Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
KREMLIN HELPS KARACHAEVO-CHERKESSIA PRESIDENT PURGE HIS POLITICAL RIVAL
On May 22 the Russian Supreme Chamber of Judges rejected Islam Burlakov’s nomination for an additional term as head of the Supreme Court of Karachaevo-Cherkessia. All 19 judges voted against Burlakov; now the nomination goes to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his approval or rejection.... MORE
MOLDOVA’S PRESIDENT CORNERED BY PUTIN
Concern is mounting in Chisinau, Brussels, and Washington -- to name only the main decision-making centers -- that Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin is willing to be cajoled into a bad deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at their upcoming meeting in St. Petersburg on... MORE
NEW RUSSIAN MISSILES MAY REVEAL INTENT OF EAST-WEST PARTNERSHIP
This week Russian President Vladimir Putin once again expressed the Kremlin's utter rejection of U.S. plans to base missile defense units in Europe. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, Putin announced, "We are against turning Europe into a... MORE
CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS DOMINATE UKRAINE’S POLITICAL CRISIS
Ukraine’s spring 2007 political crisis was the first occasion in Ukraine’s history that brought the country to the brink of bloodshed on three separate fronts. National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Deputy Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said that last weekend (May 24-27) could have descended into... MORE
KAZAKH PRESIDENT’S SON-IN-LAW FACES CRIMINAL CHARGES
On May 28 the Interior Ministry of Kazakhstan’s spokesman, Baghdat Kozhakhmetov, told journalists that Rakhat Aliev, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Austria, was on the run from the law and he has been classified an internationally wanted suspect. Aliev is married to Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of Kazakh... MORE
U.S., EU ENERGY POLICIES IN EURASIA COLLAPSE
Insofar as they existed since 2001 (on the part of the United States) or since 2006 (on the part of a come-lately EU), Western energy policies in Eurasia collapsed in May 2007. During this month, Russia seems to have conclusively defeated all Western-backed projects to... MORE
CENTRAL ASIA-EUROPE ENERGY PROJECTS: ITEMIZING WHAT WENT WRONG
The Kremlin-orchestrated summits in Central Asia and Austria this month turned into a cascade of setbacks to Western-proposed energy transit projects for Europe. At these summits from May 11 through 24, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan agreed to maximize gas deliveries to Russia while practically disavowing the... MORE
MANAS AGREEMENT UNDER REVIEW
The authorities in Kyrgyzstan increasingly favor the Collective Security Treaty Organization in general and the Russian air base at Kant in particular. This view is becoming more prevalent in the Kyrgyz media as well, downplaying the significance and the role played by the U.S. Ganci... MORE
OPPOSITION CONGRESS ADOPTS NEW PATH
On May 26-27, the 2nd Congress of United Democratic Forces (UDF) was held at the Palace of Culture of the Minsk Automobile Factory. It ended the single leadership of Alyaksandr Milinkevich and replaced him with a system of co-chairs. The UDF also modified its previous... MORE
NEW OPPORTUNITIES OPENING FOR AZERBAIJANI-TURKMEN RELATIONS
Although the political establishment in Azerbaijan was chagrined by the May 12 agreement among Turkmenistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan for plans to construct a new gas pipeline to export Turkmen gas to Western markets through Russia, official Baku still sees great opportunities in bilateral relations with... MORE