Latest Articles about The Caucasus
ABKHAZ RHETORIC CALCULATED TO STALL TALKS WITH TBILISI
Abkhaz authorities are derailing political talks with Tbilisi, ostensibly in protest against Georgian actions in a July 3 maritime incident and in its wake. On that day, Georgia's coast guard stopped a Turkish cargo vessel off Pitsunda en route to an Abkhaz port, impounded the... MORE
TBILISI ARRESTS SUSPECT IN BUSH GRENADE INCIDENT, BUT MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN
After an intense search, on July 20 Georgian police arrested an individual suspected of tossing a hand-grenade towards U.S. President George W. Bush during his speech at Tbilisi's Freedom Square on May 10. Vladimir Arutyunian, 27, is an ethnic Armenian resident of Tbilisi. The police... MORE
ARMS RACE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: A TIME BOMB?
Locked in a decade-old conflict over Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been increasing their military expenditures over the last few years. Lately this trend seems to have accelerated dramatically. The competition has launched an informal arms race in the South Caucasus that could easily lead... MORE
KREMLIN GROWS WARY OF NORTH CAUCASUS GOVERNMENTS
On July 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unannounced visit to the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the very place where he began his climb to the presidency in 1999. In August 1999, Islamic militants from neighboring Chechnya invaded two districts of Dagestan, and... MORE
RUSSIAN TAKEOVER OF ARMENIAN POWER GRID PROMPTS CONCERN
Armenia is under fire from the United States and other Western donors over the legally questionable transfer of its electricity distribution network to Russia's Unified Energy Systems (UES). The deal could have far-reaching repercussions for the country's economic independence and hamper continued Western assistance to... MORE
RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN MILITARIES BICKER OVER TANK MOVEMENTS
While the Russian military bases in Georgia are scheduled to close in 2008, their continued presence keeps the Georgian leadership on alert. Moscow appears to be using the bases to impede Tbilisi's efforts to bring stability to the country. On July 15, the Georgian military... MORE
LEAKED MEMO SHOWS KREMLIN FEARS COLLAPSE OF DAGESTAN
The increasing rebel attacks in Dagestan (see EDM, July 7) have finally forced Russian authorities to focus on the problems of the republic. Officials in Moscow now realize that the region needs special handling. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov recently conceded, "Of course we are... MORE
SAAKASHVILI REPLACES TBILISI MAYOR WITH PRESIDENTIAL INSIDER
After weeks of vehemently denying media speculation about the imminent dismissal, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili fired Tbilisi Mayor Zurab Chiaberashvili on July 12. Chiaberashvili had called the rumors "a well-planned campaign," coming from people he had accused of stealing from Tbilisi's budget. At the same... MORE
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT IN BAKU: ANOTHER PUSH FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS
Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived in Baku on July 11 to meet with Azerbaijani politicians, NGO activists, and mass media and to discuss the situation in the country ahead of the November 6 parliamentary elections. Albright is currently chair of the National... MORE
SOUTH OSSETIA AUTHORITIES REJECT GEORGIA’S OLIVE BRANCH
South Ossetia's pro-Moscow leaders have lost no time rejecting Georgia's offer for direct negotiations toward South Ossetian autonomy. President Mikheil Saakashvili's offer, unveiled at an international conference in Batumi on July 10, entails a preparatory stage during which Georgia and international donor organizations would provide... MORE