President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan will visit Korea in September, for a summit with President Lee Myung-bak. They will discuss issues of mutual concern, according to visiting Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Friday.

• July 6, 2012

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during June 2012 Key Points:

• Syria shoots down a Turkish military plane, greatly heightening tensions between the countries.
• Although Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan threatens action in response to any further threats from Syria, domestic opinion polls from just prior to the incident show a Turkish public hesitant to confront the Assad regime.
• Meanwhile, the CHP and AKP party leadership meets in an attempt to revive reconciliation efforts with the country’s Kurdish minority.
• As constitution discussions continue, Erdogan’s statements on the necessity of a strong presidential office worries his critics who fear he will take over and extend his reign as head of the country following the end of his term as prime minister.
• In the energy sector, Azerbaijan and Turkey appear to have finalized the TANAP pipeline agreement while Turkish Energy Minister, Taner Yildiz, discusses the future of nuclear power in Turkey at the World Economic Forums.

• July 6, 2012

A Snapshot of Key Developments in the External Relations of the Russian Gas Sector1 Key points:

• Gazprom Chairman of Board of Directors Viktor Zubkov and CEO Alexei Miller retain their positions as the Gazprom Annual General Shareholders Meeting elects a new Board of Directors and approves record dividends of 8.97 Roubles per share
• Gazprom’s Annual General Shareholders Meeting also approves Gazprom’s Annual Report 2011, which marks a record-breaking year for additions to gas reserves, sales revenues, net profits, and investment in the gasification of Russia’s regions
• The first string of Nord Stream reaches full capacity. Construction of the second string was completed in April, with deliveries scheduled to begin in October

• July 6, 2012

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, at the 14th Central Asia Media Conference which opened today in Ashgabat, called upon the authorities in Central Asia to ensure that the Internet is a free and open space and to guarantee freedom of the media and expression online, the organization reported on Thursday.

• July 5, 2012

Following talks in Baku President Herman Van Rompuy of European Union and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan have made statements.

• July 5, 2012

Iran's announcement that it plans to build its first nuclear-powered submarine is stoking speculation it could serve as a pretext for the Islamic state to produce highly enriched uranium and move closer to potential atom bomb material.

• July 5, 2012

Russia on Wednesday denied holding talks with the United States about offering Syrian President Bashar al-Assad exile as a way out of 16 months of bloodshed that has claimed more than 16,500 lives.

• July 4, 2012

Iranian and international technical experts have exchanged details on proposals to end the standoff over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program and a new meeting will be set soon, the European Union said Wednesday.

• July 4, 2012