Azerbaijan becomes a central energy partner of the European Union (EU) against the background of frequent unrests in the Middle Eastern countries supplying energy resources, Carl Hamilton, chairman for the European Affairs Committee at the Swedish Parliament believes. READ MORE

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called for an early presidential election, after saying he would not hold a referendum on whether to extend his rule until 2020. No date has been set for the election. READ MORE

The impasse in Turkey's EU accession talks is likely to continue in the medium term, writes Amanda Paul, but there are still areas in which the two parties could seek closer cooperation now to prevent Turkey from "slipping away". READ MORE