The diplomatic benefits of an undiplomatic outburst.

When Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a panel discussion with Israel’s President Shimon Peres in Davos last January, denouncing Israel’s offensive in Gaza and quoting the sixth commandment “Thou shalt not kill”, many wondered whether he had just demolished Turkey’s position as the bridge between the Jews and the Arabs, and between the West and the Islamic world. READ MORE

A famous German researcher, an expert in Central Asia Doctor Arne Seifert commented on current issues of Central Asian region. READ MORE

On March 17, Congressmen Adam Schiff, George Radanovich and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk introduced a resolution to the U.S. House of Representatives co-sponsored by over 70 House colleagues to recognize the Armenian "genocide" of 1915. The resolution is identical to the one introduced in both the House and Senate in the 110th Congress, which was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The timing of the legislation is especially critical, since President Obama will visit Turkey on April 6-7. Obama promised his American-Armenian supporters during his presidential election campaign that he would recognize the 1915 "genocide," yet his trip to Ankara will seek to improve U.S. relations with Turkey after the difficulties experienced in recent years. READ MORE

What will be the policy of the White House with Obama? Today, politicians and analysts can only guess, but they all agree that Washington won’t change its foreign policy course greatly, especially because it will be headed by a well-known Hillary Clinton, and position of the Security Minister is still occupied by Robert Gates. It will be possible to make certain conclusions only in April, after the summit of the “Great Twenty” in London. This meeting of the Presidents of the leading countries will be a political presentation of Barak Obama. There the US and Russian Presidents will meet each other for the first time. Deputy assistant of the US Secretary of State Mathew Bryza dwells on future of Russian-American and Georgian-American relations. READ MORE

The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow evaded signing the agreement on the East-West gas pipeline construction with Dmitry Medvedev. READ MORE

On March 10 in Moscow, Hungary's privately-owned MOL oil and gas company signed an agreement with Gazprom Export in Moscow to jointly establish a gas storage company in Hungary. Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Ferenc Gyurcsany witnessed the signing. This project is separate from and, in all probability, independent from Gazprom's South Stream pipeline project, one section of which is planned to traverse Hungary. MOL is not participating in South Stream (Interfax, March 10, 11). READ MORE

Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko paid an official visit to Ankara to meet with Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler. At the meeting, Shmatko inquired when the Turkish authorities would make their final decision to allow the Russian-Turkish consortium to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Guler said that assessments of the consortium's bid had reached the final phase. It was reported that the Turkish government would make its final decision after the provincial election on March 29. Before the visit the Turkish press speculated that Russian officials were coming to Turkey because of concern that the Turkish government might revoke the bid that was made by the Russian-Turkish consortium. READ MORE

Feodosiya import increased oil transferring in 2,8 times. Up to May, monthly oil processing volume will comprise not less than 200 thousand tons.

According to the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Transport and Communications, in January the transshipment port increased the transfer up to 216,5 thousand tons, in comparison with the previous January value of 75,1 thousand tons. READ MORE

Anne Pringle, a new British ambassador to Russia, presented her credentials to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on January 16, thus officially taking the office. Ms. Pringle has been in Russia since October 2008. She talked about preparations for an upcoming G20 financial summit in London. READ MORE

US President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown are making very public pleas for global cooperation ahead of a major economic summit.
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