ESTONIA
National media are saying the country is not ready for a compromise with Russia side, which has been insisting the mention of "occupation" be removed from the text of the border treaty.
"Russia has still not realized that Estonia was indeed occupied, and this preamble is important. Moscow took advantage of the disagreement not to ratify the treaty, but the text itself underwent no changes. They simply found a pretext for not ratifying the treaty. We cannot be sure that Russia will not find yet another reason in the future." (Postimees, August 28).
LATVIA
Despite interpreting former President Boris Yeltsin's visit as Russia's wish to improve relations with Latvia, some publications focus on the fact that the visit by a retired politician is too weak an incentive for real change.
"In spite of a royal reception, the Latvian authorities should realize that Yeltsin is a retired politician today, and his possibilities to influence inter-state relations are sufficiently limited, although it is evident that the visit could hardly have been possible if Russia's Foreign Ministry and embassy in Latvia had objected to the arrival of the first president. Yeltsin's visit is another of Moscow's signals that Russia wishes to improve relations with Latvia. But, naturally, it expects reciprocal moves from Riga." (Vesti-Segodnya, August 23).
LITHUANIA
Some publications describe uncertainty over the repair schedule for the Druzhba oil pipeline as nothing but an "economic blockade". "The contract between Yukos, PKN Orlen and Lithuania should have been blessed by the European Commission, which has repeatedly indulged Russia ... The Polish concern should not fear another blockade of Lithuania and all sorts of commercial temptations pursuing political ends ... As soon as we and the Poles find a way manage without Russian oil, Moscow will talk differently." (Lietuvos Zinios, August 23).
The crash of a Russian Tu-154 airliner flying on the Anapa-St. Petersburg route is widely commented in the media. The press points to low safety levels of Russia's planes and the critical condition of its air fleet and aircraft industry in general.
"Such disasters have become a frightening trend. Although the causes of crashes vary, they raise doubts about pilots' training and safety rules. Specialists say that after the causes of tragedies are examined, the invariable conclusion is the pilot's error. In addition, disaster statistics show that in safety levels Russian aircraft can only be compared to African and South American countries." (Lietuvos Rytas, August 24).
UKRAINE
The press compares head of government Viktor Yanukovych with Ukraine's former President Leonid Kuchma, who followed a multi-vectored policy. A retracing of his path by the new prime minister, journalists say, brings the threat of a freeze on Ukraine's integration with the West.
"Yanukovych is courting Russia's good graces and wants a discount on gas for 'old friendship's sake' ... The new prime minister's policy on Russia brings to mind the scandalous President Leonid Kuchma and his penchant for 'running with the hare and hunting with the hounds' ... There is a danger that instead of developing its relations with the West, Ukraine will freeze them as it did under Kuchma." (Den, August 23).
The press claims that Russia is frustrated with Yanukovych and is using the Tu-154 crash near Donetsk to unleash an information war against Ukraine. "Despite a series of official stories proving that the plane crashed because of a storm ... the present discussion around the cause of the disaster has from this day moved to the lines of an information war against Ukraine. Russian media are hyping up 'new details of the tragedy' with anonymous hints ... " (RUpor, August 28).
MOLDOVA
Independence has been the most valuable and at the same time the bitterest fruit, according to some journalists, because Moldova's present economic and political situation does not give rise to optimism.
"Freedom has had an inebriating effect on Moldovans and they have begun parading their liberties like a drunkard who does not give a damn and forgets all about responsibility and consequences. Many of our commentators are today drawing conclusions about the past fifteen years of independence, and almost all of them say that save for some small successes the period has on the whole been a failure." (Moldova Azi, August 29).
ARMENIA
Analysts say that the last summit of EurAsEC (Eurasian Economic Community) has shown that the organization has a big future. "Delays with negotiations on Russia's WTO entry have made Moscow step up its efforts to develop EurAsEC ... Despite sound criticisms, it is now the most developed functioning regional association on the post-Soviet space ... Uzbekistan's joining EurAsEC last January and the resumption of Ukraine's entry talks suggest that EurAsEC will become the successor to the CIS. And following its likely merger with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (ODKB), which has good prospects, this new military, political and economic organization will have its structure finally defined ... Russia is thus embarking on an intensive integration project on the post-Soviet space with a weighty military political component backed by tangible economic subsidies." (Lragir, August 23).
GEORGIA
America's patronage of Georgia and the readiness of its authorities to act in line with U.S. directives cause some irritation in the journalist community. "The meeting between [South Ossetian head] Kokoity and American senators lasted for one hour ... Tskhinvali is pleased with the outcome of the visit. The Ossetians hope that now the Georgians will not open hostilities, because America will not give them the go-ahead to begin a war. The Ossetians believe that the Georgians act at America's bidding, which is not far from the truth. For us the main thing is what they say in Washington, and so we act the way the White House wants us to. And the White House wants no conflict in Georgia. To be in Washington's good books is fine, but when it comes to territorial integrity, it is necessary to act in a somewhat different fashion." (Akhali Taoba, August 28).
AZERBAIJAN
Opposition media consider the anti-terrorist exercise conducted on the Caspian by Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member-countries to be an element of geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the U.S.
"No doubt these maneuvers are a response to U.S. plans to invade Iran. Russia wants to show that in the event of a U.S. invasion of Iran, it will not stand aside, since, although Iran is not a CSTO member, it has demonstrated sympathy for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, whose members are Russia and China. In case of invasion, Russia and its regional allies will not stay neutral. The CSTO exercise should be a clear signal to the U.S. that an attack on Iran may trigger off a large-scale war to be joined by Russia, which has a military agreement with Iran as an ally, and by Russia's allies." (Yeni Musavat, August 26).
KAZAKHSTAN
The press notes with alarm a marked strengthening of China's positions in the competition with the U.S. and Russia for spheres of influence in Central Asia, with some media describing EurAsEC as nothing but "a bureaucratic integrative project."
"As expected, China is becoming an undoubted dominant force in the drive for supremacy in Central Asia. China's aggressive but competent economic policy towards the region is already suggesting that in the near future Russia's and America's roles will be compromised even more. The struggle has gone so far that the real cause of the confrontation - Caspian hydrocarbons - has taken a back seat. Today the three giants are straining to get Central Asian elites on their side, which are in the position of choosing the optimal direction for the development of their economies ... China has been maintaining quiet and apparent expansion in Central Asia for a long time now. At present, it is spearheaded against Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but it is just setting up a springboard to unleash a large-scale economic and demographic attack, for China's main aim, as for the rest of them, is Caspian oil." (Liter.kz, August 23).
TAJIKISTAN
Information that Russia's Supreme Court has dismissed St. Petersburg prosecutor's office protest against the sentence handed down to the killers of a Tajik girl has provoked a negative response here.
"More than 120 reports have been published on this subject in Russia in the past two days. Most of them were titled 'Killers of a Tajik Girl Qualified as Hooligans.' Can one continue to have faith in justice after that? This court hearing is an additional proof that Russia's judiciary establishment acts as a defender of nationalists." (Zindagi, August 24).
