Carnegie Moscow Center
Russia and Turkmenistan have a new set of issues to tackle: Russian military activities in the Caspian Sea and problems along the Afghan border have joined natural gas contract negotiations and the status of ethnic Russians in Turkmenistan atop the countries’ bilateral agenda.
The Kremlin has embarked on an anti-Turkish campaign that does not differentiate between the government and ordinary people, the economy and cultural ties, or even the concepts of “Turkish” and “Turkic.” This approach risks alienating Moscow from its most loyal allies in Central Asia.
There are several reasons for extending the military presence of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan.
At the moment, Russia and Iran remain partners in Syria, but their cooperation will be limited.
Israel’s economy is very successful, but there are some key problems which act as impediments to the country’s future economic and social development.
The limited information available from the recent CIS summit in Kazakhstan suggests that Russia’s neighbors—and especially the states bordering the Caspian Sea—did not approve of Moscow’s military strikes in Syria.
Migration and the Syrian refugee crisis continue to affect Europe. How will the EU respond to this challenge?
In light of the crisis in Syria, and as part of its mandate to promote democracy and development in the region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) has initiated a program named The National Agenda for the Future of Syria (NAFS).
The increase of Russian supplies and presence in support of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime is part of the Russian plan to start negotiations on the ground to resolve the Syrian crisis.
By establishing a strategic presence in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin is securing the future of a vital ally in the Middle East.