The European Commission imposed 19 demands to Ukraine that are connected with the prospects of Euro-integration of this country. Europe tests the Government of V. Yanukovich on the ability to fulfill its Euro-promises in practice. Will that be a kind of a bad try to approach the same as the one undertaken by Viktor Yushchenko earlier? Is the Government of Nikolay Azarov able for serious internal political changes for the sake of Euro-integration? In the end, who is Yanukovich for Ukrainian Euro-integration – a coffin maker or a savior? The questions are covered by the leading researcher of the International Economy and Foreign Affairs Institute of Ukrainian National Academy of Science Sergey Tolstov. READ MORE

Almaty is to hold the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum entitled "The Eurasian Dimension of the OSCE" on 14-16 May. In anticipation of this event, Interfax-Kazakhstan has spoken to the head of the forum's organizing committee, Kazakhstan's Senate Speaker and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev. READ MORE

Co-ordinated efforts are needed to battle the rise of Islamophobia, intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, told the OSCE Permanent Council. READ MORE

The European Commission assured Moscow that the EU's policy's towards its eastern neighbours is not a form of competition, with Brussels keeping the door open for "project-based" co-operation with Russia. READ MORE

European leaders have congratulated Conservative Party leader David Cameron on taking office as British prime minister, saying they don't fear a more euroskeptic course from the new leadership. READ MORE

Turkey and Brazil are trying to revive a stalled atomic fuel deal with Iran in an attempt to help the Islamic Republic avoid new UN sanctions over its nuclear program, Western diplomats said . READ MORE

Turkey, Russia signed a $20 billion deal on Wednesday to build a nuclear power plant with four reactors in Turkey. READ MORE

Astana has promised to open Kazakhstan’s border with Kyrgyzstan almost one month after the violent regime change in Bishkek. Astana remained reluctant to re-open the border despite numerous pleas from the Kyrgyz. The cost of the closed border was high – Kyrgyz businesses claim millions of dollars in losses. As Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Kazakhstan has also pledged that it will work on a special strategy to help stabilize Kyrgyzstan. READ MORE

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov warned that Iran will face serious consequences if keeps acting freely within a nuclear issue. Russia also declared that it doesn’t support the final document adopted during the international conference on nuclear disarmament in Teheran. At the background of the development of new UN sanctions to be imposed towards Iran, the tension in the relations of Moscow and Teheran attracted a special focus of international community. READ MORE

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, whose visit to Turkey begins today, wrote an article for Today’s Zaman ahead of his visit. Turkey and Russia will discuss plans to introduce a visa-free regime and ways to deepen cooperation in energy, economy, agriculture and security, in addition to political ties, during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Turkey. READ MORE