Carnegie Moscow Center
As ethnic tensions over immigration increase worldwide and the European models of multiculturalism and assimilation prove problematic, countries must find a comprehensive approach to coexistence that is acceptable both to immigrants and their new host countries.
The mass unrest in Moscow this December has demonstrated the failure of the authorities to maintain stability in a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.
Although Iran and Russia have substantial economic and military ties, Moscow is increasingly wary of Tehran’s growing nuclear ambitions, which have the potential to threaten Russia.
The attack by militants on the Chechen parliament is a new blow to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. It is becoming increasingly clear that Kadyrov’s heavy-handed methods for suppressing opponents are no guarantee of long-term security.
President Ahmadinejad’s meeting with the leader of Hezbollah is further evidence of Iran’s efforts to gain a foothold in the Middle East as one of the key regional players.
Parliamentary elections held in Kyrgyzstan on October 10 were the first under the country’s new constitution, which institutes a parliamentary system with a relatively weak president. They have shown the level of awareness in Kyrgyz society, demonstrating that people take an interest in their future.
Radical Islamist groups have become significant political powers in many parts of the world and the West has yet to establish a strategy for building relations with them.
The blast in Vladikavkaz is the latest episode in what is becoming a latent civil war in the North Caucasus, where the Russian authorities are facing an opposition with its own specific religious and political ideology.
The militant attack on Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov’s home village has shown the vulnerability of the Kadyrov regime, which is commonly considered the most successful in the North Caucasus and quite capable of guaranteeing stability.
As Moscow grapples with the question of whether to intervene to stop the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, it is forced to confront a vexing issue: can Russia utilize its political and military potential to help resolve local and regional conflicts in Central Asia?