Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
TRANSNISTRIA’S “GOVERNMENT” SHOWCASES FOREIGN, MINORITY RULE
On January 31 Transnistria “president” Igor Smirnov finished forming the new “government,” which is a reshuffled version of the preceding one. The new government enjoys, at least on paper, more powers than its predecessor, as part of attempts to institutionalize the de facto authorities in... MORE
PUTIN ORDERS FSB TO SAFEGUARD ELECTIONS AND ECONOMIC ASSETS
This week Russian President Vladimir Putin broadened the role of the Federal Security Service (FSB). At the FSB’s annual board meeting on January 31, he instructed the agency to provide security and combat nationalist and extremist ideologies during the upcoming regional and national elections and... MORE
EVEN STEEP PRICE HIKES IN AZERBAIJAN CAN’T UNIFY OPPOSITION
The start of 2007 has brought new opportunities for Azerbaijan’s opposition parties to revive their activism. The decision of the State Tariff Council to increase prices for gasoline, electricity, and other utilities in January has sparked dissatisfaction from large segments of the population, creating an... MORE
CONFIDENTIAL RUSSIA-MOLDOVA BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS FAIL
From September 2006 until this week, Moscow and Chisinau were engaged in confidential bilateral talks on a political settlement of the Transnistria conflict. This channel operated outside the official, 5 + 2 negotiating framework (which consists of Chisinau, Tiraspol, Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, the European... MORE
KYRGYZ POWER STRUGGLE PROPELS ISABEKOV INTO PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
On January 29 Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev selected a new prime minister, Azim Isabekov. The appointment signified the end of the president’s political union with outgoing prime minister Felix Kulov. Formed following the March 24 Tulip Revolution in 2005, the Bakiyev-Kulov political team lasted for... MORE
PUTIN AWARDS SHAIMIEV A MEDAL INSTEAD OF A TREATY
On January 20, the Russian State Council, which includes regional leaders and President Vladimir Putin, met in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, an autonomous republic in the Volga region. After the meeting Putin decorated Mintimir Shaimiev, the Tatar leader, with a medal “For Service to... MORE
GROWING RISKS TO BALTIC SEA SAFETY FROM RUSSIAN ENERGY PROJECTS
The Russian government’s latest ideas about energy transit through the Baltic Sea are adding to the already considerable risks involved in these projects. Moscow is launching its new ideas apparently without consulting the countries affected or the European Union and is ignoring the Council of... MORE
RUSSIA REMAINS IN DENIAL REGARDING EXISTENCE OF NUCLEAR BAZAAR
Last week Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili disclosed that a sting operation had resulted in the February 1, 2006, arrest in Tbilisi of a Russian citizen, Oleg Khintsagov, who had attempted to sell 100 grams of weapons-grade uranium. The Georgian authorities carried out the sting... MORE
TURKMEN OPPOSITION INVITE MAY SPOIL CAREER OF UKRAINIAN MINISTER
A visit to Kyiv by prominent members of Turkmenistan’s opposition following the death of Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov on December 21 has triggered a scandal in Ukraine. Their host, Transport and Communications Minister Mykola Rudkovsky, has been accused of interfering with diplomatic affairs. Officials fear... MORE
GAZPROM’S CLOCK TICKING ON BP’S KOVYTKA PROJECT
Gazprom and the Kremlin look poised for another forced takeover of major Western assets in Russia’s energy sector. On January 29, Nature Inspectorate (RosPrirodNadzor) deputy chief Oleg Mitvol announced that his agency and the Resources Inspectorate (RosNedra) are about to launch the final phase of... MORE