EURASIA INSIGHT
Analysis of current affairs

Afghanistan: Decoding Reintegration and Reconciliation
BY A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
"Reintegration" and "reconciliation" are two buzzwords that are driving stabilization efforts in Afghanistan these days. But the terms mean different things to different stakeholders in the process.

Azerbaijan: Base Shooting Focuses Attention on Possible Hazing in Military
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
A fatal shooting incident at a military base west of Baku is raising questions about the extent of hazing in Azerbaijan's armed forces.

Georgia: Tbilisi Ponders Implications of Ukrainian Presidential Vote
BY MOLLY CORSO
Officials in Georgia are downplaying speculation that the apparent victory of the pro-Russian candidate in Ukraine's presidential run-off will have negative repercussions for Tbilisi. But local analysts are predicting the Ukrainian result could cause a major shift in regional politics.

Kyrgyzstan: Utility Price Hike Squeezes Citizens
BY LIAT ASMAN
Utility consumers in Kyrgyzstan are bracing for the arrival of their first bills since energy and hot water tariffs skyrocketed at the outset of the new year. For many, the new utility rates may serve as a dose of cold reality that fuels anxiety about a potential decline in living standards.

Georgia: Tension High Along the Georgian-Ossetian Ceasefire Line
A EURASIANET AUDIO SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN ALPEYRIE
The Georgian-Russian conflict lasted for five days in August, 2008. But along the ceasefire line today both sides remain on a war-footing.

Tajikistan: Journalists Under Pressure as Parliamentary Elections Approach
BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN
With parliamentary elections fast approaching, print journalists in Tajikistan are coming under increasing pressure, media watchdogs say.

Kazakhstan: China Looking to Lease Land for Agricultural Purposes
BY JOANNA LILLIS
Kazakhstan's government is mulling a plan that would enable China to lease a large swath of Kazakhstani land for agricultural use. The proposed deal is stirring passionate opposition in the Central Asian state, with critics expressing concern about the country's sovereignty.

Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Seeks Prestige in Paris
BY JAMES DELLY
It seems fitting that opaque is the best word to describe Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's just-concluded visit to the City of Light.

Azerbaijan: Ex-Guggenheim Director Betting on Bilbao-Style Project for Baku
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Thomas Krens, the influential former Guggenheim Museum director who oversaw the museum's dynamic, yet controversial expansion to Bilbao, Spain, now has energy-rich Baku, Azerbaijan, in his sights.

Afghanistan: Washington Exploring Chinese Re-supply Route
BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
The United States is exploring the idea of expanding the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a supply line for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, by adding a Chinese branch. Sources familiar with the NDN tell EurasiaNet that US officials are also considering the possibility of seeking a sea-and-land route utilizing ports in the Russian Far East.

Georgia: Tbilisi's "Little" War Poses Big Challenge to Western Security System
A EURASIANET BOOK REVIEW BY REGIS GENTE
A new book by Ronald D. Asmus, A Little War That Shook the World: Georgia, Russia and the Future of the West (Palgrave Macmillan), looks at the big security picture in Europe. Asmus contends that the five-day conflict in 2008 "raised some big questions about the future of European [s]ecurity." Finding answers, Asmus adds, will require a coordinated response from the United States and the European Union.

Georgia: Tbilisi Blames Moscow for End of Anti-Kremlin Satellite Channel's Broadcasts
BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
Officials in Georgia believe that Kremlin skullduggery has succeeded in pulling the plug on a Georgian satellite television channel capable of broadcasting Russian-language content throughout the former Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan: Foreign Minister's Arrival in Washington Highlights Democratization vs. Security Debate
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Kazakhstan's foreign minister, Kanat Saudabayev, is in Washington from February 1-4. He is expected to seek US backing for two prestige events: a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to be held in Kazakhstan; and a one-on-one meeting between US President Barack Obama and Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Afghanistan: Kabul Observers Downbeat on London Conference
BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
Observers and humanitarian aid workers in Kabul are giving lackluster reviews to the London conference on Afghanistan.