Israel's Defense Ministry says it has successfully tested the upgraded Arrow antimissile system for the first time during a joint exercise with U.S. forces.

• February 25, 2013

Iran says it has found major new uranium deposits and is planning to expand its nuclear power programme.

• February 23, 2013

Opposition politician Andrei Sannikov, recently released from jail in his native Belarus, urged the international community to impose tougher sanctions on his country to end human rights abuses

• February 23, 2013

Turkey has proposed that Armenia take part in its comprehensive regional transportation project linking Europe to Asia, if there are concrete developments in solving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, presenting this proposal also to OSCE Minsk Group, Turkish Hürriyet Daily News newspaper reported.

• February 23, 2013

Despite what the Kremlin says, Russia is not threatened by so-called Western values.

• February 22, 2013

Ukraine has signed a contract for the supply of natural gas with an annual volume of up to five billion cubic meters (bcm) with Germany's RWE, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

• February 22, 2013

A sign of Russia’s defensiveness, bordering on paranoia, is that some senior Russian officials regard the recent buzz about shale gas and oil as American propaganda designed to undermine Moscow’s clout as an energy producer.

• February 22, 2013

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during February 1-15th 2013
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• Domestic politics heat up as the opposition CHP accuses Prime Minister Erdogan of authoritarianism in seeking the presidency after his term as prime minister is up.
• A judicial reform aimed at clarifying aspects of Turkish terrorism laws aims to placate EU critics and could lead to the release of hundreds of imprisoned activists.
• Turkey continues to try to avoid a direct military intervention into Syria’s civil war, though fears of the sectarian conflict’s spread has the country on edge.
• U.S. sanctions aimed at Iran’s nuclear program necessitate Turkish efforts at diversifying its energy reliance away from Tehran.
• Israel makes overtures to Ankara regarding a natural gas pipeline in the eastern Mediterranean.
• ….while construction is set to begin on the TANAP gas pipeline following ratification of the agreement by both Turkish and Azerbaijani parliaments.

• February 22, 2013