RA Exclusive: Sanobar Shermatova on Russian-Iranian Relations

By James Kimer | Published: January 12, 2007

[Editor’s note: RA is pleased to bring you an exclusive feature from Sanobar Shermatova, a well-respected Russian journalist, originally from Uzbekistan. She holds degrees from the Russian Language and Literature Institute in Tashkent and the Moscow State University Department of Journalism. As a specialist on political processes in Central Asia and the Caucasus, she has […]

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Letter to IHT Editor: EU Commission Should Get Tough on Member States, Too

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

Following the publication of my article “Get Tough with Gazprom” in the International Herald Tribune, one reader sent the attached letter to the editor: Russia’s hold on Europe Robert Amsterdam’s article (“Get tough with Gazprom,” Views, Jan. 10) fails to give adequate attention to the fact that the EU Commission needs to get tough with […]

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Podcast: Dean Peroff at the Houston World Affairs Council

By James Kimer | Published:

We are proud to offer the attached recording of Dean Peroff, founding partner of A&P with Bob Amsterdam, delivering a speech on the Khodorkovsky case at the Houston World Affairs Council on Thursday, Jan. 11. Listen here. It’s a large file, and the very beginning is silent.

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Grigory Pasko: Nobody Is Immune from Prison in Russia

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

Nobody is immune from prison in Russia By Grigory Pasko, Journalist It seems like every television channel in Russia was showing performances by Russian pop diva Alla Pugacheva during their recent holiday programming. She is well known for her many talents and has been involved in many – as it is now fashionable to say […]

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Turning a Blind Eye to Putin’s Energy Gulag

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

The European Voice has published my letter to the editor: Turning a Blind Eye to Putin’s Energy Gulag By Robert Amsterdam I fully support the comments made by Kevin Roth, the director of Human Rights Watch, quoted in ‘EU punches well below its weight’ (14-20 December 2006), about the EU’s lack of leadership when dealing […]

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Voice of America News: Attorney Accuses Russia of Using Energy as a Political Weapon

By James Kimer | Published:

Today in Voice of America: Attorney Accuses Russia of Using Energy as a Political Weapon By Greg Flakus Houston 12 January 2007 A Canadian attorney who represented the former chief executive officer of the Russian oil company YUKOS, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, says his client was the victim of a plot by Moscow to increase its political […]

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Gazprom Teams Up with Chevron

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

According to late reports, Gazprom and Chevron have disclosed an agreement on a joint venture called Severnaya Taiga Neftegaz, which will seek to develop western Siberian oil fields. Evidently the venture has existed since last November. Gazprom currently controls 30% of the venture, but a spokesperson for Gazprom said that the stake would raise to […]

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Human Rights Watch: EU Prefers Unanimity over Effectiveness

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 11, 2007

Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch pens a column for the next edition of the FT: Europe must pull its weight on human rights By Kenneth Roth If ever the European Union were needed to promote human rights around the world, now is the time. The Bush administration’s use of torture and detention without trial […]

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Europe’s Lack of Coherence on Energy Becomes Embarrassing

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

From Judy Dempsey’s article in the IHT, titled “Gazprom’s bold moves lay bare EU’s disarray“: “Each EU country has its own bilateral relationship and special deals with Russia over energy,” said Pal Dunay, an energy expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. “We don’t have to rebuff Russia’s moves into the EU’s energy sector. […]

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Germany Cobbles Together Coalition to Cling to Defense Stake

By Robert Amsterdam | Published:

Today the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the German government has succeeded in building a consortium of companies to temporarily hold one third of DaimlerChrysler’s stake in the European defense giant EADS. The stake, which will be valued at $1.9 billion, will be purchased indirectly through derivatives by a group including investment banks such […]

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