Innokentij Adyasov: Does Turkmenistan Have Enough Resources for the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline?
By actual freezing of NABUCCO project the attempts (starting from mid of 2011) to rehabilitate already forgotten (for the first time the idea of such gas pipeline was announced in 1996) project of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline have intensified. In March 2012 the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov visited Ukraine. In Kiev for uncovered joy of Ukrainian authorities Berdymukhamedov announced the idea of construction of the pipeline Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia (with optional branch to Ukraine) – Turkey – the European Union (EU) for supplies of gas to Europe by-passing Russia. The capacity of planned gas pipeline should comprise up to 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. READ MORE
The New Russian Empire
In his last major address as Russia's prime minister before retaking the presidency, Vladimir Putin outlined "five priorities" for his third presidential term. His fifth task is to boost cooperation across the Eurasian space, enhancing Russia's global position by having it lead a new effort towards integrating the states of the former Soviet Union. Speaking before the Duma last Wednesday, Putin said, "Creation of a common economic space is the most important event in post-Soviet space since the collapse of the Soviet Union." READ MORE
The Fuel Pools Of Fukushima: The Greatest Short-Term Threat To Humanity
Editor's Note^ This detailed report by our Contributor Washington Blog must be read very carefully. READ MORE
Simplistic portrayals of Putin as Bond villain cripple diplomacy
The West needs to look beyond the stereotypes if relations with Russia are to improve READ MORE
Examples of Europe’s double standards
OSCE/ODIHR comes as an effective tool to bring one group of countries to exert pressure on another one. READ MORE
The Baltic-Nordic Region Is Attractive, Sets A Good Example Of Regional Cooperation, Lithuanian Foreign Vice-Minister Says In Washington, D.C.
On 10 April in Washington, D.C., Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius discussed an upcoming NATO summit with Assistant Secretary for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon. The Vice-Minister participated in a round table discussion on Belarus together with representatives from U.S. think tanks and gave a lecture about the Baltic-Nordic-U.S. cooperation. READ MORE
Putin-Erdogan Alliance can Turn into Political Reality
As Turkish Mass Media reported, one of these days the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to visit Russia under the invitation of Vladimir Putin. As informed earlier, during the talks in Moscow between the Ministers of Culture and Tourism of Turkey and Russia Vladimir Putin contacted by phone Turkish Minister and asked to pass the greetings to his friend the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and also the invitation to visit Russia at his convenience. “Russian considers Turkey to be its best friend and we intend to develop these relations in any spheres”, this how most of Turkish Mass Media a quoted the comments of the Russian Government Head. It’s worth to add to this also the message that in course of the talks during the Summit on nuclear safety in Seoul the President of Russian Dmitry Medvedev invited Erdogan to visit Moscow to take part in the inauguration of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. READ MORE
Will Slovakia’s Robert Fico Be Another Viktor Orban?
What is going on in Central Europe? After Viktor Orban’s consolidation of power in Hungary, another political strongman has returned to the helm, this time in Slovakia. Former Prime Minister Robert Fico has once again assumed the leadership of Slovakia following his Smer-Social Democracy (SMER-SD) party’s landslide victory in last month’s elections. Like Orban in Hungary, Fico will preside over the first single-party cabinet in Slovakia since the collapse of communism in 1989. His coalition government between 2006 and 2010 had been accused of abuses of power and a lack of respect toward the opposition, media, and NGOs. And, much like his Hungarian counterpart, Fico could yet use his political mandate to attempt to reinterpret Slovakia’s history, change key laws, or battle with the European Union on nationalistic grounds. READ MORE
Latvian-Lithuanian Co-operation Perspectives
The Report on Latvian-Lithuanian Co-operation Perspectives was presented in January of this year by the ambassadors Neris Germanas (Lithuania) and Alberts Sarkanis (Latvia). In fact Lithuania’s foreign policy is directed toward the U.S., Russia, Belarus and Poland, whereas a close neighbor Latvia is somehow left aside. The authors of the Report ask: “Why… in reality today we are not closer and better acquainted with each other than with more distant neighboring nations? […]. Why are we incapable, despite the publicly declared unity, to coordinate and come forward with a common position which could be useful for us as well as for a wider region?” READ MORE
Russia and EU move one step closer to visa-free travel
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the government to present suggestions about easing visa rules for tourists, including those visiting while on a cruise and yachts, by June 1. READ MORE
