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Azerbaijan Could Scuttle Nabucco Over Turkey-Armenia Deal

By Brian Whitmore

Azerbaijan has apparently decided to play its energy card. As much of the world applauded Turkey's historic rapprochement with Armenia last week, Azerbaijan felt left out in the cold and abandoned by its closest ally. READ MORE

Europe's Quiet Leader

By Anne Applebaum

Did you know that there were elections in Germany a month ago? Were you aware that the German Socialists were soundly defeated? Had you realized that there was now a new government in Germany? No? Then give credit -- both for the victory and the fact that you haven't heard about it -- to Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany. READ MORE

Uzbekistan Challenges Regional Electricity Supplies Network

By Erica Marat

Kyrgyzstan’s growing list of troubles has recently been further complicated by yet another predicament. Tashkent has announced that Uzbekistan is likely to leave the Central Asian power supply cascade in the coming months. According to Tashkent’s official interpretation, Uzbekistan can now provide its population with enough locally generated electricity and does not need to be part of the network created during the Soviet period. This means that Kyrgyzstan’s south and parts of Tajikistan will experience severe electricity shortages due to the break in regional cycles. READ MORE

Britain Attempts Own Russia 'Reset' With Miliband Visit To Moscow

By Kevin O'Flynn

After years of tension, Britain and Russia are attempting to reset their relations as the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, met with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. READ MORE

Bulgaria Ousted From Russia's South Stream Pipe

Russia has obtained all the permits necessary to build its 'South Stream' gas pipeline through Turkish territorial waters, discarding Bulgaria as one of the project's transit countries, the Russian press writes. READ MORE

Is the Sky is Clear Above All Georgia?

By Aleksey Kornilov

In December Abkhazia will hold another Presidential elections. Official election campaign hasn’t started yet, but its general lines are pretty evident. In a sense we can talk about return to the situation of 2004 – but in a mirror reflection. READ MORE

Energy: Are There Limits To Growth?

By Sergei Martynov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

Article to the challenges of future energy supply. READ MORE

Custom Union Impedes WTO Joining

By Aleksey Portanskij

Geneva welcomed first joint conferences of delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus with WTO member-states on joining this organization. As a result Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus intend to resume negotiations on joining the World Trade Organization as individual states, but in cooperation with each other. And the three states still strive to join WTO as soon as possible as a Custom Union. READ MORE

Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Energy-Reserve Controversy Continues To Flare

By Regis Gente

Are Turkmenistan’s energy reserve figures fudged or not? Just over a week after allegations first surfaced that the Turkmen government’s claims are grossly hyped, the controversy over Ashgabat’s export capacity is still flaring. Representatives of the firm that conducted the original audit are vigorously defending their reputation for thoroughness. Meanwhile, a whistleblower says he remains confident in the accuracy of his sources’ information. READ MORE

Russian Foreign Minister Speaks On Missile Defense, START, World Situation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave an interview to editors-in-chief of RIA Novosti, the Voice of Russia radio station, and the Russia Today TV channel in which he discussed topical issues of Russian foreign policy and current global developments. READ MORE