Country News DigestVol.2, Issue #10

04/01/13-04/05/13

Editor: Eugene Imas

Contributors:-Joseph Gates-Matthew O’Brien-Bree Swineford-Jillian Tetirick-Grace Tran

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Country News DigestHuman Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement on the recent

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Russiaarrests of seven youth activists for illegal possession of drugs, claiming that these arrests were intended to silence other activists critical of the government. HRW says that Azerbaijan has a history of arresting activists on false charges as a means to silence them.

Oppositionist Alexei Navalny stated that he intends to run for President on air on the Dyazdo Program on TV Dozhd. He is also due to stand trial later next month. Navalny said that he knows the verdict will be guilty, given that convicted persons are not allowed to run for office according to Russian law.

Armenia

Moldova

Belarus

Ukraine

Turkey

Two separate sessions of the Ukrainian parliament were held simultaneously in two locations as the opposition continues its blockade of the main parliament building. The ruling Party of Regions and its Communist allies left the main parliamentary building in Kiev and held session a short distance away.

Belorussian oppositionist journalist Olga Klaskovskaya was arrested this week in Sweden on charges of attempted murder. Swedish media sources have reported that Klaskovskaya is accused of trying to stab her ex-husband, a Swedish citizen. Last month Swedish authorities ruled that Klaskovskaya and her 11-year-old daughter should be deported back to Belarus for immigration violations.

Romania plans to include a provision and future referendum on granting Romanian citizenship to residents of Moldova. The issue has historically created friction between Romania and Moldova. The UK has also expressed concern over Moldovans entering the UK through the ‘back door’ once Romanians are granted full EU freedom of movement rights.

Georgian officials have expressed their criticism of a surprise Russian military

exercise in the Black Sea. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin holds that the snap drills were necessary to gauge the military’s combat-readiness, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry claims that they undermine the stability of the region.

Raffi Hovhannisyan, the runner-up in the presidential election,

decided to end his hunger strike after recently elected President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan agreed to meet with him. Sargsyan’s decision to meet with his defeated rival follows Hovhannisyan’s most recent letter to the president, which demands early parliamentary elections but does not challenge the election results.

The Turkish Parliament recently drafted a law on foreigners and international

protection, which states that individuals who are without citizenship may obtain identification cards in Turkey as stateless individuals. These stateless individuals can apply for permanent residency status after they have lived in Turkey for eight years.

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Articles:Voice of Russia Focus

Articles:RFE/RL Belta

Articles:Global Post Washington Times

Articles:Russia & India Report RBTH

Articles:RIA Novosti UPI

Articles:REFRL HRW

Articles:Azernews RFERL

Articles:Turkish Weekly Global Post

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Country News DigestKyrgyz citizens are threatening to topple the government if authorities

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan

do not expropriate the Canadian-operated Kumtor gold mine. Three opposition lawmakers who led demonstrations demanding the mine be re-nationalized last year were arrested last week on charges of trying to overthrow the government. Their supporters demanded they be freed by April 7, or else they will launch nationwide protests.

Insurgents in Afghanistan conducted a deadly raid on a government compound in Farah. The perpatrators targeted a courthouse located in the city in order to free fellow insurgents facing trial there. In total, 54 people died with upwards of 90 wounded. Officials report that the attack was the deadliest since 2011.

Mongolia

IranNegotiations between Iran and six world powers over the Iranian nuclear program are scheduled to reconvene on Thursday. A recent study has concluded that Tehran’s determination to become a nuclear power has cost the country at least $100 billion in oil income and international investments -- all this for a system which, after twenty years, still supplies no more than 2% of the country’s electricity.

On April 1, health week in Turkmenistan kicked off with government officials leading public calisthenic exercises. This year’s “Week of Health and Happiness” will run from April 1 until April 7, and 25 major sporting events are being held around the country.

Mongolia has announced its plan to construct a 627-mile-long highway, which will run from Mongolia’s border with China to its Russian border. Foreign investors are slated to provide 70% of the $3.5 billion that the highway is projected to cost.

On Tuesday the govern-ment of Kazakhstan an-nounced it will raise crude

oil export taxes by 50% starting on April 13. The revenue-based tax will rise from $5.70 per barrel to $8.20 per barrel. Kazakh officials have stated that the increased government income will be used for social spending.

The UN has tapped Kazakhstan to play the role of mediator between

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the planned Rogun Hydro Power Plant. Last week Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov traveled to both Dushanbe and Tashkent in an effort to resolve their dispute. Tajikistan sees the $251 million dam as the ticket to its energy independence, while Uzbekistan argues it will damage the flow of water to its cotton fields.

On April 3 a combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a

leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in the Burkah district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province. US military officials report the IMU leader was a vital source of intelligence and improvised explosive devices for the group and has led a number of insurgent cells in attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Afghanistan

Turkmenistan

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Articles:Bloomberg Economy Watch

Articles:EurasiaNet REFRL

Articles:The Telegraph CS Monitor

Articles:NBC News Global PostArticles:The Guardian 4-Traders

Articles:Financial Times Businessweek

Articles:Eurasianet Turkish Weekly

Articles:DOD RFE/RL

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Country News DigestLast week the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Lithuanian

Estonia

Lithuania

Czech Republicgovernment to pay 50,000 euros in damages to four of seven plaintiffs injured during the Bronze Soldier riots in 2007, citing police brutality and “lack of proper investigation” by the local justice system. Lithuania has three months to appeal the decision.

