Georgia is on the Edge of Changes?
Many observers declare that almost two years after the August war in Russia, Georgia appeared to be outside of the list of major issues among western politicians, as well as in Russia and world Mass Media. The one of reasons for that is the sound cooling of attitude of western leaders towards the personality of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who remained without urgent support of the resigned colleagues from the USA, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. During the last Munich International Conference on Security Georgian President seemed to be lonely. READ MORE
Russia Not to Review Gas Contracts with Belarus, Shmatko
Gas agreements between Russia and Ukraine will not be the reason for reviewing similar contracts with Russia's partners, including Belarus and other CIS countries. This statement was made on April 22 by the head of Russian Ministry of Energy, Sergei Shmatko. "Our negotiations with Ukraine are completed successfully and I don't think they will cause the review of relations with other partners", Russian minister said. READ MORE
NATO Must Guarantee The Deterrent And Security Of Its Member Countries, Lithuania’s Minister Of Foreign Affairs Says
On 22-23 April at the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn, NATO’s new Strategic Concept that should be agreed on in November during the Lisbon Summit was discussed. READ MORE
Russia Grants Ukraine Gas Discount In Return For Fleet Lease Extension
 with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Kharkiv.jpg)
Ukraine has agreed to a lengthy extension for the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in Crimea in exchange for a major discount on Kyiv's imports of Russian gas. READ MORE
Clear Skies For NATO Meeting, Though Trouble Brews Over Russia, Afghanistan
NATO foreign ministers are breathing a collective sigh of relief as skies in Europe clear from volcanic ash and their April 22-23 meeting in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, can now officially go ahead. READ MORE
NATO and Russia edge warily toward a joint missile defense shield
NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen has appealed for a joint missile defense shield with Russia to cover Europe and offer protection from a possible terror attack. But analysts are still cautious about its prospects. READ MORE
President Medvedev Rocks at Brookings
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke to a capacity crowd at Brookings on April 13, addressing U.S.-Russian relations and Moscow’s perspective on a host of international questions. The style of his presentation was as interesting as the points he made. READ MORE
Russia’s Role in Kyrgyzstan Change
Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, was the first foreign political official to recognize the legitimacy of Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government. In stark contrast to the US State Department’s awkward statements about Washington’s intention to continue to cooperate with the Kurmanbek Bakiyev government that has not yet resigned, Putin scored credit among most Kyrgyz who were shocked by the recent violence in Bishkek. Putin’s recognition provided crucial support for the bravery and efforts of all those who stood against Bakiyev’s regime and dared to challenge the armed police. READ MORE
Russia in Europe and the West
Russia's ratification of European Court of Human Rights reform and debates about its strategic security relationship with NATO suggest that there could be a new turn in Moscow's relations with Europe and the transatlantic community, writes Michael Emerson, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). READ MORE
