Editor: Eugene Imas Contributors: -Joseph Gates -Matthew OBrien -Bree Swineford -Jillian Tetirick -Grace Tran

Country News Digest Issue #13

12/1/12-12/07/12

An Azeri writer has criticized the creators of Armenias submission for Best Foreign Film for the Oscars, saying the story line is similar to that in his recent work Dazzled by the Sun. The Armenian film If Only Everyone tells the story of an Armenian woman who travels to her fathers grave in Azerbaijan and befriends an Azeri man.

Azerbaijan

Country News Digest

Russia

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey on his first foreign visit in two months. In a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, the two leaders emphasized increasing trade ties between their countries despite continuing disagreement on policy toward Syria. Washington Post

Kansas City Star

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Hetq

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CNN Blogs

Russia has finally responded to the new Georgian governments overtures to re-establish diplomatic ties between the countries. Prime Minister Medvedev expressed willingness to cooperate on a humanitarian level, but stated that diplomatic relations could not resume without Georgian recognition of the geopolitical reality of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgia

Standard and Poors cut Ukraines rating down by one notch to a B. The rating has a negative outlook, with potential to downgrade further. Ukraine has requested aid from the IMF to meet $10 billion debt.

Ukraine

RBTH.ru

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Trend.az

Bloomberg

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Reuters

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met during the CIS summit in Turkmenistan this week to discuss further integration of the CIS and Armenias possible involvement in the Russian-led Customs Union. Until recently Armenia was reluctant to join citing the fact that it has no common borders with union members Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Armenia

Belarus is participated in an annual meeting between the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is taking place currently in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The countries are expected to examine issues relating to environmental cooperation and designate Belarus as the chairman of the CIS for next year.

Belarus

Armenia Now

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Arka

Trend

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Kazinform

Tuesday, NATO approved Turkeys request for Patriot Missiles on its territory to defend against a possible Syrian attack. The decision comes amid growing concern the Syrian government may be preparing to use chemical weapons on its own people. NATO has insisted the measure is purely defensive, but both Russia and Iran criticized the decision as overactive.

Turkey

Hurriyet

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The Ministerial Council of the EUs Energy Community unanimously agreed to extend Moldovas deadline to implement the Third Energy Package to 1 January 2020 from the earlier date of 1 January 2016. During the CIS Summit in Ashgabat this week, Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold further discussion over this issue. Moldova is currently negotiating a new gas contract with Russias Gazprom.

Moldova

Reuters

All Moldova

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Tribuna

Former Mineral Resources Agency head Uchkunbek Tashbayev has been charged on allegations of corruption. The allegations claim that under Tashbayev the agency embezzled gold and sold licenses on the black market. The government has been trying to clean up the mining industry since 2010.

Kyrgyzstan

Country News Digest

Edmonton Journal

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BNE

The US Senate approved Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford as the next commander of the International Security Assistance in Afghanistan. Dunford commanded the Marine force that led the invasion of Iraq in 2003, earning him the nickname Fighting Joe. He is one of the few senior military officers that have vocally endorsed the presidents drawdown plans. Articles: Washington Post Reuters

Afghanistan

Kazakhstan celebrated the new First Presidents Day holiday on December 1. The holiday corresponds to the first election of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1991. The holiday was marked with festivities in the capital city of Astana.

Kazakhstan

Irans naval commander claimed the Islamic Republic downed another US drone this week after it crossed into Iranian airspace in the Persian Gulf. The allegedly captured Scan Eagle drone was displayed on Iranian state-run TV in front of a map of the Persian Gulf with the words We shall trample on the U.S. The US Navy and White House deny the allegation.

Iran

Huffington Post

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Fox News

Wired

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New York Times

One week after blocking access to Facebook, the Tajik government is reversing course and allowing telecommunications firms to provide access to the social media website. The government has not stated why it decided to reverse its earlier decision. This is the second time Tajikistan has temporarily shut down Facebook only to reopen it shortly afterwards.

Tajikistan

WSJ

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Today marks the beginning of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Leaders from the member states, with the exception of Kyrgyzstans president, will discuss greater regional integration in the economic and security spheres. The next CIS leadership summit will take place in Minsk, Belarus in 2013. RFE/RL

Turkmenistan

RIA Novosti

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Aysor.am

Numerous human rights groups are urging the Karimov regime to mark Uzbekistans Constitution Day by releasing political prisoners. The holiday has been used before to free up room in the overcrowded prisons, but typically amnesty has been given to petty criminals rather than political offenders.

Uzbekistan

Benj Binks, an Australian documentary filmmaker, is debuting his movie Mongolian Bling this Friday. Set in Ulaan Baataar, Mongolias hip-hop capital, the film focuses on three hiphop stars: Gennie, Gee, and Quiza.

Mongolia

Star Tribune

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EurasiaNet

Radio Australia

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ABC

Estonias Prime Minister has refused Nord Stream AG Companys request to conduct research on the countrys waters for a potential expansion route for a pipeline. Estonias defense minister stated that the surveys would pose a security risk.

