Lithuanian representative to the European Parliament Vitautas Landsbergis criticizes the communiqué of the European Commission on Eastern partnership, as this document omits  the issue of member-states security. On January 20th EP Сommittee on Foreign Affairs together with authorized General Director of the EC RELEX Directorate-General Eneko Landaburu discussed a new communiqué on Eastern partnership. READ MORE

Obviously, gas war in its current progress is a next knock-down of the “Putin’s Russia”.

As still there is no other political Russia, each of the kind of strike should be assessed differentially. As well it should be considered weather it damages the dead-end Putin’s model or the statehood itself? READ MORE

On January 15th Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili declared to reporters, that Georgia will refuse to prolong the OSCE mission in Georgia, provided it demands to violate territorial integrity of the country. “It’s important for us to save OSCE mission in our country. But there are more significant values, fundamental principles like territorial integrity. So we’ll never accept the mandate that would ruin these principles. If Russia changes its decision and chooses the formulation, that would not violate these principles, we’ll agree on it.  But we disagree with purely formal presence of the OSCE mission with another name and format”, - stated Iakobashvili.  READ MORE

Recent legislation to tackle religious extremism in Kyrgystan is a pretext for targetting Evangelicals and religious minorities. State propaganda has created popular hostility towards non-Muslims. Tackling this situation requires inclusive rhetoric from local leaders and the curbing of anti-westernism. READ MORE

Greek OSCE Chair pledges to be honest broker, forge stronger ties among States in time of challenge.

The OSCE is well placed to address Europe's changing geopolitical challenges in a time marked by crises, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, said today in her first address to the Organization's 56 participating States. READ MORE

Legal amendments bolstering the power of the Turkmen parliament went into effect January 13 after being published in the government-run newspaper, Neutralny Turkmenistan. READ MORE

Widely monitored unprecedented gas conflict between Ukraine and Russia, resulting in grave energy crises in Europe, has become not only one of the most acute crises in the relations of the two former USSR states. It appeared to be an alarming sing for CIS countries, political ideology of which is primarily oriented on West European values. And economic interests above all are lying in the most receptive and solvent European market. READ MORE

First Vice-President of the European Parliament Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou speaks to New Europe.  READ MORE

The year 2008 will be remembered for its oil price volatility. Crude prices have plunged by as much as 70 percent below USD 40 since reaching all-time highs of USD 147 a barrel. This marks the highest ever prices for oil, followed by the lowest prices in four years. OPEC ministers agreed on December 17, 2008, to remove an additional 2.2 million barrels of crude from the market starting in January 2009 the deepest single cut it has ever made  to little avail. The cartel also counts on non-OPEC members  Russia, Azerbaijan, Norway and Mexico  to compliment the cut by lessening their output. So is two million barrels enough? READ MORE

On December 3, 2008 the European Commission adopted a proposal by Poland and Sweden on establishing closer ties with six ex-Soviet countries. The new ‘Eastern Partnership’ scheme, which EU member states must yet endorse, will offer a step change in the EU’s relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, plus Belarus, if it embraces democracy. READ MORE