EurasiaNet Series

Controversial race to find Khan's tomb gains international interest. (Photo by Joshua Kucera)

The Search for Genghis Khan: Part Five
PR Plays a Big Role in the Search for Genghis Khan's Grave
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The Valley of the Khans project, the American-led effort to find the tomb of Genghis Khan, has gone to great lengths to appeal to Mongolian sensibilities. Project leaders have hired Mongolian partners, including two prominent scholars, a "local media and political consultant/liaison" and a public relations agency.

MORE STORIES:

• Part One: In Mongolia, Ambivalence Greets Efforts to Find the Great Khan's Tomb
• Part Two: Trying to Find a Needle without Touching the Hay
• Part Three: Genghis Khan's Legacy Being Reappraised in China, Russia
• Part Four: Mining the Legacy for Modern-Day Profit

Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Seeks Prestige in Paris
BY JAMES DELLY
It seems fitting that opaque is the best word to describe Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's just-concluded visit to the City of Light.

Afghanistan: Washington Exploring Chinese Re-supply Route
BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
The United States is exploring the idea of expanding the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a supply line for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, by adding a Chinese branch. Sources familiar with the NDN tell EurasiaNet that US officials are also considering the possibility of seeking a sea-and-land route utilizing ports in the Russian Far East.

Georgia: Tbilisi's "Little" War Poses Big Challenge to Western Security System
A EURASIANET BOOK REVIEW BY REGIS GENTE
A new book by Ronald D. Asmus, A Little War That Shook the World: Georgia, Russia and the Future of the West (Palgrave Macmillan), looks at the big security picture in Europe. Asmus contends that the five-day conflict in 2008 "raised some big questions about the future of European [s]ecurity." Finding answers, Asmus adds, will require a coordinated response from the United States and the European Union.

Kazakhstan: Foreign Minister's Arrival in Washington Highlights Democratization vs. Security Debate
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Kazakhstan's foreign minister, Kanat Saudabayev, is in Washington from February 1-4. He is expected to seek US backing for two prestige events: a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to be held in Kazakhstan; and a one-on-one meeting between US President Barack Obama and Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

  EurasiaNet Special Feature

The Music of China's Nomads
See and hear how Kazakhs and Kyrgyz living in China's western Xinjiang Province are using music to preserve their cultural heritage.

Kazakhstan: US Helsinki Commission Holds Astana Love Fest
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The US Helsinki Commission in recent months has been a frequent and vocal critic of Kazakhstan's record on human rights and democratization. But commission members gave an enthusiastic welcome to Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev on February 2 during a Washington, DC, hearing marking the start of Kazakhstan's OSCE chairmanship.

Georgia: Tbilisi Blames Moscow for End of Anti-Kremlin Satellite Channel's Broadcasts
BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
Officials in Georgia believe that Kremlin skullduggery has succeeded in pulling the plug on a Georgian satellite television channel capable of broadcasting Russian-language content throughout the former Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Sets Ambitious Development Agenda for Astana
BY JOANNA LILLIS
With Kazakhstan's economy on the up-tick, President Nursultan Nazarbayev is setting some ambitious development goals for the Central Asian state.

Caspian Energy: Washington Trying New Tack on Nabucco Project
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The United States wants to "depoliticize" the proposed Nabucco pipeline project, and might welcome Russia's participation in the pipeline, Washington's Eurasian energy envoy, Richard Morningstar, recently announced. The Kremlin, however, is likely to interpret this outwardly magnanimous gesture as a sign of Nabucco's weakness, some experts say.