Valentinas Mite

Also by Valentinas Mite

• April 05, 2005

  Ukraine: Is Kyiv Set To Become A Close U.S. Ally?

  Presidents Yushchenko (left) and Bush in Washington on 4 April Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday continued his official visit to the United States. The new Ukrainian leader has already held talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, and is due to meet over the next several days with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On Wednesday, Yushchenko is scheduled to address both houses of Congress, and honor reserved only for America's closest allies? Just how close are the U.S. and Ukraine getting?

• April 02, 2005

  Kyrgyzstan: Delegation Due in Moscow As Akaev Signals Agreement to Resign

  Ousted President Akaev (file photo) Kyrgyz officials said today that ousted President Askar Akaev has given his verbal agreement to resign from office without returning to Kyrgyzstan. In interviews yesterday with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz and Russian services, Akaev said he would be willing to resign, but only in the Kyrgyz parliament and in accordance with Kyrgyz law. Now, however, deputies are preparing to travel to Moscow to secure his resignation there. The ousted leader has repeatedly asked the new interim government to promise security guarantees and respect Kyrgyz law. But some analysts say Akaev's conditions may be hard to meet.

• March 30, 2005

  Ukraine: New Government Moving On Reforms -- But Not Fast Enough For Some

  Three months have passed since Ukraine's Orange Revolution. Viktor Yushchenko and other opposition figures who led last winter's street protests now occupy government offices. Analysts say the government is trying to implement the reforms it promised -- and is succeeding in some cases. But many Ukrainians are hoping to see more reforms -- and sooner.

• March 25, 2005

  Central Asia: Regional Officials Cautious As Oppositions Rejoice At Events In Kyrgyzstan

  Putin (in file photo) broke a virtual silence among regional leaders on events in Kyrgyzstan The official response in Central Asia has been muted to the swift ouster of President Askar Akaev's administration on Thursday. Such caution is to be expected in a region populated by regimes with notoriously spotty records on democracy and human rights. Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped into that void during a visit to Armenia on Friday, condemning what he described as "illegitimate" efforts to overthrow the Kyrgyz government. But he also hastened to say that Moscow knows the Kyrgyz opposition well and wants to maintain relations with Bishkek.

• March 24, 2005

  Kyrgyzstan: Why Did Opposition Meet So Little Resistance?

  Protesters in Bishkek today Opposition protesters appeared today to hold the advantage in Kyrgyzstan. Demonstrators in the capital who stormed the presidential compound met with very little resistance. Protesters in the southern provinces of Osh and Jalal-Abad, too, have occupied government buildings without any major confrontations with police or security forces. Why did the government fail to put up a better fight?

• March 24, 2005

  Kyrgyzstan: North-South Divide Is A Factor In Politics

  President Akaev is from the north High mountains divide northern and southern Kyrgyzstan, where unrest has followed disputed parliamentary elections that ended nearly two weeks ago. A single road unites the two parts of the country. The division is not merely geographical, however. In many ways it extends to ethnic, economic, and political disparities. President Askar Akaev comes from the north; the leading opposition figures from the south.

• March 18, 2005

  Russia/Ukraine: Putin Heading To Kyiv For Awkward Summit

  Ukrainian President Yushchenko Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Ukraine on 19 March for the first time since Viktor Yushchenko came to power after defeating his Kremlin-backed rival. Russia and Ukraine face a difficult task as they try to head in separate political directions without damaging their economic interdependence.

• March 17, 2005

  Russia: Chubais Escapes Moscow Attack

  Russia's Anatoly Chubais, who escaped unscathed from an attack in Moscow on 17 March (file photo) Prague, 17 March 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The head of Russia's state-controlled electricity monopoly, Anatolii Chubais, escaped unharmed today when his car was sprayed with automatic weapons fire in Moscow following an explosion.

• March 16, 2005

  Iraq: Assembly Holds First Session, Without Government Deal

  Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi (file photo) Iraq's National Assembly held its first session on 16 March, six weeks after Iraq's first democratic elections and two years after the U.S.-led invasion. The session was largely ceremonial, as Shi'a Muslim and Kurdish politicians have not yet finalized a deal to form a new government.

• March 15, 2005

  Iraq: Would-Be Coalition Partners Continue Talks To Form Government

  Ibrahim al-Ja'fari will be the new prime minister Talks on the formation of a coalition Iraqi government continue ahead of the inaugural session of the National Assembly, scheduled for tomorrow. The Shi'a-dominated United Iraqi Alliance, which won more than half the seats in parliament, is locked in negotiations with Kurdish political groups.

