Political Risk

Uzbekistan is travelling down a path of self-destruction followed by such international pariahs as Zimbabwe and North Korea, amid tightening political control and growing inequality,... 2006-03-08

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has already established himself as a shrewd negotiator in multilateral diplomacy, skilfully balancing relations with many of the world's major... 2006-02-09

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has already established himself as a shrewd negotiator in multilateral diplomacy, skilfully balancing relations with many of the world's major... 2006-02-08

The growing drugs trade through the Tajik territory is creating various problems for the ex-Soviet republic. As Tajik officials seek international assistance to tackle the security... 2006-02-06

After a widely condemned referendum on constitutional changes in November, and with parliamentary and presidential elections due in 2007 and 2008, we expect a dynamic year in domestic... 2006-02-06

Russia has won itself few allies with its heavy-handedness during the recent gas price dispute with Ukraine. Gas supplies to the rest of Europe were disrupted when Moscow turned off... 2006-02-06

President Lukashenko is evidently not a gambling man: if there was previously any doubt as to whether he would comfortably win the upcoming Presidential elections – and in our eyes... 2006-01-09

After the period of relative political uncertainty preceding the much-hyped parliamentary elections in November, stability was restored by a resounding win for the ruling New Azerbaijan... 2006-01-09

Turkmenistan, the second-biggest gas producer after Russia in the region, is looking to reorientate its energy market away from the former Soviet Union. A lucrative new gas deal with... 2006-01-06

In November, President Putin conducted a mini-reshuffle among his top officials, moving Kremlin chief of staff Dmitry Medvedev to government as first deputy prime minister, and promoting... 2005-11-30