Country News Digest Issue #13
Editor: Eugene Imas Contributors: -Joseph Gates -Matthew O’Brien -Bree Swineford -Jillian Tetirick -Grace Tran
12/1/12-12/07/12
Country News Digest
An Azeri writer has criticized the creators of Armenia’s submission for Best Foreign Film for the Oscars, saying the story line is similar to that in his recent work “Dazzled by the Sun.” The Armenian film “If Only Everyone” tells the story of an Armenian woman who travels to her father’s grave in Azerbaijan and befriends an Azeri man.
Azerbaijan
Kansas City Star
Articles:
Hetq
Russia has finally responded to the new Georgian government’s overtures to re-establish diplomatic ties between the countries. Prime Minister Medvedev expressed willingness to cooperate on a humanitarian level, but stated that diplomatic relations could not resume without Georgian recognition of the “geopolitical reality” of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Georgia
RBTH.ru
Articles:
Trend.az
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met during the CIS summit in Turkmenistan this week to discuss further integration of the CIS and Armenia’s possible involvement in the Russian-led Customs Union. Until recently Armenia was reluctant to join citing the fact that it has no common borders with union members Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Armenia
Armenia Now
Articles:
Arka
Tuesday, NATO approved Turkey’s request for Patriot Missiles on its territory to defend against a possible Syrian attack. The decision comes amid growing concern the Syrian government may be preparing to use chemical weapons on its own people. NATO has insisted the measure is purely defensive, but both Russia and Iran criticized the decision as overactive.
Turkey
Hurriyet
Articles:
Reuters
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey on his first foreign visit in two months. In a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, the two leaders emphasized increasing trade ties between their countries despite continuing disagreement on policy toward Syria.
Russia
Washington Post
Articles:
CNN Blogs
Standard and Poor’s cut Ukraine’s rating down by one notch to a “B.” The rating has a negative outlook, with potential to downgrade further. Ukraine has requested aid from the IMF to meet $10 billion debt.
Ukraine
Bloomberg
Articles:
Reuters
Belarus is participated in an annual meeting between the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is taking place currently in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The countries are expected to examine issues relating to environmental cooperation and designate Belarus as the chairman of the CIS for next year.
Belarus
Trend
Articles:
Kazinform
The Ministerial Council of the EU’s Energy Community unanimously agreed to extend Moldova’s deadline to implement the Third Energy Package to 1 January 2020 from the earlier date of 1 January 2016. During the CIS Summit in Ashgabat this week, Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold further discussion over this issue. Moldova is currently negotiating a new gas contract with Russia’s Gazprom.
Moldova
All Moldova
Articles:
Tribuna
Country News Digest
Former Mineral Resources Agency head Uchkunbek Tashbayev has been charged on allegations of corruption. The allegations claim that under Tashbayev the agency embezzled gold and sold licenses on the black market. The government has been trying to clean up the mining industry since 2010.
Kyrgyzstan
Edmonton Journal
Articles:
BNE
Kazakhstan celebrated the new “First President’s Day” holiday on December 1. The holiday corresponds to the first election of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1991. The holiday was marked with festivities in the capital city of Astana.
Kazakhstan
Huffington Post
Articles:
Fox News
One week after blocking access to Facebook, the Tajik government is reversing course and allowing telecommunications firms to provide access to the social media website. The government has not stated why it decided to reverse its earlier decision. This is the second time Tajikistan has temporarily shut down Facebook only to reopen it shortly afterwards.
Tajikistan
WSJ
Articles:
RIA Novosti
Numerous human rights groups are urging the Karimov regime to mark Uzbekistan’s Constitution Day by releasing political prisoners. The holiday has been used before to free up room in the overcrowded prisons, but typically amnesty has been given to petty criminals rather than political offenders.
Uzbekistan
Star Tribune
Articles:
EurasiaNet
The US Senate approved Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford as the next commander of the International Security Assistance in Afghanistan. Dunford commanded the Marine force that led the invasion of Iraq in 2003, earning him the nickname “Fighting Joe.” He is one of the few senior military officers that have vocally endorsed the president’s drawdown plans. Articles: Washington Post Reuters
Afghanistan
Iran’s naval commander claimed the Islamic Republic downed another US drone this week after it crossed into Iranian airspace in the Persian Gulf. The allegedly captured Scan Eagle drone was displayed on Iranian state-run TV in front of a map of the Persian Gulf with the words “We shall trample on the U.S.” The US Navy and White House deny the allegation.
Iran
Wired
Articles:
New York Times
Today marks the beginning of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Leaders from the member states, with the exception of Kyrgyzstan’s president, will discuss greater regional integration in the economic and security spheres. The next CIS leadership summit will take place in Minsk, Belarus in 2013.
Turkmenistan
RFE/RL
Articles:
Aysor.am
Benj Binks, an Australian documentary filmmaker, is debuting his movie “Mongolian Bling” this Friday. Set in Ulaan Baataar, Mongolia’s hip-hop capital, the film focuses on three hiphop stars: Gennie, Gee, and Quiza.
