ISSUE # 03
02/04/2013
On 30 January 2013, Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said that Ukraine would remain a reliable transit country for Russian gas sent to the EU. He said this at a meeting with European Commissioner for Energy Guenther Oettinger. READ MORE

• February 8, 2013

Ukraine doesn't see why it should pay a $7 billion bill from Russia's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS), Ukraine's energy and coal industry minister said Thursday, Interfax reported.

• February 7, 2013

A scandal has erupted in Sweden after the Swedish Armed Forces chief, Sverker Göranson, said that his country wouldn’t last even two days against Russia, in an attempt to spur Sweden’s NATO entry.

• February 7, 2013

Growing tensions in U.S.-China trade relations generated by the rapid expansion of Chinese exports to the U.S. have led both countries to frequently resort to the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s dispute settlement mechanism (DSM).

• February 7, 2013

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during January 2013
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• Reports leak about the training of Turkish soldiers for missions to secure Syria’s weapons of mass destruction.
• Construction is underway on Kurdish Regional Government’s pipeline projects to Turkey. The project continues to be a thorn in the side of Baghdad, alienating it from Ankara as well as Erbil.
• KRG-Turkish cooperation is also key in Ankara’s efforts at creating a counterweight to the PYD in Syria, with pro-Masoud Barzani groups seen as a better option than PKK sympathetic militant groups.
• Turkey’s judicial and penal systems come under scrutiny despite substantial EU funding to improve prisoners living conditions.
• In a move to diversify away from cleaner gas-powered electrical production plants, tenders for coal powered plants are on the rise. The growth in coal power plants is part of a government effort to lessen reliance on gas supplies from Russia and Iran.

• February 7, 2013

At the meeting of Ministers for European Affairs in Brussels on 4 February, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vytautas Leskevicius called on the EU heads of state who will be attending the European Council meeting at the end of this week, to send a clear message about the aim to sign the Association Agreement with Ukraine, including a free trade area, reported BC Lithuania's MFA.

• February 6, 2013

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance has no intention of stepping back from its plans to establish a missile-defense system in Europe.

• February 6, 2013

Ukraine considers OSCE as being a unique platform for dialogue between the parties of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ukrainian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alexander Mishchenko said at a briefing in connection with the 21st Anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations on Wednesday.

• February 6, 2013