Eurasia Insight

EURASIA INSIGHT
Analysis of current affairs

Central Asia: Russia Grapples with Labor-Migrant Dilemma
BY MASHA CHARNAY
With the onset of spring fast approaching, Russia is preparing for a new, incoming wave of labor migrants. Government officials in Moscow, including the head of the Federal Migration Service, acknowledge that the Russian economy needs guest workers in order to promote a steady growth rate. Nevertheless, the Kremlin has to maintain a delicate balancing act on the labor-migrant issue, given that xenophobic public attitudes remain strong.

Afghanistan: ICRC Grapples with Rise in Number of War-Related Civilian Casualties
A EURASIANET PHOTO STORY BY MONIQUE JAQUES
US and NATO forces in Afghanistan have faced heavy criticism from government officials in Kabul on the issue of civilian casualties. But it now appears that Taliban insurgents, not foreign forces, are inflicting the bulk of civilian casualties.

Turkey: Ankara Mulls Response after US Congressional Vote on Armenian Genocide
BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER
Turkey watchers in Washington must have been feeling a sense of déjà vu after the March 4 passage by a congressional committee of a resolution recognizing the mass killing of Armenians during World War I as genocide.

Georgia: Judges Learn to "Just Say No" to Outside Influences
BY MOLLY CORSO
A training school for prospective judges is winning cautious acclaim for fostering improvements in Georgia's much-maligned judicial system. But critics contend that one key challenge -- preventing judges from allowing outside forces to influence their verdicts - remains to be fully addressed.

Azerbaijan: Baku Debates Ditching Russian-Origin Last Names
BY MINA MIRADOVA
A draft law on dropping Russian endings from Azeri last names is fueling debate in Azerbaijan about how best to define the country's national identity.

Kazakhstan: Astana Finding that Running the OSCE is a Constant Challenge
A EURASIANET VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH VLADIMIR SHKOLNIKOV
The responsibility of running the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe may be having a moderating effect on Kazakhstan, Vladimir Shkolnikov, an expert on the workings of the Vienna-based multilateral organization tells EurasiaNet. For one, officials in Astana are finding that it is not so easy to impose their own political preferences on a group that comprises 56 member states, and which requires consensus to get anything done.

Afghanistan: Does Brazil Hold the Key to Afghan Stabilization?
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY MOHAMMAD ASIF RAHIMI AND M. ASHRAF HAIDARI
The development of Afghanistan’s agricultural sector has been overlooked by the international community, despite the fact that roughly 80 percent of the Afghan population lives in rural areas and scratches out a meager existence from the land. In trying to rectify the existing situation, the international community would do well to look to Brazil for answers.

Georgia and Russia Reopen Border
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY GIORGI LOMSADZE AND TEMO BARDZIMASHVILI
A year and a half after waging war, Georgia and Russia grudgingly reopened their land border on March 1, despite ongoing acrimony over Russia's failure to observe the terms of the two countries' 2008 cease-fire agreement.

Tajikistan: Ruling Party Rolls in Parliamentary Vote, But Observers Blow Whistle
BY KONSTANTIN�PARSHIN
The governing People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan is cruising to victory in the country's parliamentary election with almost 72 percent of the vote, according to a preliminary tally. Western election monitors, however, expressed disappointment with the conduct of the polling, saying that fraud boosted the governing party's winning margin.

Tajikistan: Yak Herders See New Challenges in Post-Communist World
BY A PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTEBOOK BY DAVID TRILLING
Orozbek's daughters are making green tea. As my eyes adjust to the darkness inside his family's yurt, the little girls fuss with plastic cauldrons of water around a small tin stove stuffed with yak dung.

Baby Bonuses Spark Birthrate Spike in Nagorno-Karabakh
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
Birth rates are reportedly booming in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh after the launch of an Armenian-Diaspora-financed program that offers cash payouts of at least $2,000 for each baby born.

Turkey: Twelve Senior Officers Jailed on Suspicion of Coup Conspiracy
BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
Turkish authorities on February 24 jailed 12 senior military officers, both active-duty and retired, on suspicion of plotting a coup. The jailings offer the clearest sign yet of the rapidly declining political influence of the Turkish military, which has overthrown four governments since 1960.

Central Asia: Holbrooke Makes Stealth Tour on Afghan Support Mission
A reticent Richard Holbrooke completed a lightning tour of Central Asia on February 21, a trip designed to bolster regional support for NATO efforts in Afghanistan. Publicly, the Obama administration's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan received vague promises of support from Central Asian leaders. Experts say the lack of concrete news indicates that Holbrooke's regional swing was little more than a diplomatic courtesy call.

Georgia: A Chicken in Every Pot for Tbilisi's First Direct Mayoral Vote?
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY BY MOLLY CORSO
The looming mayoral election campaign in Tbilisi is shaping up as an important test of Georgia's political maturity. Political parties and civil society activists are currently wrestling with the issue of demarcating the dividing line between savvy election-year politics and the improper use of public money to influence an election's outcome.