• March 11, 2005

  Georgia: Russia Calls Parliamentary Resolution On Bases 'Counterproductive'

  The Russian Defense Ministry has criticized as "counterproductive" a unanimous vote by the Georgian parliament pressuring Moscow to close two Russian military bases in Georgia. The nonbinding resolution, passed yesterday, demands that Russia agree a timetable by 15 May for vacating the bases and withdrawing some 4,000 troops. Should Russia fail to do that, the Georgian lawmakers have vowed to outlaw any Russian military presence in their country from 1 January 2006. The dispute is at the heart of ongoing bilateral negotiations. But the Georgian side appears convinced that the Kremlin's heart is not really in those talks.

• March 11, 2005

  Chechnya: Succession Could Signal Shift Toward Battle-Hardened Youth

  Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov, who was killed on 8 March (file photo) Chechen rebel leaders announced on 10 March that the duties of their president are being passed to the young head of a religious court who was hand-picked by his predecessor. While relatively little is known about Abdul-Kharim Saidulaev, independent observers suggest his elevation marks a shift among Chechen leaders toward younger, battle-hardened men infused with strong religious faith. The change could spell trouble for those seeking a negotiated peace to this long-running conflict in southern Russia.

• March 09, 2005

  Chechnya: Was Maskhadov A Terrorist Or A Legitimate Leader?

  Aslan Maskhadov Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov's death at the hands of Russian special forces yesterday has highlighted the dispute that has long raged over his role in the war-ravaged republic. Who was Maskhadov? The international terrorist that Moscow has branded him, or a legitimate leader of the Chechen people? The answer depends on whom you ask.

• March 04, 2005

  Moldova: Communists Expected To Do Well In Elections

  Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin (file photo) Moldova holds parliamentary elections on 6 March amid hopes among the fractured opposition for some kind of Ukrainian-style Orange Revolution. The elections will determine the country's president -- which by law is elected by parliament. RFE/RL looks at the main candidates, the issues, and the chances that the opposition's hopes will be met.

• March 04, 2005

  Key Witness Found Dead In Ukraine

  Yuriy Kravchenko Prague, 4 March 2005 -- Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko was found dead in his home today just hours before he was scheduled to be questioned about the killing of an investigative journalist.

• March 03, 2005

  Azerbaijan: Editor's Killing Sparks Accusations Of Political Motives

  Elmar Huseinov (file photo) The editor in chief of an Azerbaijani opposition magazine has been shot dead in front of his home in Baku. Elmar Huseinov had repeatedly faced lawsuits from Azerbaijani officials for articles published in his magazine "Monitor." Rights groups are linking the killing to Huseinov's journalistic activities.

• February 23, 2005

  Baltics: Leaders Differ Over Attending Anniversary of Soviet Victory Over Nazis

  Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus (file photo) The presidents of the Baltic States are divided whether to participate in festivities in Moscow that this May will mark the 60th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The Latvian leader has decided to participate but the Lithuanian and Estonian Presidents have yet to make up their minds. The decision is complicated by the fact that the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 led to a half-century occupation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

• February 23, 2005

  Iraq: Shi’a Alliance Names Al-Ja’fari Premier Candidate

  Ibrahim al-Ja'fari (file photo) The Shi’a alliance that won Iraq's national elections in January has named Ibrahim al-Ja’fari as its candidate for the position of prime minister. The nomination came as challenger Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid for the post amid pressure from within the group. Ja’fari still faces competition from Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who received 14 percent in January’s elections. Al-Ja’fari’s United Iraqi Alliance won a clear majority in the 275-member interim parliament.

• February 21, 2005

  Ukraine: Yushchenko Goes To Brussels To Ask EU For Membership Talks

  Viktor Yushchenko (file photo) Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko travels to Brussels today to try to convince European Union officials to open membership talks with his country by 2007. The EU plans to adopt an action plan for Ukraine giving Kyiv certain benefits, including better trade terms and fewer visa restrictions. However, the plan falls short of addressing Ukraine's desire to join the bloc. While in Brussels, Yushchenko will also address the Ukraine-NATO Commission and hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush.

• February 18, 2005

  Iraq: With Vote Results In, Wrangling Over New Government Begins

  Final elections in Iraq are now in and they confirm a Shi'a alliance has won a slim majority in Iraq's transitional National Assembly. The United Iraqi Alliance will have 140 seats out of the 275 in the assembly. The alliance is followed by a Kurdish group -- the Kurdish Unity List -- and by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's bloc. The Shi'a alliance is clearly now the most powerful group, but its 140 seats still leave it short of the two-thirds majority needed to decide important issues like choosing a new prime minister.

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