Turkey & Ukraine: strengthening relations
While sitting drinking a coffee, catching up with friends in a Kiev hotel last week, I suddenly heard Turkish voices. Turning around, I was taken aback to see a sea of Turks taking over the lobby. Then I remembered that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was due to speak at the annual Yalta Security Conference the following day. It seems the preceding days were full of other meetings with representatives of the Ukrainian government and Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, and a number of other ministers that Erdoğan had brought with him in his large delegation. This included Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Economy Minister Zafer Cağlayan, Minister of Transport and Communication Binali Yıldırım and Minister of Energy Taner Yıldız. READ MORE
Gazprom and EU to meet face to face
The EU was not set on levying fines, but rather was interested in establishing a dialogue, European Parliament representative Bela Kovacs announced this week. READ MORE
Morningstar mission in the Caucasus
In early September, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev accepted the credentials of the new US ambassador Richard Morningstar. Thus, the period of instability in the work of the US embassy in Baku was finished. After the mission of Ann Dercy came to an end in July 2009, the position of the American ambassador was free for more than a year. Later the president of the US Barack Obama appointed to the position an experienced diplomat, the former co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Mathew Brayza by-passing the Senate. However, due to an active resistance of the Armenian lobby in the Senate Brayza’s career ended sooner than it should: he managed to work only for a year, after which his functions were not prolonged. READ MORE
Independent Gas Producers Were Left without Sales
«Gazprom» Figured Out the Way to Prevent Gas Production Reduction. It became known to Vedomosti that gas purchases from independent producers have been suspended for indefinite period. READ MORE
German diplomat: Turkey has no illusions about its EU bid
Turkey is not moving away from Europe but it is diversifying its international relations, Wolf-Ruthart Born, a former German ambassador to Turkey, tells in an exclusive interview. READ MORE
Poland’s Strategy
Polish national strategy pivots around a single, existential issue: how to preserve its national identity and independence. Located on the oft-invaded North European Plain, Poland’s existence is heavily susceptible to the moves of major Eurasian powers. Therefore, Polish history has been erratic, with Poland moving from independence — even regional dominance — to simply disappearing from the map, surviving only in language and memory before emerging once again. READ MORE
Vladivostok Shifts Into High Gear to Attract Asian Investors
Leaders from 20 nations around the Pacific Basin are gathering for their annual meeting on economic cooperation, held this year in Russia, a nation not often seen as a Pacific power. READ MORE
Nordic and Baltic ministers discuss closer partnership perspectives in Vilnius
The Vilnius meeting of foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic states (NB8) focused on perspectives of closer partnership and achievements of shared activities this year, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said. READ MORE
‘Big Game’ heating up on Caspian gas with Turkey’s Turkmen move
Top ranking representatives from Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerarbaijan and the European Union sat at the table yesterday to discuss adding Turkmenistan, reportedly the holder of world’s fourth largest natural gas reserves, to a $7 billion project that will carry the Azeri gas to Turkey. READ MORE
War in Iran may turn Caspian Sea region into arena of military operations
If the U.S. and Israel begin massive air attacks on Iran, Tehran can clearly respond to these actions. Border countries can be the target of some missiles, which it will use in the conflict. That is why, it is necessary to place modern radar systems in the countries bordering with Armenia and Iran, as well as along the coast of the Caspian Sea. READ MORE
