Russian officials want to establish a global presence for the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the wake of the signing of a cooperation pact between the Moscow-led group and the United Nations.
The UN-CSTO pact was signed in Moscow on March 18 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nikolai Bordyuzha, the CSTO's secretary general.
Russia wants to turn a newly minted Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan into its major vehicle for post-Soviet economic integration in Central Eurasia.
A sense of equilibrium appears to be returning to Tajik-Russian relations following Tajik President Imomali Rahmon's state visit to Moscow. The two sides seem to have made progress on two divisive issues - Russia's military base in Tajikistan and hydropower projects.
It is clear that nothing happened during Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's just-concluded visit to Moscow that could shake up a stalling relationship. Experts are still wondering, however, about what exactly occurred during Berdymukhamedov's talks with top Russian officials, including President Dmitry Medvedev.
The Russian economy may be coming under increasing stress, but that is not stopping the Kremlin from handing out credits and other forms of assistance to foreign governments. Mongolia is the latest nation to be favored with assistance authorized by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
As part of a one-two punch combination designed to send the Obama administration a powerful message, the Kremlin has followed up on Kyrgyzstan's announced intention to close the lone US air base in Central Asia by unveiling a Russian-led rapid reaction force.
The global economic crisis is forcing Russia to rethink its economic and geopolitical approaches toward the Caspian Basin. Whereas the Kremlin not too long ago was entertaining notions of prolonged regional dominance, now Russian officials are scrambling to avert a geopolitical implosion.
Russian leaders publicly have downplayed the significance of Uzbekistan's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Community. Yet, experts in Moscow say that Tashkent's action delivered a considerable blow to the Kremlin's strategic economic plans in Central Asia.
Russia is pressing for the creation of a new organization, dubbed the Caspian Economic Cooperation Organization, in an apparent bid to increase its influence over the region's vast energy resources.
