Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEARS UP FOR PRESIDENCY
Armenia's second most powerful official, Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, is eliminating the last remaining doubts about his intention to succeed President Robert Kocharian after the latter completes a second five-year term in office in 2008. The past few weeks have made it even clearer that... MORE
RUSSIA TAKES ANOTHER STEP AWAY FROM DEMOCRACY
Last Friday, June 9, the Russian State Duma approved legislation that would eliminate the voting option "against all" in the ballots provided for elections at all levels, from local to presidential. According to Boris Gryzlov, the chairman of the Duma, this step is aimed at... MORE
NATO AND GUAM COUNTRIES HOLD FIRM AT CFE TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE
The OSCE's Conference to Review the Operation of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) ended on June 2 in Vienna with a tactical success for the West. The NATO and GUAM countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) thwarted Russia's goal to trigger the ratification... MORE
MOSCOW, GAZPROM COMBINE TO MOVE AHEAD OF UKRAINE IN BUYING TURKMEN EXPORTS
Russia is now Turkmenistan's top foreign trade partner thanks to sizable purchases of Turkmen natural gas in the first three months of 2006. Russia imported Turkmen goods worth $754 million (or 58% of all Turkmen exports), followed by Iran ($152 million or 12%), and Turkey... MORE
MOSCOW, ANKARA RELUCTANT TO WELCOME NEW BLACK SEA FORUM
When the presidents of Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan gathered in Bucharest June 4-6 for the first session of the Black Sea Forum for Partnership and Dialogue, Russia’s minimal presence was notable. Russia refused to send a delegation to the Forum and instead,... MORE
RUSSIA AND WEST APPEAR SET TO CLASH OVER UKRAINE
The Kremlin and the West have ratcheted up their rhetoric over NATO’s possible expansion into Ukraine. The strategically located East European state appears destined to remain an apple of discord between an increasingly assertive Moscow and the Western powers. At stake are the intertwined issues... MORE
ISRAEL SHOWS INTEREST IN AZERBAIJANI ENERGY AND TRADE PROJECTS
While attending the annual Caspian Oil and Gas show in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on June 8, Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said that his country was interested in exporting Azerbaijani oil. “We and the Azerbaijani side are interested in transporting Azerbaijani... MORE
BLACK SEA FORUM SEEKING ITS RATIONALE
Presidents Traian Basescu of Romania, Vladimir Voronin of Moldova, Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Robert Kocharian of Armenia, and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan were joined by senior officials from the United States, Turkey, Bulgaria, and international organizations at the inaugural session of... MORE
ANOTHER SENATOR IS FIRED: THE KREMLIN TARGETS THE LEADER OF KALMYKIA
Russia continues to be rocked by purges of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, where deputies (often called "senators") represent regional governments. On May 14, Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council, dismissed four members of the Council. The ousted senators... MORE
HOW “UNITED” IS THE UNITED OPPOSITION IN BELARUS?
The united opposition campaign during the 2006 Belarusian presidential election was a creditable effort, particularly in the weeks leading up to the vote as well during the protests afterward in October Square. Though hundreds were arrested, and the crackdown by the authorities is continuing, there... MORE