September 8th
Moldovan Referendum: Suffers Governing Alliance Crushing Defeat
Moldova’s constitutional referendum, held on September 5, has failed due to lacking a quorum, with only 29 percent voter turnout. The failure has triggered a full-blown crisis of legitimacy for the political system in general and the governing authorities in particular. READ MORE
History of Russian-Polish Relations
Polish history is closely intertwined with the history of Russia. Peaceful periods between the two countries were interspersed by frequent armed conflicts. READ MORE
Customs Union Project Shows Moscow's Power Deficit
At the beginning of July, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed a number of protocols establishing a customs union between the three countries. The union, scheduled to be fully operational in January 2012, will create a single common market of about 170 million people and represents the latest of several attempts by Moscow to create an effective trade bloc with its newly independent neighbors since the break-up of the Soviet Union. In addition to the economic ties maintained through the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russia first committed to a union with Belarus in 1994. READ MORE
September 6th
Russia, Azerbaijan to sign deal on boosting gas supplies
Russian gas giant Gazprom and Azerbaijan's state oil and gas company will sign a deal to increase supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Russia in 2011-2012 during the Russian president's visit to Baku on Thursday, RIA Novosti reported. READ MORE
NATO takes aim at energy
When during the meetings in Strasbourg and Kiel (in April 2009) the leaders of NATO decided to start discussions on a new strategic concept of NATO, nobody expected easy agreements. Nevertheless all the countries of the Alliance agreed that the key goal of NATO should be the establishment of the secure political environment. READ MORE
Azeri Deputy Speaker calls for increased Russian role in Karabakh settlement
Azerbaijani Parliament Deputy Speaker called for increased Russian role in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Baku on Saturday. READ MORE
Superpower Ambitions Weaken Russia
Over the past decade, Russia has made repeated attempts to demonstrate its growing power to the world. There are two main objectives behind these attempts: to obtain international recognition as a superpower and to coerce other states into partnership. Both goals are based on the political elite’s belief that Russia should be included on that list a priori by virtue of its huge territory, nuclear arsenal and economic potential. READ MORE
September 3rd
Russian President arrives in Baku for official visit
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Azeri capital for an official two-day visit on Thursday. READ MORE
Kyrgyz Officials Poised to Reject OSCE Forces
Kyrgyzstan’s top officials are against the deployment of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) 52-member Police Advisory Group. The OSCE can still “gracefully” cancel its decision to send the group to Kyrgyzstan, said Security Council Secretary Alik Orozov. READ MORE