Mongolia
Radio Australia
Articles:
ABC
Country News Digest
Estonia’s Prime Minister has refused Nord Stream AG Company’s request to conduct research on the country’s waters for a potential expansion route for a pipeline. Estonia’s defense minister stated that the surveys would pose a security risk.
Estonia
Baltic Business News
Articles:
RBTH.ru
Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite has announced the establishment of the composition of the new government. The two candidates who were declined belonged to the Party of Labor.
Lithuania
Voice of Russia
Articles:
Baltic Course
Latvia’s Association of General Practitioners has called for the resignation of the country’s Health Minister Ingrida Circene in a letter sent to Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis. The letter stated the Health Minister has still not “developed an adequate strategy for the development of primary health care,” and that her policies are “dangerous to society.”
Latvia
Baltic Times
Articles:
Leta
Janusz Piechocinski, the head of the Polish People’s Party (PSL), will assume the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy this week. Piechocinski recently issued statements that reveal the protection of jobs, especially in the industrial sector, as one of his top priorities.
Poland
Reuters
Articles:
Warsaw Voice
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with top Czech officials this week to lobby for the American firm Westinghouse’s bid to build a major extension of a nuclear power plant in the country, citing the Czech Republic’s need to gain greater energy independence. Westinghouse is currently competing with a Russian firm for the project.
Czech Republic
Examiner
Articles:
Moscow Times
Slovakia has abandoned its long-standing policy of holding tax rates at a flat 19% across the board, instead opting for a higher tax rate for corporations and high-earners. Proponents of the measure praise the move as a just method of reducing the budget deficit, while opponents dismiss the move as one that will diminish Slovakia’s ability to attract investment.
Slovakia
Bloomberg
Articles:
Slovak Spectator
During a visit to Baku for the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Intergovernmental Economic Commission, State Secretary Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary views Azerbaijan as crucial for Europe’s energy security. He indicated Hungary’s interest in the Nabucco gas pipeline project and recommended faster development of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-RomaniaInterconnector (AGRI) option.
Hungary
Turkish Weekly
Articles:
APA.az
The Social Liberal Union (USL) is predicted to win an estimated 57-60% of the vote in parliamentary elections this weekend. The USL is the major party behind Prime Minister Victor Ponta. President Basescu’s centre-right Right Romania Alliance is expected to garner 17% of the vote.
Romania
Novinite
Articles:
Reuters
Country News Digest
President Plevneliev vetoed and sent back to Parliament the Investment Promotion Act this week. His office cited the high barrier for obtaining residency permits as a primary reason for the veto. Plevneliev says that the proposed barrier of BGN 4 million investment and 50 jobs created is far above the EU average.
Bulgaria
Focus
Articles:
Sofia Globe
Albania
Albania set parliamentary elections for June 23, 2013. Albania is under pressure from the EU to hold free and fair elections.
RFERL
Articles:
Reuters
Serbia’s ambassador to NATO, Branislav Milinkovic, committed suicide on Wednesday. His motives for taking his own life are unknown.
Serbia
Huffington Post
Articles:
NY Times
A man threw a gasoline bomb into the American Embassy compound in Skopje this week. Reports indicate that the man had been drinking heavily and watching the 1991 American legal drama “Defenseless” prior to the incident. Upon arrest, the man cited the movie, which aired on television, as an influential factor in his decision to attack the embassy.
Macedonia
Associated Press
Articles:
Washington Post
Bouygues, a French construction company, is interested in building the Peljesac bridge in Croatia. Croatia revived a plan to build a bridge connecting Dubrovnik to the rest of the country.
Croatia
Bloomberg
Articles:
Croatian Times
Montenegro’s Parliament installed Milo Djukanovich as the Prime Minister this week, a position in which he has served for many years previously. Djukanovich has pledged to fight corruption and organized crime, although opponents have frequently accused his regimes of complicity in such crimes in the past.
Montenegro
Focus
Articles:
Reuters
Albania and Kosovo have released statements calling for the investigation of the former UN prosecutor on war crimes, Carla del Ponte, after she pushed for the retrial of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj following his acquittal in 2008 on charges of war crimes. The court hearing the retrial has since dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.
Kosovo
Radio Free Europe
Articles:
RAPSI
Slovenia elected Social Democrat and former prime minister Borut Pahor as the new president after a landslide victory against the incumbent Danilo Türk. Pahor won 67.4 percent of the vote compared to 32.5 percent for Türk. The record low voter turnout of 42 percent comes amid a wave of antiausterity protests.
Slovenia
Slovenia Times
Articles:
Washington Post
Country News Digest The ICTY denied the Bosnia & appeals of Bosnian Serb Herzegovina cousins Milan and Sredoje Lukic. In 2009 the pair was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Milan Lukic’s life sentence was upheld while Sredoje Lukic’s sentence was reduced from 30 years to 27.
BBC
Articles:
Novinite
The Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies is a U.S. Department of Education Title VI-funded National Resource Center (NRC) that strives to increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and challenges of the region stretching from Central Europe to the Pacific and from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas
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