Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
ENERGY EXPLORATION ISSUES THREATEN TURKEY’S EU PROSPECTS
Tensions in Cyprus flared last week following a February 28 announcement of formal invitations to apply for licenses to prospect for oil and natural gas in 11 offshore blocs, totaling nearly 27,000 square miles of southern Cypriot Mediterranean waters. Reportedly U.S., Chinese, and Russian energy... MORE
MILINKEVICH: A CONSOLIDATOR NOT A DICTATOR
As the proposed date for the Second Congress of the United Democratic Forces (UDF) of Belarus approaches (March 17), leaders of the Belarusian opposition are engaged in an animated debate on the future of the organization and whether its leadership should be elected on a... MORE
RUSSIA WEIGHS AMBITIOUS PLANS TO DEVELOP FAR EAST
Moscow may spend trillions of rubles to develop the Russian Far East. While visiting Vladivostok on March 1, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said it was too early to announce more concrete estimates, but he pledged to monitor the disbursement of federal funds. Fradkov also stated... MORE
FIRST RUSSIAN-OPERATED PIPELINE ON EUROPEAN UNION TERRITORY REARS ITS HEAD
Given the policy vacuum in Brussels and Washington, the EU member countries Greece and Bulgaria are far advanced in negotiations with Russia on constructing a Russian state-operated oil transit pipeline on their territories, connecting the Black Sea with the Aegean. The Burgas-Alexandropolis project, if carried... MORE
DISCUSSIONS INTENSIFY WITH KAZAKHSTAN ON TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE
On a visit to Astana on February 27-28, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov took the initiative to discuss possible exports of gas from Kazakhstan through the proposed gas pipeline on the Caspian seabed (Kazakhstan Today, Turan, February 28). In his talks with Kazakh... MORE
TEHRAN REMINDS AZERBAIJAN TO KEEP DISTANCE FROM WASHINGTON
On February 22, Azerbaijani media outlets reported that Iranian helicopters had violated the air space of Azerbaijan and by flying over the southern town of Astara for over 20 minutes. Reportedly, the flight took place right over the city administration building and caused considerable panic... MORE
RUSSIAN MILITARY PREPARE TO COUNTER U.S. THREAT
Russian leaders have expressed concern over planned U.S. missile defense deployments in Europe. Russian generals have gone further, threatening to abrogate the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and to target nuclear missiles on U.S. missile-defense bases, if they are established in Europe (see EDM,... MORE
RUSSIA SEES GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN 2007 FOR STATE ARMAMENTS FIRM ROSOBORONEKSPORT
Russian President Vladimir Putin, having successfully centralized the country's energy companies, is now pursuing similar structural reforms in the country's armaments industry, seeing great opportunities for expanding exports worldwide in 2007. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov said that in 2006... MORE
KULOV DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE BAKIYEV’S GOVERNMENT
As the second anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s March 24, 2005, Tulip Revolution approaches, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is facing a growing challenge from the “United Front,” a newly emerged opposition bloc that seeks his resignation. The bloc is led by former prime minister Felix Kulov, whose... MORE
QUESTIONABLE RATIONALES FOR THE BOHORODCHANY-UZHHOROD GAS PIPELINE PROJECT
The Ukrainian government is stepping up its efforts to form a consortium with Gazprom to construct a gas transit pipeline in Ukraine from Bohorodchany to Uzhhorod. The 230-kilometer line, with a projected annual capacity of up to 20 billion cubic meters, would provide an additional... MORE