Whatever one thinks of his foppish red socks or penchant for Prime Ministerial underwear, famous Iraq whistleblower Sir Christopher Meyer is a sound chap when it comes to foreign policy. So when the UK's former ambassador to the US writes that “a return to 1815 is the way forward for Europe: the Congress of […]
In the midst of the SCO's annual summit and the US Republican Party Presidential Convention both the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune found space on their front pages to discuss Tajikistan's water woes. Now we have discussed Tajikistan much recently, mainly because of its hosting of the SCO summit, and we have […]
In a refreshing turn of events, Vladimir Putin has reportedly saved the lives of several journalists during a trip to a Siberian conservation area for the endangered Amur tiger (in accordance with the Lomonosov–Lavoisier Law of Conservation of Media, an opposition website owner in secessionist Ingushetia was ordered killed shortly afterwards). When a tiger […]
Continuing yesterday's discussion of the SCO's joint declaration being very neutral when it came to defending Russia's future and past actions in Georgia; What does this mean for Russia? What does this say about China? And What does it show about the four Central Asian states in the group and their position in the world? […]
So the 8th annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit has begun. The meeting started this morning in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (though China and Tajikistan started bilateral talks days before) and features the head of states of all six members (I wonder if President Hu Jintao will be wearing all of China's 51 gold medals?), top officials from […]
After his heady nights of rough and tumble in the Caucusus, Putin has left Medvedev holding the baby. That is the argument of at least one Russian commentator, writing in the popular mainstream web newspaper Gazeta ru. Vladimir Milov believes that Putin has avoided any public spotlight since his high profile control over the war […]
Russia's recognition of Ossetia and Abkhazia baffled me. On this blog, I have frequently tried to show alternative, Russian perspectives on matters that seem otherwise to be common sense, above debate, to Western audiences. But I just cannot see any benefits this move will bring. On the contrary, by uniting the traditionally friendly OSCE, pragmatic […]
The world is getting better, in some ways slowly, in other ways fast. What I mean by ‘better’ is a more safe and prosperous life for the average world citizen. But the world is also a very challenging place, and ripe with conflict, even in our ‘postmodern’ liberal-democracy-led 21st century. Two cases stemming from Afghanistan, […]
The latest edition of Private Eye, the finest satirical/investigative journal in the English language, is all about Russia & Georgia, with an Olympic flavour: Let's have a look, shall we? And the party-political angle:
Western retaliation against Russia for its actions in Georgia will do it more good than harm, according to the academic and actvist Boris Kagarlitsky. As Russian troops finally begin to withdraw from Georgia, the US and Nato are pondering the best punishment for its earlier invasion. The respected International Crisis group suggested that “the West […]
Good Friday, Friday Good. Today I want to take some time out and showcase some of the excellent work done by other FPA writers and bloggers that either directly or indirectly affect Central Asia, most involving the Georgia-Russia conflict. FPA contributer Marco Vicenzino has written two solid analyses of a Reassertive Russia Part I, Part […]
On July 22, just days before the Russian-Georgia conflict, US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher spoke before the OSCE Helsinki Commission regarding Kazakhstan's democratic and human rights progress before their scheduled 2010 OSCE Chairmanship. Before we get into how the US views their progress so far, it's never a bad […]
Every happy president is happy in his own way; all unhappy presidents resemble one another, by going to war to boost their approval ratings. (Medvedev approval rating courtesy of Levada Center poll, quoted in “Reiting Voennogo Vremeni”, Gazeta.ru, 20 Aug 2008).
It's that time of year again. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Annual Summit! The meeting will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on August 28, and foreign ministers from all six of its member states have already concluded a meeting going over a few topics to be discussed at the larger summit. The group of ministers decided […]
Two interrelated items today for your viewing pleasure. Descent Into Chaos We have already discussed Ahmed Rashid's new book Descent into Chaos: The US and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, but in light of changing events, Musharraf's resignation (here is an editorial by Rashid about Musharraf's leaving), the worsening […]