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Editor: Eugene Imas Contributors: -Joseph Gates -Matthew OBrien -Bree Swineford -Jillian Tetirick -Grace Tran

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04/08/13-04/12/13

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Azerbaijan recently closed down Azad Fakir University (Free Thought University), which was a project funded by the West to promote democratic thinking. The Prosecutor-General stated that more information about the unexpected closing would be released after they conducted a preliminary investigation.

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A spokesperson for Russian president Vladimir Putin said that if the US chose to publish the list of Russians banned from entering the country, relations between Russia and the US would be severely strained. Those who are on the list will have their assets frozen and will be denied visas. BBC

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled in an interview this week that Russia is ready to strengthen ties with Georgia. Although he praised the pragmatism of the new Ivanishvili administration, he also reiterated that Russias recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would not be reversed.

Georgia

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Amnesty International has applauded the enactment of the new Criminal Procedural Code in Ukraine, but has called for further work to eradicate beatings and torture at the hands of the countrys police force. Amnesty International criticized Ukraine for failing to investigate numerous allegations of police abuse in previous years, emphasizing that the new criminal code was only the start of fixing the problem.

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In the capital city of Yerevan, two inauguration ceremonies took place simultaneously this week. On April 9, President Sargsyan was sworn into office in the National Assembly, while the runner-up in the election, Raffi Hovhannisian, held an opposing ceremony in Liberty Square to declare the peoples victory.

Armenia

The Swedish Foreign Ministry has announced it is sending a diplomat to Minsk for the first time since Swedish pilots dropped teddy bears over Belarus with signs calling for free speech last August. Following the incident, the Belorusian government expelled the Swedish ambassador and entire embassy staff.

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In southwestern Turkey, archaeologists found caves covered with ancient inscriptions, which were aptly described as the gates to hell. These caves, which emit poisonous gasses, matched the description for the gates of hell found in Greek and Roman mythology. In ancient times, the caves were used for sacrificial rites to Pluto, the god of the underworld.

Turkey

Moldova has suspended an arms contract with Armenia and insists that the sale will not go forward. The statement came during a meeting between Moldovas Defense Minister Marinuta and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Moldova Aliyev.

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Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Kyrgyzstan this week with a delegation of over 100 businessmen, pledging to boost bilateral trade to $1 billion. Erdogan also stated that Turkey was ready to assist Kyrgyzstan with turning the NATO Manas air base into an international airport. Officials signed agreements on bilateral cooperation in aviation, tourism, and forestry. Articles: Turkish Weekly RFE/RL

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An attack by a suicide carbomber in the Afghan city of Qalat killed 5 Americans this week. Among the victims was Anne Smedinghoff, the first diplomat to be killed since last years deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya.

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After becoming the worlds largest producer of uranium last year, Kazakhstan has renewed its proposal to host an international nuclear fuel bank at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant. The government of Kazakhstan has stressed its experience with nuclear testing under the Soviet Union and uranium mining today and has stated a desire to play a leading role in nonproliferation efforts.

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Last week Hassan Rohani, former head of Irans Supreme National Security Council and a negotiator on nuclear issues, announced his intention to run for the presidency of Iran in June as a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Muslim clerics history of loyalty to the regime could make his moderate views palatable to the current administration, which has a history of outlawing radical candidates.

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On Wednesday NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with President Emomali Rahmon to discuss Tajikistans role in helping the alliance conclude its mission in Afghanistan. Rasmussen thanked Tajikistan for overflight rights and the use of the Dushanbe airport. Rasmussen also announced plans for expanding the counter-narcotics training program established under the NATO-Russia Council.

Tajikistan

Turkmenistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea hosted a conference in Ashgabat to discuss ecological management of the Caspian Sea. Representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Iran attended. The main purpose of the event was to focus on regulating fishing activities and coordinating multi-national programs in environmental protection. Vestnik Kavkaza

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Rumors circulated that Gulnara Karimova, daughter of President Islam Karimov, was positioning herself for a larger role at home after the New York Times published an article saying she had resigned as her countrys UN ambassador. However, this week the Geneva mission denied the report. Speculation as to the line of succession arose after rumors circulated in March that President Karimov had suffered a heart attack. Articles: New York Times EurasiaNet

Uzbekistan

After several weeks of discussions between Rio Tinto and Mongolia surrounding the investment agreement for the massive Oyu Tolgoi mining project, an official with Rio Tinto has claimed that progress is being made. The mine is scheduled to become operational sometime this summer.

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On April 5, the prime ministers of Estonia and Russia held a bilateral meeting for the first time in eight years. Both sides were careful not to criticize one another as they have in the past, but instead outlined areas for cooperation, including improved border crossing administrations and eventually a visa-free regime.

