Although President Viktor Yanukovych publicly portrays his foreign policy as multi-vector – balancing between Russia and the West – in reality, there has been a substantial shift in Ukraine’s orientation toward Russia (see EDM, November 3, 2009, January 20, 2010, January 29, 2010). Yanukovych’s multi-vectorism is pro-Russian in contrast to the pro-Western multi-vectorism pursued by President Leonid Kuchma.

• Date: 16.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 16.05.2012  |  External Relations  |  from jamestown.org

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Kyrgyzstan for an official visit, the press service of the Kyrgyz President reported on Wednesday. The invitation was accepted with gratitude.

• Date: 16.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 16.05.2012  |  External Relations  |  from en.trend.az

Could soccer succeed where a revolution, diplomacy and an age-old fear of Russia has failed?

• Date: 15.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 15.05.2012  |  Markets  |  from globalpost.com

Belarus and Kazakhstan underuse their potential in economic cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belarus Ergali Bulegenov told in an interview to the Belarus-1 TV Channel.

• Date: 14.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 14.05.2012  |  External Relations  |  from news.belta.by

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will skip a planned visit to the United States this month for a key global summit and a much-anticipated meeting with President Barack Obama, the Kremlin confirmed Thursday, as he faced pressure from protests and opposition criticism at home.

• Date: 10.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 10.05.2012  |  External Relations  |  from washingtonpost.com

Ukraine has postponed a summit of Central and East European leaders planned for this week after several of them said they would boycott it.

• Date: 08.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 08.05.2012  |  External Relations  |  from bbc.co.uk

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on India Monday to further cut its imports of Iranian oil, saying New Delhi should use its growing clout to help isolate the Islamic republic.

• Date: 07.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 07.05.2012  |  Markets  |  from channelnewsasia.com

Vladimir Putin took the oath as Russia's president today with a ringing appeal for unity at the start of a six-year term in which he faces growing dissent, economic problems and bitter political rivalries.

• Date: 07.05.2012  |  Published on EGF: 07.05.2012  |  Markets  |  from irishtimes.com