| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Today's
Issue:
- MOSCOW MAYOR, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER QUESTION RUSSIA-UKRAINE AGREEMENTS ON SEVASTOPOL Previous
Issue:
- UNCONVENTIONAL GAS EXTRACTION IN HUNGARY
Other Jamestown Publications:
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MOSCOW MAYOR, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER QUESTION RUSSIA-UKRAINE AGREEMENTS ON SEVASTOPOL
Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov called for the “return” of Sevastopol to Russia during a visit to that Ukrainian territory, on the anniversary of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry implicitly backed Luzhkov in a follow-up statement; and Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, attending the anniversary in Sevastopol, hinted that Russia would seek to retain its naval base there beyond the 20-year time frame of the agreement, that Russia signed with Ukraine in 1997.
Luzhkov, who has made such statements “spontaneously” on some previous occasions, acted methodically this time, with seemingly planned pronouncements, amply televised by Russian channels, at each of his three stops during the visit. TURKMENISTAN STAGES MILITARY EXERCISES
By Roger McDermott
Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov attended the high profile Galken 2008 military exercises held in the Kelete training range on May 5. Turkmenistan conducted these exercises with an “antiterrorist dimension” both to boost its international image as a neutral country taking the threat of terrorism seriously and to showcase selected facets of its armed forces. AZERBAIJAN JOINS THE MIDDLE EAST
By John C. K. Daly
Azerbaijan's massive hydrocarbon resources have begun to attract the attention of an increasing number of energy-poor nations in the Middle East, including Israel and Jordan. While the logistical problems involved in such deliveries would be daunting, as no direct pipelines currently exist, the diplomatic intricacies involved in such shipments would be even more formidable. Nevertheless, the diplomatic implications of such interest are both interesting and potentially significant. DTP FORMS NEW PARTY IN PREPARATION FOR LIKELY CLOSURE
By Gareth Jenkins
The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has formed a new political party in preparation for its likely closure by the Turkish Constitutional Court later this year. On May 9, 42 Kurdish politicians with links to the DTP formally applied to the Turkish Interior Ministry to form the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) (CNNTurk, May 9). |
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