Russia no longer needs to veto the U.N. Security Council's (UNSC) resolution on the mandate of U.N. observers in Georgia, which expires on June 15. Intimidated by Moscow's veto threats, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and some key UNSC members have bowed to Russian demands and agreed to change key wording in the Secretary-General's report that recommends a new mandate for the observers. READ MORE

On 1 June in Vienna, Lithuanian and Kazakh diplomats started a two-week long training, thus preparing to chair the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The training is organised by the Centre for OSCE Research, which is part of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. READ MORE

Gazprom has gone from being a great commercial hope to an ailing giant. Gazprom`s owners need to face up to the crisis and institute reforms. READ MORE

The end of the “five-days war” and Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence gave a new powerful impulse for the discussion of the Caucasian region future. International summits, conferences, official visits and informal consultations go on almost non-stop. And sometimes it is pretty difficult tell progress from “diplomatic tourism”. READ MORE