Central Asia & Caucasus: governments spending heavily on arms
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have gone on a weapons spending spree over the past decade, collectively increasing their defense spending five-fold, according to a report recently released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Ukraine's Premier Wants 'Clean Slate'
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, seeking to revise a gas contract with Russia, called for the two sides to forget the legacy of Ukraine's previous government during talks Thursday with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine govt draws blank in first Russia gas talks
A first attempt by Ukraine's new government to secure lower Russian gas prices ended without visible success on Tuesday, although Kiev might refresh talks at a meeting of the countries' prime ministers later this week.
The Coming China-India Conflict: Is War Inevitable?
By sheer demographics, it's the world's most important relationship. China and India comprise 40% of humanity and boast economies that are expected to loom large over the 21st century.
Russian customs union may undermine Georgia embargo
Russia’s customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan may provide a loophole that will allow Georgian goods to enter Russia for the first time since an embargo was imposed in 2006, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said.
Russia, China urged Iran to change nuclear stance
Russia and China have quietly made clear to the Iranian government they want Tehran to change its approach to the nuclear issue and accept a U.N. atomic fuel offer, Western diplomats said.
Putin crashed Abkhazian dreams
Last week there was a visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Belarus where he took part in a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of the union state.
Collective Defense in Central Asia Contradicted by Rising National Spending
Despite the impact of the global economic crisis on all of the economies within the former Soviet Union, averaging a 7 percent decline in GDP in 2009, defense spending has increased in each state with the exception of Belarus (which remained unchanged in 2009 year-on-year at 1.5 percent of GDP).
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