BERDIMUKHAMMEDOV BASES TURKMEN-KAZAKH RELATIONS ON ‘PRAGMATISM’
By Chemen Durdiyeva (6/13/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
On May 28-29, 2007, Turkmenistan’s President Kurbangeldy Berdimukhammedov paid a two-day official visit to Astana, Kazakhstan. Having met with his counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev and the head of the Kazakh Senate, he signed a number of long-term agreements in the sphere of trade, economics, military, culture and education. Within this context, Berdimukhammedov’s visit to Kazakhstan is his fourth official visit as head of state in six weeks.
THE AFGHANISTAN-RUSSIA RAPPROCHEMENT AND ITS GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
By Dmitry Shlapentokh (5/30/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
In the last month or so, two striking events have taken place: the shooting down of a Russian helicopter in Chechnya, and the increasing signs of assertiveness of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the creation of a Taliban quasi-state in the tribal areas of Pakistan. While these events can be seen as disconnected, they actually identify the increasing force of radical Islamists; in this context, one should look at the recent improvement in military cooperation between Karzai’s government and Russia’s leaders. In a spring 2007 visit, the Afghan government expressed the desire to buy Russian weapons and see their personnel trained in Russia, implicitly seeing Russia’s direct involvement in the conflict in some way.
CHANGES IN ARMENIA’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SET SCENE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
By Niklas Nilsson (5/30/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Results of the parliamentary elections in Armenia strengthened the position of the Republican Party of Armenia, in all likelihood providing for Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian replacing Robert Kocharyan as President in the 2008 presidential elections. The elections also introduced the newly formed Prosperous Armenia Party in parliament, a party widely seen as supported by President Kocharyan. Raffi Hovannisian’s Heritage Party represents a new opposition force and will, along with Artur Baghdasarian’s Country of Law Party, constitute the only opposition in parliament.
TURKISH INITIATIVE FOR PAKISTANI-AFGHAN DIALOGUE
By Haroun Mir (5/30/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The Turkish effort to reinvigorate negotiations between the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, after talks under the auspices of George W. Bush last October had failed, provides hope for building a constructive dialogue between the two nations. A further deterioration of relations between the two countries would only embolden religious extremists who threaten the stability of both countries.
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