Geopolitics Of Nabucco. View Of Kiev
Persistent long-term struggle of “Gazprom” against potential construction of Nabucco pipeline has failed. In Ankara the Heads of Turkish, Austrian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Romanian Governments signed an intergovernmental agreement on the project of the gas pipeline that will deliver gas from Caspian region to Europe round Russia. Meanwhile Germany also engaged with this project didn’t put its sign under the agreement as it is not a transiting state. READ MORE
US Strategy Of Total Energy Control Over The European Union And Eurasia
One of his first foreign visits as new President took Barack Obama to Ankara for a high-profile meeting with Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and other leading Turkish officials. Obama engaged in classical “horse trading” wheeling and dealing. “I give you support for Turkey’s EU membership; you open the diplomatic door to Armenia,” appears to have been the core of the deal. What other inducements the US President gave in the case of Turkish influence within NATO and such is secondary. Obama’s goal was to break a political deadlock in Turkey to construction of a major gas pipeline to Germany and other EU countries in direct opposition to Russian Gazprom’s South Stream pipeline. READ MORE
How To Get The OSCE Focused On The Russian Agenda?
On July 3 the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has demonstrated its rare decisiveness: it adopted the resolution "Reuniting the divided Europe: encouragement of the human rights and civil liberties in the OSCE region in the 21st century." There were convicted both totalitarian regimes of the past age – Nazi’s and Stalin's, member states were called to reveal their historical and political archives, to fight with xenophobia and aggressive nationalism. It was also offered to condemn totalitarianism clearly and unconditionally, and to consider the August 23rd – day of the signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact – as a day of memory of the Stalinism and Nazism victims. READ MORE
Sergei Martynov: Belarus Became Party To The Eastern Partnership Arrangement And We Work Together With Our European Colleagues
Transcript of the Press Conference by Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov following the meeting of the EU Troika and Belarus, 28 July 2009 (Brussels) READ MORE
A Year On, Mediterranean Union Has Made Little Progress
The Union for the Mediterranean, launched a year ago, was meant to revive cooperation between the EU and countries bordering on the Mediterranean. But little progress has been made on pressing issues in the region. READ MORE
Russia-Germany: an Asymmetric "Strategic Partnership"
 and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (2R) watch as officials sign documents in Munich on July 16, 2009..jpg)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed large governmental delegations for bilateral talks on July 16 in Munich. The process, known as Russo-German inter-governmental consultations, involves informal semi-annual summits at which leading business representatives join the cabinet ministers on either side. The Munich meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation projects and considered new ones. READ MORE
OSCE Resolution Equating Stalinism With Nazism Enrages Russia
Russia continues to react angrily to last week’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) resolution likening Stalinism to Nazism. READ MORE
Georgia: Tbilisi Welcomes Biden
US Vice President Joseph Biden’s July 22-23 visit to Tbilisi may have been more about show than results, but for Georgians wearied by war and wary of Russia that show of support was all that mattered. READ MORE
Nabucco And Hopes Of Georgia
The start of “Nabucco” project accomplishment was officially announced. An alternative pipeline that will supply gas to Europe round Russia will be the first step to reduction of energy and political influence of Moscow in Europe. Defeat of Russia and Georgian approach to Europe – these are the results of “Nabucco” Summit for Georgia. READ MORE
Reactor Closure Sparks New Reservations About Nuclear Power
As the fallout from the closure of Germany's Kruemmel nuclear reactor continues, politicians wrangle over the future of the country's energy production and energy giant Vattenfall tries to allay public fears. READ MORE
Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Hosts Us Military Refuelling, Resupply Operations
Turkmenistan is quietly developing into a major transport hub for the northern supply network, which is being used to relay non-lethal supplies to US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The Pentagon has confirmed a small contingent of US military personnel now operates in Ashgabat to assist refueling operations. READ MORE
Baltic Europe Intergroup
I want to make several remarks to be realized as questions to everybody and any government, not only to "Gazprom" as a part of Russian Government and its foreign policies. READ MORE
Baku March
Dynamism of Azerbaijani foreign policy due to the enhancement of its role within the issues of energy security is the main factor of contemporary international policy. READ MORE
Uyghur Problem For Obama And Medvedev
The ongoing ethnic riots in Urumqi, China, can threaten other countries, in particular the United States and Russia. READ MORE
Letter to the US President: Don’t forget Europe!
