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Archive - 2011

January 12th

Sale of Azeri Gas Field Will Test EU's Pipeline Strategy

By Alessandro Torello

BRUSSELS — Europe's efforts to diversify its sources of gas supply face a critical test early next year when Azerbaijan and some of the world's largest energy companies are expected to choose a buyer to take the biggest share of gas from a giant field they are developing in the Caspian Sea. READ MORE

January 10th

NATO’s Emphasis on Russia

By Sergey Karaganov

As a man who has been watching NATO’s evolution for several decades now, I feel profoundly, although not completely, satisfied with the Alliance’s latest summit in Lisbon. READ MORE

Opinion: China-EU relations have a rocky ride ahead

By Jonathan Holslag

With the EU struggling to avert economic meltdown, China has a dream opportunity to hammer out some good business deals. READ MORE

Azerbaijan Opens New Water Pipeline

By Alman Mir - Ismail

After almost four years of construction, the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline was inaugurated on December 28, 2010. Costing almost $1 billion, the pipeline is already termed by many in Azerbaijan as the “second BTC,” referring to the strategically important Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline built a decade ago to transport Caspian oil to global markets. READ MORE

January 7th

James Appathurai: NATO has not changed position on Karabakh and supports OSCE MG efforts

By Yekaterina Poghosyan

Though Armenia is a CSTO member, it successfully cooperates also with NATO. Armenia, represented by the Foreign Minister and Defense Minister, participated in the Lisbon NATO summit in November 2010, as part of which opinions were exchanged with respect to the bilateral relations. Newly appointed NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai commented to PanARMENIAN.Net on the current level of NATO-Armenia relations, outlooks for boosting the relations within the framework of IPAP, as well as the organization’s position on the Karabakh conflict settlement and the Armenian-Turkish normalization. READ MORE

Eurasia in 2011: Recovery bolsters political stability

By Ian Bremmer

It looks like a relatively calm year for Eurasia, the area encompassing the former Soviet successor states at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. For the most part, the region is politically stable and countries will continue to see slow but steady economic growth. Russia and Kazakhstan face elections in 2012, but both are governed by well entrenched soft-authoritarian regimes. Ukraine is stabilizing, but risks remain in Georgia. READ MORE

Kazakhstan increased oil ECF to $40

Kazakhstan has increased the oil Export Customs Fee (ECF) to $40 per ton. The order was signed by the Prime Minister Karim Massimov on December 30, 2010, and published in the official press on Thursday, KazTAG reports. READ MORE

January 5th

With France Arming Russia, What is NATO For?

By Doug Bandow

In theory NATO is still supposed to protect Europe from untold dangers.  The list of likely aggressors is small--whatever their neighbors say about Germany, Serbia, Iran, and China, none look to be would-be conquerers of Europe.  Which leaves Russia. READ MORE

Belarus orders international watchdog to close its Minsk office

By Darren Mara, Sarah Harman

The world's largest regional security organization must close its doors in Minsk, after the Belarusian government refused to extend its mandate. The OSCE had criticized the election of President Alexander Lukashenko. READ MORE