Opposition politicians and protesters gathered in Yerevan, claiming that Armenia’s November 7 referendum on constitutional reforms was marked with high rates of corruption. According to Armenia’s Central Election Commission, 63.5% of voters purportedly elected to pass a packet of over 200 changes to the constitution. One of the reforms would curb presidential powers but extend…
RIA Novosti reported that the United States government has refused to guarantee Ukraine’s liabilities on debt to Russia. The report stated that the US has officially refused to guarantee the $3 billion in debt that Russia was considering restructuring to relieve Ukraine from paying it back by the December 20 deadline. The Russian Ministry of…
Turkmenistan’s export options are steadily shrinking despite being one of the world’s largest natural gas reserve holders. Geopolitical conflicts, security and financing issues as well as lack of sufficient infrastructure are acting as constraints for market diversification. According to the U.S. government’s Energy Information Agency, Turkmenistan has natural gas reserves of 265 trillion cubic feet,…
Russia is expanding its presence in Syria, adding a second airbase as well as other command posts. Currently, Moscow has four operating bases in Syria including recently added bases in Hama and Tiyas. But now the West is most concerned about the second airbase in Shayrat capable of supporting fixed-wing aircraft which greatly expands Russia’s…
Tajikistan’s government is seeing human rights activists and others leave the country after it passed a law on NGOs similar to those of Russia and Azerbaijan. The amendments to an existing law on non-governmental organizations stipulate that NGOs must report the sources and amounts of their funding to the central government, and expanded the powers…
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree enforcing economic sanctions against Turkey in retaliation for the downing of a Russian military jet near the Syrian-Turkish border. The statement posted on the Kremlin’s website cites national security, listing a ban on chartered flights between Russia and Turkey, and ordered tour operators to refrain from offering trips…
Central Asian states are believed to be walking a diplomatic tightrope after Turkey’s downing of the Russian fighter jet. Being allies and trade partners with Russia but having close partnership with Turkey at the same time puts Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmen and Uzbeks in a difficult situation to hold a clear position. These are Turkic people…
Stratfor forecasts on potential changes in military order in the Caspian Sea amidst the recent developments in the littoral states. Currently, Russia holds the strongest navy and military activities in the Caspian waters among the five bordering states including Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Russia has a stake in every military drill and operation in…
Russian and Iranian leaders agreed to boost cooperation in a number of sectors during a meeting on the sidelines to of the Gas-Exporting Countries Forum that took place on November 23. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held a press conference after the meeting, during which they commented on their countries’…
The Crimean Peninsula was left without power after two pylons transmitting electricity from southern Ukraine were knocked over. RIA Novosti and RFERL reported that a group of activists from the Ukrainian Right Sector nationalist group and Crimean Tatars encircled the area, preventing the Ukrainian national guard, local authorities and electricians from assessing the situation. Crimea…
STEPPE DISPATCHES 