Valdas Adamkus, Vaclav Havel, Lech Valesa, Vaira Vike-Freiberga and other European politicians stand for necessity to strengthen ties between the United States and Central and Eastern Europe. READ MORE
The Russian Military Concentration In The Caucasus
After visiting breakaway South Ossetia on July 13 and Russian troops based deep inside Georgia, President Dmitry Medvedev traveled to Novorossiysk to inspect Russia's main deepwater Black Sea port and nearby military facilities. Medvedev visited the Black Sea fleet flagship cruiser Moskva, attended a meeting of the military top brass and inspected troops in the 7th airborne (VDV) division based in Novorossiysk. READ MORE
Germany, Russia Hold Traditional Dialog Forum In Munich
Politicians, business leaders and civil society experts from Germany and Russia are meeting in Munich for the "Petersburg Dialog", a key semi-annual event meant to strengthen ties between the two countries. READ MORE
Orthodox ‘Summit’ In Istanbul
A three-day visit by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Istanbul is more than just his first official trip abroad as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church or than his first visit to the Patriarch of Constantinople, also known as Ecumenical Patriarch. READ MORE
Kazakh Aspect Of Uyghur Problem
Another ethnic conflict accumulates in China. This conflict should be resolved by joint forces of Kazakhstan and China. READ MORE
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Adopts Vilnius Declaration
The 18th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today adopted its concluding document, the Vilnius Declaration, outlining a set of policy recommendations to the governments of the OSCE participating States. READ MORE
Ex-Polish Prime Minister Buzek To Head EU Parliament
The European Parliament has elected former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as its new president, making him the first politician from the former communist bloc to hold one of the European Union's top posts. READ MORE
'Strategic' Nabucco Deal Inked To Help Curb Dependence On Russian Gas
Turkey and four EU member states have signed a historic deal in Ankara allowing work to start on the Nabucco natural gas pipeline, which is aimed at allowing the European Union to tap directly into non-European gas reserves. READ MORE
Obama, Medvedev Edge Closer On Missile Defence
The presidents of Russia and the USA appear to have achieved progress over missile defence, an issue with a direct impact on transatlantic relations, the international press reported. READ MORE
OSCE RIP in Georgia
On June 30 the OSCE officially terminated its Mission in Georgia, which had for 17 years monitored the situation in and around South Ossetia. Russia forced the OSCE to close the Mission by vetoing the prolongation of its mandate in the OSCE's Permanent Council. Also on June 30 the U.N. Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), which had for 15 years monitored the situation in and around Abkhazia, began evacuating its personnel, following Russia's veto against that Mission's mandate in the U.N. Security Council. READ MORE
Prime Ministers To Attend Nabucco Summit
G-8 Leaders Set Deadline For Resolution Of Iran Nuclear Stand-Off
G-8 leaders have laid down the gauntlet to Iran by setting a September deadline for the Islamic Republic to accept negotiations over its nuclear ambitions or else face tougher sanctions. READ MORE
Yury Krupnov: “Moscow Can Prejudice Muslim World Against It by Allowing Transit of the US Military Cargos to Afghanistan Through the Territory of Russia”
This issue is very complicated and as known is one of the key moments of Russian-American relations. Americans are already firmly presented in Central Asia and turned Afghanistan into its military strategic base, in this context the issue of military cargos transit is the way to success of total American operation. READ MORE
German lobbyists work for gas pipelines
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the memories of last winter's gas shortage in the European Union, have prompted competing gas pipelines to the EU to hire two former German politicians to smooth the way. READ MORE
Gazprom Executive Confirms Production and Investment Woes
