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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

RFE/RL Interview: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden

In an exclusive interview, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with RFE/RL correspondents Brian Whitmore and Abubakar Siddique about the U.S. administration's policy on Russia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Biden assured Central and Eastern Europeans of the United States' commitment to the region, and said that the United States will not ignore concerns about democracy in dealing with Iran on its nuclear program. READ MORE

A New War In The Caucasus?

By Vladimir Frolov

It has now become hard to deny that there is a relapse of terrorist activity in the Caucasus, particularly in Ingushetia and Dagestan, threatening to unravel the stability and calm that has emerged in this war-ravaged region in the last couple of years. What is the Kremlin to do? Has the policy of betting on Ramzan Kadyrov gone wrong, or is it still a reliable tool of fighting terrorism without provoking terror attacks on targets inside Russia? What are the real causes of terrorist activity in Ingushetia and Dagestan? READ MORE

Regional Cooperation In Central Asia: Improving The Western Track Record

Ву Martha Olcott

As the twentieth anniversary of the independence of states of Central Asia approaches, it is appropriate to review what the international community has learned about the efficacy of regional cooperation in responding to the challenges that the Central Asian region has faced. The article attempts to answer the question why the international community; particularly western defined or dominated institutions, have only been partially successful in working with the countries of the region to work towards the amelioration of these issues, and regional cooperation, cooperation between the five Central Asian states has been disappointing. READ MORE

NATO and World Security

By Zbigniew Brzezinski

In the course of its 60 years, NATO has institutionalized three monumental transformations in world affairs: first, the end of the centuries-long “civil war” within the West for trans-oceanic and European supremacy; second, the United States’s post–World War II commitment to the defense of Europe against Soviet domination; and third, the peaceful termination of the Cold War, which created the preconditions for a larger democratic European Union. READ MORE

New NATO Chief Favors Dialog With Moderate Taliban

The new head of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen says he is ready to open a dialog with moderate Taliban elements. His comments come amid reports that western soldiers were killed by insurgents in Afghanistan on Saturday. READ MORE

Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Hosts Us Military Refuelling, Resupply Operations

By Deirdre Tynan

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

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

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

Kazakhstan: Geopolitical Rivalry Flares At Nato Forum In Astana

By Joanna Lillis

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