By Robert L. Larsson (7/2/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: Georgia’s current reform of the security establishment encompasses the restructuring of institutions, separations of areas of responsibilities for the various ministries and departments, and increased civil control over the armed branches of the state. To this day, the impact has been less than modest. As far as the armed forces are concerned, training of staff and procurement of material and weapons have been undertaken within the U.By Stephen Blank (7/2/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: In the April, 2003 energy accord between Russia and Turkmenistan, Russia secured for itself a strong position throughout Central Asia in regard to gas while perpetuating its rent-seeking and colonialist exploitation of Turkmenistan. Although this deal clearly shortchanged Turkmenistan’s future so that President Niyazov could further consolidate his position at home; most attention focused on the energy aspects of this deal and the tremendous leverage it gave Russia and which Moscow has subsequently exploited throughout Central Asia. However, the side payment that Russia made to Niyazov, namely that he could essentially force Russians in Turkmenistan to give up their Russian citizenship and passports and compel them to choose either Russian or Turkmen residence, has subsequently triggered an explosion in Russia.By Elin Suleymanov (7/2/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: In an area where a tradition of regional cooperation has yet to be established, the very fact of reaching multilateral agreements of such complexity and significance as the BTC project implies has produced the basis not only of this one pipeline, but also set a precedent of mutually beneficial cooperation and laid the basis for further development of the East-West transportation corridor. A unique, harmonized legal regime for the construction of the pipeline emerged from meticulous multi-year negotiations among specialists from the three transit countries, industry executives, and western government representatives. However, it is the very symbol of promising potential of regional cooperation, the HGAs, that are the center of the controversy.By Vano Matchavariani (6/18/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
BACKGROUND: Given a two percent annual increase in world energy consumption projected by the U.S. Department of Energy, political volatility in the Middle East and an American desire to find additional, non-OPEC oil sources, alternative energy sources have become an important American foreign policy priority.The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst is a biweekly publication of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, a Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center affiliated with the American Foreign Policy Council, Washington DC., and the Institute for Security and Development Policy, Stockholm. For 15 years, the Analyst has brought cutting edge analysis of the region geared toward a practitioner audience.
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