Armenia and Turkey: Washington Getting More Involved in Reconciliation Process
BY JOSHUA�KUCERA
The United States is stepping up its role in brokering reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, aiming to reinvigorate the stalled process. The impending debate over a US Congressional resolution to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, however, is shaping up as a wild card in the delicate process.

Afghanistan: Loyal Political Opposition Feeling Left Out in the Cold
BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
Violence in Afghanistan pays and offering the criticism of loyal opposition does not. So thinks Abdullah Abdullah, the losing presidential candidate in Afghanistan’s 2009 election. In an interview with EurasiaNet in Kabul, Abdullah derided Afghan government plans to contain the Taliban insurgency, complaining that new policies could end up undermining democratization and increasing the chances of renewed inter-ethnic strife.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Synchronizes His Watch with Russia’s
BY JOANNA LILLIS
President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s administration in Kazakhstan has received a diplomatic boost from Russia, as Astana strives to convene a summit of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe member states.

Uzbekistan: Karimov Reaps Deals and Praise from South Korea
South Korea is Uzbekistan’s new best friend. Not only has Seoul emerged as an important commercial partner for Tashkent, South Korean leaders are heaping praise on Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s management style.

Armenia Could Move First on Protocol Ratification, Parliamentary Deputy Speaker Says
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
A comment by a senior pro-government member of Armenia's National Assembly that the Armenian parliament could be the first to ratify a reconciliation deal with Turkey has provided a fresh twist in the ongoing heated debate about the fate of the peace package.

Azerbaijan: One Year Later, Murder of Air Force Commander Remains a Mystery
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
A year after the mysterious murder of Azerbaijani air force chief Lieutenant General Rail Rzayev, government investigators say they still have no idea about the killer's motive or identity.

Azerbaijan: Parliament Debates Celebration of President Aliyev's Mother's Birthday
BY MINA MIRADOVA
A member of parliament in Azerbaijan has proposed ditching the International Women's Day holiday on March 8 and replacing it with a celebration of the April 28 birthday of President Ilham Aliyev's late mother. The proposed change is stoking fresh debate about the Aliyev family's place in Azerbaijani society.

Afghanistan: Decoding Reintegration and Reconciliation
BY A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
"Reintegration" and "reconciliation" are two buzzwords that are driving stabilization efforts in Afghanistan these days. But the terms mean different things to different stakeholders in the process.

Azerbaijan: Base Shooting Focuses Attention on Possible Hazing in Military
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
A fatal shooting incident at a military base west of Baku is raising questions about the extent of hazing in Azerbaijan's armed forces.

Georgia: Tbilisi Ponders Implications of Ukrainian Presidential Vote
BY MOLLY CORSO
Officials in Georgia are downplaying speculation that the apparent victory of the pro-Russian candidate in Ukraine's presidential run-off will have negative repercussions for Tbilisi. But local analysts are predicting the Ukrainian result could cause a major shift in regional politics.

Kyrgyzstan: Utility Price Hike Squeezes Citizens
BY LIAT ASMAN
Utility consumers in Kyrgyzstan are bracing for the arrival of their first bills since energy and hot water tariffs skyrocketed at the outset of the new year. For many, the new utility rates may serve as a dose of cold reality that fuels anxiety about a potential decline in living standards.

Georgia: Tension High Along the Georgian-Ossetian Ceasefire Line
A EURASIANET AUDIO SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE
The Georgian-Russian conflict lasted for five days in August, 2008. But along the ceasefire line today both sides remain on a war-footing.

Tajikistan: Journalists Under Pressure as Parliamentary Elections Approach
BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN
With parliamentary elections fast approaching, print journalists in Tajikistan are coming under increasing pressure, media watchdogs say.

Kazakhstan: China Looking to Lease Land for Agricultural Purposes
BY JOANNA LILLIS
Kazakhstan's government is mulling a plan that would enable China to lease a large swath of Kazakhstani land for agricultural use. The proposed deal is stirring passionate opposition in the Central Asian state, with critics expressing concern about the country's sovereignty.

Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Seeks Prestige in Paris
BY JAMES DELLY
It seems fitting that opaque is the best word to describe Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's just-concluded visit to the City of Light.

Azerbaijan: Ex-Guggenheim Director Betting on Bilbao-Style Project for Baku
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Thomas Krens, the influential former Guggenheim Museum director who oversaw the museum's dynamic, yet controversial expansion to Bilbao, Spain, now has energy-rich Baku, Azerbaijan, in his sights.

Afghanistan: Washington Exploring Chinese Re-supply Route
BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
The United States is exploring the idea of expanding the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a supply line for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, by adding a Chinese branch. Sources familiar with the NDN tell EurasiaNet that US officials are also considering the possibility of seeking a sea-and-land route utilizing ports in the Russian Far East.