By Teymur Huseyinov (3/26/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: A Doctrine on National Security, second in importance only after the Constitution in the contemporary international system, has been absent in Azerbaijan during Heydar Aliyev’s presidency, although he has been in power for close to ten years. The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan obliges the President-elect to present such a document to the Parliament shortly after the elections, but the current administration has not yet done so. This in spite of the fact that two presidential races have been held in 1993 and in 1998, and that a third one is to be held in October of this year.

By Ariel Cohen (3/26/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: According to government statistics, Kazakhstan is boasting an impressive 9.8 percent economic growth rate in 2002. It further expects GDP to grow at annual rates of 6.

By Hasan Kanbolat & Suat Kiniklioglu (5/8/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: One of the major features of the Putin administration is the increasing tendency to stem centrifugal forces within the Russian Federation and strengthen the Center. In response, the federal republics as well as all other administrative units (krai, oblast, federal city, autonomous oblast and autonomous okrug) are using every opportunity to maintain and possibly increase the political, economic, social and cultural autonomy attained during the Soviet and immediate post-Soviet era. The current struggle between these two opposing trends is destined to determine what sort of federalism will prevail in the Russian Federation.