Latest Articles about The Caucasus
Georgian Defense Officials Arrested for Embezzlement
Backstabbing, intrigue, and corruption continue to plague Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's government, despite its repeated statements about centralizing power and eradicating corruption. To the delight of Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, on March 27 the Prosecutor's Office arrested Zurab Khutsishvili, deputy chief of logistics at the... MORE
PUTIN VISIT HIGHLIGHTS RUSSIAN INTEREST IN ARMENIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined Armenia's geopolitical importance for Russia as he paid a brief working visit to Yerevan on March 24-25. The visit came against the backdrop of Moscow's loss of influence over its "near abroad," which has been accelerated by a series of... MORE
OPPOSITION SCORES TWO GAINS IN AZERBAIJAN
On March 21, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev signed an amnesty decree, releasing 115 prisoners. The decreed, timed to coincide with the Novruz spring holiday, freed many individuals that the Council of Europe, local, and international human rights organizations considered to be "political prisoners" (ANS TV,... MORE
BALTIC SEA-BLACK SEA “AXIS” ADUMBRATED
On an official visit to Kyiv on March 25-26, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, used the term "Baltic Sea-Black Sea Axis," referring to countries pursuing shared interests in this region: the three Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Georgia.... MORE
GEORGIAN ADVISORS STEPPING FORWARD IN BISHKEK
Early this week Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sent a formal letter to Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev calling upon him to be more tolerant toward the opposition's demands and offered to personally mediate in negotiations with the opposition forces. Georgian emissaries have reportedly worked with all... MORE
GEORGIA’S GREEK AND ARMENIAN COMMUNITIES DECRY RESETTLEMENT PLANS
Last week the Georgian and the Greek-Armenian communities clashed in Tsalka, a multi-ethnic district in Georgia's southern Kvemo Kartli region. The confrontation broke out after a group of burglars assaulted the Kaloerovs, an ethnic Greek couple in Tsalka's village of Avralo on March 16. The... MORE
AZERBAIJAN AND CHINA MOVE TO INCREASE SECURITY AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION
President Ilham Aliev's March 17 visit to China marked a new, more expanded phase in relations between Azerbaijan and China. Although contacts between the two countries have remained relatively friendly since 1991, the last time their top leaders met was in 1994 when the late... MORE
INSURGENTS IN DAGESTAN AND KABARDINO-BALKARIA READY FOR SUMMER CAMPAIGN
While Russian authorities were celebrating the death of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, insurgents in two other Northern Caucasus regions declared their readiness to conduct "military operations" as part of a coming spring and summer "campaign." On March 10, Yarmuk, an insurgent group in Kabardino-Balkaria,... MORE
KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS AGAIN IN LIMBO
The long-running international efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict are again facing an uncertain future following the cancellation of the next and potentially decisive round of talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which were scheduled for March 2 in Prague. The official reason for the delay... MORE
BAGAPSH TRAVELS TO MOSCOW, RETURNS WITH MESSAGE FOR TBILISI
Sergei Bagapsh, the self-styled president of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, arrived in Moscow on March 11. The visit, originally scheduled for March 3, was postponed as many as three times. The trip was reportedly rescheduled due to Bagapsh's 56th birthday, holidays in Moscow, persisting... MORE