Political Risk

First Georgia, then Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, heightened Western expectations and sparked Russian fears when the incumbent Moscow-friendly premiers were replaced by pro-Western leaders... 2005-10-03

The new government has failed to establish a working relationship with parliament sufficient to help it hurry through key reform legislation.

Two years after the rose revolution, progress in the transition to a market economy has been mixed.

The latest quarrel with Poland highlights President Lukashenko's disdain for the West, and his determination to prevent the export of democracy to Belarus.

The IMF has welcomed Uzbekistan's progress on fiscal consolidation and moves to tighter monetary policy.

Recently elected President Bakiyev has questioned the continuing presence of the US military in the Central Asian state.

Even though there are almost three years to go to the next scheduled presidential election, both the authorities and potential opponents are already gearing up for the contest.

Progress on negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are difficult to gauge, given the mixed signals from both sides.

Turkmenistan's eternal president, Saparmurat Niyazov, is gradually strengthening control over his regime, alienating the population.

The opposition in Azerbaijan is uniting in its efforts to ensure that parliamentary elections in November are democratic and transparent, and has threatened mass protests if this... 2005-07-04