Latest Articles about Domestic/Social
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Putin’s Dangerous Game: Promoting Nationalism at Home and Abroad
The nationalism of one nation almost inevitably comes into conflict with the nationalisms of others, precisely because its celebration of its uniqueness and even superiority inevitably offends those who have the same feelings about their own but different nations. Yet, Russian President Vladimir Putin is... MORE
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Russian Experts Warn of Social Implosion if Government Sticks to Crude Force in the North Caucasus
On January 14, an expert report on the current situation and future evolution of the North Caucasus was released in Moscow. The report scathingly criticizes Russian government policies in the region and describes region as being in a state of ongoing crisis. Unlike many other... MORE
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The New Year Brings New Problems for Tajikistan
For Tajikistan, the year 2013 was characterized by apparent tranquility even as the underlying sources of potential instability grew stronger. On the home front, the year was highlighted by a fraudulent presidential election and continued harassment of media and opposition figures, culminating in the highly... MORE
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Kazakhstan Adopts New Policy Toward Foreign Migrants
In December 2013, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a new law to simplify the issuing of work permits to foreign migrant workers by individual Kazakhstani citizens. The more flexible regulations, which will take effect in a few weeks, contrast with the increasingly severe labor rules... MORE
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Formation of Khasavyurt Jammat Reflects Influx of New Funds and Recruits
Dagestan’s Khasavyurt district has a long border with Chechnya. Moreover, a significant number of ethnic Chechens ended up in Dagestan after their territory was handed over to Dagestan in 1922 (https://megabook.ru/article/%D0%90%D0%9A%D0%9A%D0%98%D0%9D%D0%A6%D0%AB). After the influx of Chechen refugees during the first Russian-Chechen war, the overall number... MORE
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Ukraine: Waiting for a ‘Washington, with a new and righteous law’
Following the winter holiday break, the Ukrainian parliament—the Verkhovna Rada—reconvened and, on January 16, passed perhaps the most controversial set of bills in the country’s history. These bills were subsequently signed into law by President Viktor Yanukovych on January 17. The controversial legislation allows the... MORE
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Dependency on Russia and Belarusian Identity
Recently published detailed analysis of Belarus’s economic problems on the Russian analytical portal Regnum (https://www.regnum.ru/news/1752886.html) is couched in stridently negative terms. The highlights include a decline of industrial exports to Russia because of lower (recession-conditioned) demand and heightened competition due to Russia’s accession to the... MORE
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Stavropol Becomes Cordon Sanitaire for Kremlin in Protecting Sochi
The mysterious killings of six people in Stavropol region on January 8 came as a complete surprise to the region’s law enforcement agencies and residents. Three cars whose drivers had been shot dead were discovered in the region (https://ria.ru/incidents/20140108/988253190.html). The first car was found near... MORE
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Nationalist Reaction to Volgograd Bombings
In the wake of the late-December 2013 double bombings in Volgograd (see EDM, January 6), the attention of most analysts has rightly been on the threat posed to the Sochi Winter Olympics by the Caucasus Emirate and its leader Doku Umarov’s pledge to disrupt the... MORE
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Uzbekistan’s Economic Situation in 2013: Growth vs. Clan Interests
As 2013 came to an end, the economy of Uzbekistan reportedly finished strong. Industrial manufacturing output and exports saw a boost. Moreover, the Oliy Majlis, the parliament of Uzbekistan, approved a program to create nearly a million places of work in 2014. In his Constitution... MORE