Country News Digest

Estonia

Baltic Business News

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United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with top Czech officials this week to lobby for the American firm Westinghouses bid to build a major extension of a nuclear power plant in the country, citing the Czech Republics need to gain greater energy independence. Westinghouse is currently competing with a Russian firm for the project. Examiner

Czech Republic

RBTH.ru

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Moscow Times

Lithuanias President Dalia Grybauskaite has announced the establishment of the composition of the new government. The two candidates who were declined belonged to the Party of Labor.

Lithuania

Slovakia has abandoned its long-standing policy of holding tax rates at a flat 19% across the board, instead opting for a higher tax rate for corporations and high-earners. Proponents of the measure praise the move as a just method of reducing the budget deficit, while opponents dismiss the move as one that will diminish Slovakias ability to attract investment.

Slovakia

Voice of Russia

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Baltic Course

Bloomberg

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Slovak Spectator

Latvias Association of General Practitioners has called for the resignation of the countrys Health Minister Ingrida Circene in a letter sent to Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis. The letter stated the Health Minister has still not developed an adequate strategy for the development of primary health care, and that her policies are dangerous to society.

Latvia

During a visit to Baku for the Azerbaijani-Hungarian Intergovernmental Economic Commission, State Secretary Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary views Azerbaijan as crucial for Europes energy security. He indicated Hungarys interest in the Nabucco gas pipeline project and recommended faster development of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-RomaniaInterconnector (AGRI) option.

Hungary

Baltic Times

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Leta

Turkish Weekly

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APA.az

Janusz Piechocinski, the head of the Polish Peoples Party (PSL), will assume the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy this week. Piechocinski recently issued statements that reveal the protection of jobs, especially in the industrial sector, as one of his top priorities.

Poland

The Social Liberal Union (USL) is predicted to win an estimated 57-60% of the vote in parliamentary elections this weekend. The USL is the major party behind Prime Minister Victor Ponta. President Basescus centre-right Right Romania Alliance is expected to garner 17% of the vote.

Romania

Reuters

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Warsaw Voice

Novinite

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Reuters

President Plevneliev vetoed and sent back to Parliament the Investment Promotion Act this week. His office cited the high barrier for obtaining residency permits as a primary reason for the veto. Plevneliev says that the proposed barrier of BGN 4 million investment and 50 jobs created is far above the EU average.

Country News Digest

Croatia

Bulgaria

Bouygues, a French construction company, is interested in building the Peljesac bridge in Croatia. Croatia revived a plan to build a bridge connecting Dubrovnik to the rest of the country.

Focus

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Sofia Globe

Bloomberg

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Croatian Times

Albania set parliamentary elections for June 23, 2013. Albania is under pressure from the EU to hold free and fair elections.

Albania

Montenegros Parliament installed Milo Djukanovich as the Prime Minister this week, a position in which he has served for many years previously. Djukanovich has pledged to fight corruption and organized crime, although opponents have frequently accused his regimes of complicity in such crimes in the past.

Montenegro

RFERL

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Reuters

Focus

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Reuters

Serbias ambassador to NATO, Branislav Milinkovic, committed suicide on Wednesday. His motives for taking his own life are unknown.

Serbia

Albania and Kosovo have released statements calling for the investigation of the former UN prosecutor on war crimes, Carla del Ponte, after she pushed for the retrial of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj following his acquittal in 2008 on charges of war crimes. The court hearing the retrial has since dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.

Kosovo

Huffington Post

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NY Times

Radio Free Europe

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RAPSI

A man threw a gasoline bomb into the American Embassy compound in Skopje this week. Reports indicate that the man had been drinking heavily and watching the 1991 American legal drama Defenseless prior to the incident. Upon arrest, the man cited the movie, which aired on television, as an influential factor in his decision to attack the embassy.

Macedonia

Slovenia elected Social Democrat and former prime minister Borut Pahor as the new president after a landslide victory against the incumbent Danilo Trk. Pahor won 67.4 percent of the vote compared to 32.5 percent for Trk. The record low voter turnout of 42 percent comes amid a wave of antiausterity protests.

Slovenia

Associated Press

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Washington Post

Slovenia Times

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Washington Post

Country News Digest

The ICTY denied the Bosnia & appeals of Bosnian Serb Herzegovina cousins Milan and Sredoje Lukic. In 2009 the pair was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Milan Lukics life sentence was upheld while Sredoje Lukics sentence was reduced from 30 years to 27.

BBC

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Novinite

The Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies is a U.S. Department of Education Title VI-funded National Resource Center (NRC) that strives to increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and challenges of the region stretching from Central Europe to the Pacific and from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas

Box 571031, ICC 111, Washington, DC 20057-1031 Email: ceres@georgetown.edu Tel.: (202) 687-6080 Fax: (202) 687-5829