Washington ProFile - International News & Information Agency - Issue ESD_29

ARMENIA : Poll: Opposition Better Off With a Single Candidate

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:06:47 -0400

78 percent of Armenians believe that the country’s existing opposition groups should unite and nominate a joint candidate in the 2008 presidential elections, allowing him/her to draw more considerable votes from the population.

Job Market to Improve in Armenia

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:03:30 -0400

an approximate 5.5 percent job increase is expected in the Armenian labor market in 2007.

ARMENIA : U.S. Pushes for the Replacement of Metsamor Nuclear Plant

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:59:46 -0400

Washington finds replacement of the Armenian nuclear power plant (NPP) in Metsamor a necessity, reported Panarmenian, citing the U.S. Charge d’Affairs in Armenia, Anthony Godfrey.

Armenian-Azeri Relations Thawing?

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:57:38 -0400

"For the first time in the 17 years-long break, the Azerbaijani delegation has overcome the psychological barrier and crossed the separating line between the parties to the Karabakh conflict".

AZERBAIJAN: Poll: Only Small Fraction in Karabakh Would Accept Autonomy

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:54:09 -0400

The majority of the polled (95%) believe that in the result of the peace settlement, Nagorno Karabakh should either become an independent state or join ranks with Armenia.

Report: Azerbaijan Source and Transit Country for Human Trafficking

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:44:11 -0400

According to the 2007 U.S. State Department Report on Trafficking, Azerbaijan is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor.

Belarus Plans to Increase VAT in 2008

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:39:33 -0400

In preparation for the 2008 budget proposal, different measures for reduction of the overall tax burden are being investigated in the Byelorussian government.

BELARUS: EU stripped Belarus of Trade Preferences

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:07:16 -0400

As of June 21, a decision of the EU Council of Ministers excluded Belarus from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) over violations of workers rights.

BELARUS: Poll: Lukashenka Still Standing Strong

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:34:27 -0400

According to a sociological poll conducted in May by the Independent Institute of Social-Economic and Political Research (IISEPR), registered in Lithuania, despite the “gas conflict” with Russia, the Byelorussian President still enjoys the support of the majority of the country’s population.

GEORGIA: Abkhaz Prime Minister Survives Alleged Assassination Attempt

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:31:44 -0400

The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, was the target of a Fugas remote-control bomb, a group of Abkhaz academics and intellectuals alleged in a statement on June 27.

Czech Company Takes Over Georgian Energy Sector

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:29:10 -0400

As of July 1, 2007, all of the shares of Georgia’s power facilities became property of the Czech Energo Pro Company, reported Novii Region, citing information provided by the Energy Minister of Georgia Nika Gilauri.

Georgia and France to Cooperate in Civil Nuclear Engineering

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:26:48 -0400

According to the Georgian Rustavi2 broadcasting company, which cited a high-ranking official in the Georgian government, plans of possible cooperation in civil nuclear energy between Tbilisi and Paris have been confirmed.

Kazakhstan to Produce Own Rocket Systems

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:23:13 -0400

The military-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan has embarked on a new stage of development and will now be producing its own military equipment and ammunition, and in particular, its own modern rocket systems.

Astana and Moscow to Construct a Sea-to-Sea Canal

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:21:28 -0400

The Presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia have agreed to designate a group of experts to investigate the possibility of constructing a canal connecting the Caspian and the Black Seas.

Poll: Majority of Kyrgyz Unhappy with Country’s Development

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:18:49 -0400

66 percent of Russians living in Kyrgyzstan believe that the country is on the wrong track both economically and politically.