On April 2, the law legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes came into effect. Pharmacies are now able to legally sell marijuana to patients suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or psoriasis. Patients will need a prescription from a doctor, but it is unlikely that health insurance will cover the cost of medicinal marijuana.

Latvia

Romania

Hungary

Poland

Slovakia has moved into first place in automobile production per capita. The country manufactures 171 cars per every 1,000 citizens. The industry is estimated to employ 74,000 workers in Slovakia, making it a pillar of the state’s economy.

The central bank of Hungary has released its “Funding for Growth Scheme,” which aims to provide small and medium sized enterprises with interest-free loans. The total amount of said loans will total around $2.1 billion, a number smaller than many analysts predicted.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta nominated six new chief and deputy candidates for the general prosecutor’s office, anti-corruption department, and organized crime unit, defying EU calls for a more transparent judicial system. The move was a reversal of an earlier claim by the prime minister that he would only select candidates after a lengthy transparent process. Germany has threatened to veto Romania’s entry into the Schengen zone over corruption concerns.

The Bank of Lithuania reported this week that non-cash payments in-

creased by more than 15% in the country between 2011 and 2012. Debit card payments alone grew by over 25%, whereas the use of checks decreased by 17%. Vitas Vasiliauskas, Chair of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, says that this trend away from cash handling could allow banks to cut fees.

President of Turkey Abdullah Gul met with his Latvian counterpart

Andris Berzins in a visit that confirmed the close ties between the two countries. After signing agreements concerning transportation and logistics, the President of Latvia also expressed his country’s full support for Turkish EU accession.

The Polish government is seeking to change a law requiring its treasury to

hold at least a 51% stake in LOT Airlines. The airline experienced a loss of $36 million last year, after purchasing eight Boeing 737 Dreamliners, which were subsequently grounded. The government hopes to attract new buyers to the company by offering a controlling share.

Slovakia

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Articles:Reuters Bloomberg

Articles:Reuters Washington Post

Articles:Slovak Spectator PressEurop

Articles:Examiner Voice of RussiaArticles:ERR News Voice of Russia

Articles:Central Banking 4-Traders

Articles:Hurriyet Daily News Global Post

Articles:France24 Airwise

Country News DigestBulgaria recently began three days of public prayer following the seven self-

Bulgaria

Albania

Croatiaimmolations that have gripped the country. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders are joining together to hold special prayers this weekend. The Bulgarian president urged people to “pray for an end to the suicides and for passing through the crisis with patience and dignity.”

Slovenia’s parliament has voted unanimously in favor of supporting Croatia’s bid to join the European Union. The countries agreed to settle a longstanding dispute surrounding the Ljubljanska Banka in the Bank for International Settlements, clearing the way for the vote, which constituted Croatia’s final hurdle to EU entry.

Serbia

Macedonia

On Sunday Montenegrins head to the polls to vote for the country’s next president. The race pits incumbent and Prime Minister Djukanovic ally Filip Vujanovic against former diplomat Miodrag Lekic.

Serbian Director Smir Kusturica announced last week that he was planning on making a movie about organ trafficking in Kosovo. In an interview, Kusturica stated that organ trafficking was “the most brutal act and strongest sign of a return to pagan times.” Organ trafficking in Kosovo made international headlines in 2010 after the Council of Europe released a report alleging that the Kosovo Liberation Army trafficked prisoners’ organs in the late 1990s.

Slovenia’s new center-left government insists that the country is not headed towards a similar fate as Cyprus. The government announced that the country would be able to hold off on seeking funds until borrowing costs are lower. Slovenia is working on fixing and restructuring its ailing banking sector.

President Mohamed Morsy has announced Egypt is close to recognizing

Kosovo’s independence following a meeting with Albanian Foreign Minister Edmond Panariti on Sunday. During the visit Panariti and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr signed an agreement on cultural, technical and scientific cooperation. The two also discussed the situation in Syria.

The EU-mediated talks between Serbia and Kosovo have ended without an

accord. The talks focused on the status of northern Kosovo where Serbs constitute a majority of the population. Serbia must normalize relations with its neighbors in order to keep its EU accession plans on track.

On April 3, Macedonia announced that it would extend its visa-free regime

to Taiwanese nationals for another 5 years. Taiwanese nationals with passports would be allowed to stay in Macedonia for up to 90 days.

Articles:Reuters WSJ

Montenegro

Kosovo

Slovenia

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Articles:REFRL Balkan Insight

Articles:Global Post EuropeOnline

Articles:Reuters BloombergArticles:BBC Sofia Globe

Articles:Daily News Egypt Egypt Independent

Articles:Chicago Tribune ABC News

Articles:Argophilia Focus Taiwan

Country News Digest

Bosnia & Herzegovina

On Monday railroad workers in the Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina went on strike in protest of overdue wages. The railroad workers trade union organized the strike, estimated to coast Bosnia’s economy around 100,000 euros per day. The workers have not been paid since February.

Box 571031, ICC 111, Washington, DC 20057-1031

Email: ceres@georgetown.edu Tel.: (202) 687-6080 Fax: (202) 687-5829

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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Articles:Press TV Dalje.com