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The Czech Republic has transported the last of the countrys highly-enriched uranium to Russia with the aid of U.S. and Russian teams. The Russians will convert the uranium into low-enriched uranium that can be used for civilian energy. Similar shipments took place in 2004 and 2010. World Nuclear News Articles: Washington Post

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Lithuanias tax agency has used Google Maps Street View to identify more than 100 tax dodgers. After the Street View application came online in Lithuania in January 2013, inspectors used it to find houses and construction projects, which were not declared on tax forms. Tax officials will back up their online investigations with visits to the sites.

Lithuania

Slovakia will begin talks with Russias Rusatom on the possibility of Rusatom taking over the construction of a new nuclear power plant for Czech CEZ. CEZ has offered its 49% share in the joint-venture project to Rusatom as the company shifts its focus back to its domestic Czech market.

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Swedbank, the largest lender in the Baltics, has revised its GDP growth forecast in Latvia from 4.1% to 4.3%. Officials at Swedbank cite lower levels of inflation than anticipated in January and February.

Latvia

Hungarys inflation rate fell to its lowest level in nearly four decades in March, according to a report by the countrys statistics office. Registering at a rate of 2.2%, Hungarys inflation rate was lower than the 2.5% predicted by analysts.

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Poland has yet to make up its mind on whether to support the building of a new branch of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline through its territory. Last week Polish Economics Minister Janusz Piechocinski met with Alexey Miller, head of Russian gas company Gazprom, amid a storm of protests from Gazprom that only the Polish government or the Polish national gas company PGNiG would be permitted to own a pipeline through Poland. Articles: RIA Novosti RT

Poland

The Bank of Cyprus plans to keep its Romanian operations frozen for an additional two weeks while it shops for a buyer as required by Cyprus international bailout deal. Cyprus has two branches that operate in Romania, Bank of Cyprus and Marfin, which account for 1.3 percent of the banking assets in the Balkans country. Romanias Central Bank governor has insured depositors they will not suffer any losses. Articles: Reuters Nine OClock

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Bulgarian prosecutors alleged that Czech power distributor CEZ had breached rules, which subsequently led to an increase in electricity prices. The high electricity prices had led to riots and demonstrations in the country. The Bulgarian energy regulator is moving to strip CEZ of its operating license.

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Croatia is scheduled to elect its first representatives to the European Parliament, as it prepares to join the European Union in the coming months. The 12 representatives will serve a one-year term before Union-wide parliamentary elections in 2014.

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On Tuesday, Albania pledged to hold a referendum on the import of waste products, a money making program that has recently been slammed by environmentalists. The government insisted that the program has attracted foreign investment and created 3,000 jobs, but following a petition that garnered 64,000 signatures, the government set December 22 as the day to hold a vote.

Albania

Filip Vujanovic has been declared the winner of Montenegros presidential election. The opposition is refusing to acknowledge the result, insisting that their candidate Miodrag Lekic captured a majority of the votes. This will be Vujanovics third term as president.

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The Serbian government has rejected an EU-mediated plan on normalizing relations with Kosovo. Serbia must normalize relations with its neighbors before it can start EU membership talks. Serbia expressed concerns that the rights of Serbian Kosovars would not be properly protected if it agreed to relinquish effective control of the northern portion of Kosovo.

Serbia

Former Kosovar Transport Minister Fatmir Limaj pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in organized crime. The prosecution said that Limaj was the head of an organized criminal group that gave tenders to companies that were willing to pay bribes. A local court in Kosovo is also expected to open a trial against Limaj for war crimes against Albanians.

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Thousands gathered in Skopje to welcome back Johan Tarculovski, a police officer who was convicted of war crimes by the UN tribunal in 2008. Tarculovski was convicted of murdering three Albanians and destroying 12 homes during a police raid in 2001. He is the only Macedonian to have been convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Macedonia

Slovenia failed to meet its target in the latest auction of treasury bonds. The country has continued to refuse an EU bailout and claims to have sufficient funds to wait until borrowing costs decline.

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The President of Republika Bosnia & Srpska Milorad Dodik Herzegovina angered Bosnian war victims during his testimony at the trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. Dodik accused the Muslims war-time leader Alia Izetbegovic of seeking to establish an Islamic state under Sharia law, saying that the Serbs only resorted to military action out of defense.

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The Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies is a U.S. Department of Education Title VI-funded National Resource Center (NRC) that strives to increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and challenges of the region stretching from Central Europe to the Pacific and from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas

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Box 571031, ICC 111, Washington, DC 20057-1031 Email: ceres@georgetown.edu Tel.: (202) 687-6080 Fax: (202) 687-5829

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