Briefing the press on June 16 in Moscow, Gazprom deputy chairman Aleksandr Ananenkov lifted a curtain corner on the company's investment and output prospects in the short-to-medium term. Gazprom is set to substantially reduce capital expenditures in the next few years, starting with a 22 percent capex cut this year: from 640 billion rubles in 2008 to a target figure of 500 billion rubles in 2009. READ MORE
Stefan Eriksson: “I think Belarusian side knows our expectations well”
Sweden replaced Czech Republic in its position of a head country of European Union. On this subject the ambassador of Sweden in Belarus Stefan Eriksson answered the questions. READ MORE
European Vector of Higher Priority
Russia should care of itself to become attractive for CIS countries. In the end of last week western Mass Media informed that the European Union suspends the “Eastern Partnership” program till December. This message referred to the comments of Fredrik Reinfeldt the Prime Minister of Sweden, the country currenlty chairing the EU. The Prime Minister explained this move with “new arising challenges”, meanwhile six former Soviet states lay their greatest integration hopes on this program. READ MORE
Opposition takes Bulgarian elections
Bulgaria' ruling Socialists have suffered a resounding defeat in parliamentary elections, but the jubilant centre-right opposition will still need coalition partners to form a new government. READ MORE
Erdogan Avoids Confrontation with the Military over Alleged Plot
Since the publication of a document, allegedly prepared by Colonel, Dursun Cicek, outlining a plan to undermine the governing AKP and the Gulen movement , Turkish domestic politics has focused on the future of civil-military relations (EDM, June 15). Nonetheless, fears over a split between the government and the military did not transpire, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has avoided such a dangerous confrontation. Instead of pursuing punitive action against the military authorities, Erdogan has demonstrated restraint and instead referred the matter to the courts. READ MORE
None of the EU Program “Eastern Partnership” Member-States Has Presented Its Financial Projects for the Commission
The EC representative Christiane Hohmann states that the “Eastern Partnership” program is performed as planned and won’t be “frozen”. READ MORE
Armenia: Washington Cuts Millennium Challenge Funding
The United States has cut aid for a $67-million road construction program in Armenia, due to displeasure over the slow pace of democratization in Yerevan, US officials say. But some in Armenia and in the Armenian diaspora dispute that rationale, and instead suggest that Yerevan is being punished for geopolitical reasons. READ MORE
"We can offer very much to Europe”
"We can offer very much to Europe: share our experience of a compromise culture and solidarity, and cope together with the still existing divisions," the President underlined in Lublin READ MORE
Kazakhstan: Geopolitical Rivalry Flares At Nato Forum In Astana
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer used a June 25 security forum in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana to encourage debate on how the Atlantic Alliance can evolve in the age of globalization. He also sought to reassure cautious Central Asian leaders that partnership with NATO was a "two-way street." READ MORE
Speculation Intensifies over the Future of Manas
The U.S. military has now started preparing to leave the Manas base in Bishkek as part of its anticipated eviction, according to Colonel Christopher Bence, the newly-appointed commander of the airbase. The United States military will vacate Manas by August 18, as the Kyrgyz regime first officially demanded in February. READ MORE
The Eurasian Pipeline Calculus
Calculus has two main variants—derivative and integral. The Eurasian energy pipeline geopolitics between Turkey Washington and Moscow today has elements of both. It is highly derivative in that the major actors across Central Asia from China, Russia to Turkey are very much engaged in a derived power game which has less to do with any specific state and more to do with maintaining Superpower hegemony for Washington. Integral as the de facto motion of various pipeline projects now underway or in discussion across Eurasia hold the potential to integrate the economic space of Eurasia in a way that poses a fundamental challenge to Washington’s projection of Full Spectrum Dominance over the greatest land mass on earth. READ MORE
