Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
THE QUEST FOR “STABILITY” IN BELARUS
On June 19, Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhey Sidorski summarized the economic results for the first five months of 2007, maintaining that the country had attained “macroeconomic stability.” GDP rose by 9% compared with the same period last year, with notable increases in output in both... MORE
UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT IN LIMBO
The majority of Ukraine’s parliament has defied the accords between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to disband parliament and hold an early parliamentary election. Yushchenko has not recognized parliament’s powers since June 5, when he issued a decree scheduling the election for... MORE
THE STRANGE STORY OF MIG-31 JETS FOR SYRIA
Yesterday, June 19, Moscow's respected business daily Kommersant reported that Russia's arms trading monopoly Rosoboronexport has begun to fulfill an arms deal it secretly signed with Syria earlier this year to sell five MiG-31E (Foxhound) jet fighters, considered one of the best in the world,... MORE
GUAM AT TEN
Heads of state and governments of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova -- the GUAM group of countries -- met June 18-19 in Baku, together with the presidents of Romania, Poland, and Lithuania. The meeting marks the tenth year of GUAM’s existence. The anniversary summit was... MORE
SUMMIT TAKES STOCK OF GUAM’S PROJECTS, INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
On June 18-19 in Baku, the GUAM countries’ annual summit reviewed the state of implementation of the group’s policies, projects, and institutional development. Presidents Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev (substituting for President... MORE
MOSCOW CONSIDERS ENORMOUS INVESTMENT IN EASTERN RUSSIA’S GAS SECTOR
At a meeting on June 15, the Russian government discussed a draft " Program to Develop a Unified System of Gas Production, Transportation, and Supply in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, Including Possible Exports to China and the other Asia-Pacific Countries." Implementing the program... MORE
YULIA TYMOSHENKO COMES OUT ON TOP IN UKRAINE’S CRISIS
Ukraine's parliament closed on Friday, June 15, after a tense two-month crisis. This was a success for Yulia Tymoshenko and her eponymous bloc (BYuT), who were the only political forces consistently calling for early elections since the collapse of the Orange coalition last year. On... MORE
DUSHANBE EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS BEYOND RUSSIA
On June 12 Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon held meetings with high-ranking officials from the country’s law-enforcement agencies. These included the recently appointed head of the Internal Affairs directorate of the southern Khatlon region, as well as the heads of Internal Affairs departments from other towns... MORE
GUDAUTA BASE AND UNACCOUNTED-FOR TREATY-LIMITED EQUIPMENT: ONGOING RUSSIAN BREACHES OF CFE TREATY COMMITMENTS
In a formulation reminiscent of Soviet five-year plan-fulfillment reports, senior Russian officials claim that Russia has completely “fulfilled and over-fulfilled” its 1999 treaty commitments to withdraw its forces from Georgia and Moldova. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and General Konstantin Totsky, Russia’s permanent representative at NATO,... MORE
NATO HOLDS FIRMLY AT EXTRAORDINARY CFE CONFERENCE WITH RUSSIA
The “Extraordinary Conference of the State-Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe” (CFE) can become a textbook case of Russian bluster, threats, and trade-offs proffered at third parties’ expense, all followed by retreat when faced with a united NATO position. Held on June... MORE