NATO in South Caucasus: Pragmatism or Farewell to Illusions?
A few years ago the subject of NATO’s role in regional policy in South Caucasus was one of the key within estimations and declarations of many politician, experts and reporters involved into the region. The August Russian-Georgian war of 2008, world financial-economic crisis, “Arab spring” and return of “classic” geopolitics into the region have changed the priority of perception of the North Atlantic Alliance in South Caucasus. NATO is already perceived by South Caucasian countries not the way as it was in the first part of 2000. In its turn Brussels also already not that ambitiously targets at South Caucasus. READ MORE
The CSTO Enfant terrible
Suspension of Uzbekistan Membership in the Organization May Have the Most Serious Consequences READ MORE
The U.S. and EU Participate in Trans-border Field Training Exercise with Armenia
The United States Departments of State, Defense, and Energy and the European Commission participated in a series of field training exercises with Armenia and Georgia from July 9-12. The exercises used realistic scenarios to demonstrate and strengthen notification and response procedures in the event of illicit movement of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-related materials. READ MORE
Ukraine Is Falling Behind Moldova, Georgia and Armenia in European Integration
In the European Union’s second Eastern Partnership Integration Index (EPII) report, trends evident already last year are continuing. Ukraine is moving “away from its one-time status as the ENP [European Neighborhood Policy] poster child.” This report confirms the EU’s assessment of the first year of the new ENP. “The area of deep and sustainable democracy experienced a further deterioration in 2011,” and “several leading opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Tymoshenko, were subjected to selective justice, characterized by un-transparent judicial processes,” the EPII proclaims. READ MORE
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry: EU needs political courage to condemn Armenian aggression
The European Union (EU) must evaluate the facts and the fact that we have - it's aggression, and it should be judged just as aggression, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told reporters on Saturday, commenting on statements by EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Philippe Lefort in Yerevan. READ MORE
The Secretary's Daunting Agenda
Late last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began her tour of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. In Scandinavia, she was to address several forums on climate change and green energy. While in Sweden, she also planned to discuss Internet freedom, Afghanistan and the Middle East. But it is in the mountains of the Caucasus and Turkey where Hillary will face the red meat of geopolitics: bloody ethnic conflicts over turf; religiously motivated massacres; and threshold nuclear states with global reach. READ MORE
Non-participation of Armenian President in NATO summit shows unwillingness to resolve Karabakh conflict
Non-participation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the NATO summit has proven his unwillingness to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, director of the Center of Political Innovations and Technologies, political analyst Mubariz Ahmedoglu told Trend. READ MORE
Presidents of Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Attend Seoul Nuclear Summit
Several Eurasian leaders were among the 54 heads of state, deputy prime ministers, or foreign ministers who attended the March 26-27 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea. The main objective of the summit was to prevent non-state actors such as terrorists or criminals from acquiring dangerous nuclear materials, a constant worry in the post-Soviet space due to the legacy of the USSR’s massive nuclear weapons program. READ MORE
Armenia Gears Up for New Nuclear Plant Construction
Armenia’s government seems to be pressing ahead with its ambitious plans to replace the aging nuclear power station at Metsamor, with a new plant meeting modern safety standards. Having secured Moscow’s support for and participation in the project, the government is now actively looking for other foreign investors that would finance at least half of its construction worth an estimated $4.5 billion. READ MORE
Paris “Bulldozer’ for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Armenia
Reaction of Armenian citizens on the decision of the Senate of France to criminalize the responsibility for denial of genocide was extremely emotional. It was up to that some participants of the action "Merci, France!", who gathered by the building of the embassy in Yerevan tried to kiss the hand of French Ambassador coming out to them, which confused the diplomat greatly. Some excuse for such “Eastern spontaneity” although can be the fact that in Turkey and Azerbaijan emotions (naturally negative) are also extreme. One of Baku radio stations, for example, banned French music in its air. READ MORE
