding preliminary primaries... MORE
THE CONSPIRATOR AS BRAGGART
On August 4 and 5, Azerbaijani television channels screened a videotape of a meeting held on July 29 in Tbilisi between Ruslan Bashirli, leader of the Baku-based Yeni Fikir (New Thinking) youth association, and two Georgians who claimed to represent a youth group supporting regime... MORE