Although the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula has been drawing most international attention, from the perspective of Central Asia, another interesting question is whether the new South Korean government will pursue as vigorous a Central Asian strategy as its predecessor.

• Date: 16.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 16.03.2013  |  External Relations  |  from jamestown.org

Sergei Shoigu, a former long-time emergency situations minister (MChS) and a former Moscow region governor is a well-known and popular figure in Russia—according to recent independent Leveda-Tsentr polls, he is at present more popular than Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

• Date: 15.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 15.03.2013  |  External Relations  |  from jamestown.org

The Ministry of Energy & Coal Industry of Ukraine informs that Stavitsky was received by First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyubov, met with Industry & Energy Minister Natig Aliev, participated in a meeting with involvement of representatives of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Azerenerji OJSC.

• Date: 13.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 13.03.2013  |  Energy  |  from abc.az

Jihadi groups in Syria could have been behind last month’s attempted assassination of opposition leaders at a Turkish border crossing, according to a leading analyst.

• Date: 13.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 13.03.2013  |  External Relations  |  from guardian.co.uk

Russia and Ukraine are close to reaching an agreement on the clearance of Black Sea Fleet (BSF) vessel movements outside their bases, the Ukrainian website zn.ua reported on March 2, citing sources familiar with the talks.

• Date: 13.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 13.03.2013  |  External Relations  |  from jamestown.org

Pakistan risks ending up on the wrong side of American sanctions on doing business with Iran, said a leading daily Tuesday.

• Date: 12.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 12.03.2013  |  External Relations  |  from nydailynews.com

The lease of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) to Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom jeopardizes national interests of Ukraine, independent energy expert Volodymyr Saprykin said on air of Channel 5.

• Date: 12.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 12.03.2013  |  Energy  |  from interfax.co.uk

Kazakhstan does not exclude the possibility of transporting its oil through the new Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway to the Persian Gulf, the general director of KazTransOil JSC Kairgeldy Kabyldin told Trend.

• Date: 12.03.2013  |  Published on EGF: 12.03.2013  |  Energy  |  from ilna.ir