Turkey’s importance to the EU should not be underestimated
Turkey’s unique geopolitical position, straddling both Europe and Asia (encompassing its proximity in the Middle East, Caucuses, Balkans, and Black & Caspian Sea regions specifically), has placed the country into a very advantageous position amongst all actors that are involved in any of these areas. Its longstanding membership in NATO and the Council of Europe, in addition to its historical military partnership with Israel, further underscores the fact that Turkey has long been, and continues to be, a partner of strategic importance to the West. Furthermore, with no end in sight to Europe’s reliance on imported Eurasian and Russian gas supplies, Turkey’s territory is the crossroads for the planned NABUCCO gas pipeline, which intends to decrease European reliance on Russian gas.

• June 2, 2010

Despite seemingly encouraging words about freedom of speech from Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, Russian opposition activists were again beaten and detained when they tried to hold peaceful protests across the country yesterday.

• June 1, 2010

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission (EC) have not changed their position, and continue to support Latvia's chosen economic program based on preserving the current valuation of the national currency and gaining entry to the eurozone, LETA was informed by the IMF representative office in Latvia.

• June 1, 2010

Alyaksandr Lukashenka's support is waning — both domestically and from Russia — and he now looks the the most vulnerable he has done for years. Yet the opposition's failure to unite behind a single candidate still seems set to hand him victory in the upcoming presidential election.

• June 1, 2010

Turkmenistan has launched work on a new gas pipeline that will connect the hydrocarbon-rich Central Asian country with western markets and decrease its reliance on Russia's delivery network.

• June 1, 2010

The head of Russia’s Gazprom on Friday concluded in talks with Ukraine’s energy minister that Gazprom and Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy, could move toward creating a joint venture on a parity basis.

• June 1, 2010

In a signal of waning interest in its eastern neighborhood, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Cathering Ashton, has reportedly proposed abolishing the posts of EU special representatives for the South Caucasus and Moldova.

• June 1, 2010

Since this winter's presidential election, in which pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich emerged the victor, Ukraine has experienced a massive turnaround.

• June 1, 2010