ESTONIA

Narva city council's decision to erect a monument to Peter the Great has caused great controversy in society. The nationalist-minded circles see the monument as a symbol of Russia's imperial ambitions, whereas their opponents regard Peter the Great as an enlightened tsar.

"The message of the monument is simple: might is right. This has certain implications, such as that Estonia must belong to Russia." (Postimees, August 31).

"It is impossible to imagine that Russia would build a monument to Chenghiz Khan or Napoleon, although they, too, were outstanding historical personalities. A monument to Peter the Great in Estonia can only exist in a museum of occupation." (Pohjarannik, September 1).

"People living in Estonia today should know who stood at the cradle of their statehood ... Peter has left a lasting mark on Estonia's history as an enlightened sovereign, and his initiatives were successfully followed up by Catherine the Great." (Delfi, September 2).

The press is highly critical of Gazprom's policies. The company has become the foundation of Russian economy but still does not supply gas to half the country's population.

"An old Russian woman selling, for example, cigarettes to tourists in Uglich streets would not at all rejoice at the news that for Russia's residents gas may cost one-fifth of what it costs to the Europeans, since no gas pipeline reaches her village. Pipeline construction is a project for which regional executives ask Moscow for money, and once the money is received it lights up their way to victory in the elections. Gazprom, which is at the core of Russia's life, plans to bring gas only to 47% of the country's population next year. Clearly the process can be speeded up, but it looks as if the company is using its export revenues primarily to buy new equipment in the West." (Erileht, August 30).

LATVIA

In reports on mass disturbances in the Karelian town of Kondopoga the national press highlights inter-ethnic strife. It says Russian authorities are inactive in the face of growing xenophobia. Journalists are angry that Russian media are distorting the true scale of events.

"Attacks on people from the Caucasus, Asia and Africa, Jews and other ethnic minorities have become frequent in Russia in recent years. The permissive attitude of Russian authorities towards racist attacks, which are often described as common hooliganism, fosters violence." (Diena, September 4).

"Russia's Kremlin-controlled TV channels cultivate intolerance of non-Slavic people. In addition to countless crime series, in which negative characters often have the characteristic appearance of people from the Caucasus, news items also contribute to the negative image." (Diena, September 5).

LITHUANIA

The media are calling for a more cautious policy towards Russia and advise to solve all issues through the EU. "Lithuania, which has an extensive experience in dealing with Russia, should always have an alternative and pursue its goals with the aid of the European Union, in view of Russia's attempts to use energy as a political tool ... Conflicts with Russia should be solved by turning to the EU and international public opinion. These conflicts must be perceived not just as Lithuania's problems, but as those of the entire EU ... Threats of an economic war are just hot air, because Lithuania's economy, ties and world status are not what they were 15 years ago. The most real danger is an information war - a worsening of Lithuania's image in Russia." (Verslo Zinios, August 30).

The subject of "Moscow's hand" remains popular with the press, which claims that Moscow reportedly attempts to influence every aspect of life in Lithuania. "Developments in Lithuania are in one way or another connected with processes taking place in Russia. They cannot be explained by Russian authorities' aggressiveness alone. Great-power thinking cannot disappear overnight. Its traces can be felt in many people's mentalities, even those who consider themselves Democrats. They do not understand why we are not eager to live in one big powerful state, but want to be independent. We see desperate efforts to preserve the remnants of the empire ... Funds allocated for secret services' activities abroad top the military budget. How much of this money goes towards financing various related organizations in Lithuania? Russian media and political debates show that they have not abandoned the idea of re-embracing the Baltic states, as they speak of supporting various organizations sympathetic to Russia." (Atgimimas, September 5).

UKRAINE

The press is certain that Ukraine would not sell its gas transport system to Russia, but specialists do not rule out that the revival of an international gas transport consortium project may suit both sides.

"The Russians realize that they stand to lose economically from running, renting or operating as a concession our gas transport system because of the categorical rejection of the idea by Ukrainian public opinion. The issue of the gas transport system is so politically-motivated that a wave of anger would simply sweep over this business. But the idea of an international gas consortium with Russian participation ... is still very much alive." (Russian-Ukrainian Review Gulai-Pole, September 4).

There is a parallel opinion that some assets of Ukraine's fuel and energy complex may be used as a payment to Moscow for a series of concessions granted to Kiev. "Ukrnafta and regional gas authorities have drawn Gazprom's interest in Ukraine after the country flatly refused to share control over its long-distance gas pipelines with Russia." (Korrespondent.net, August 31).

MOLDOVA

The Chisinau press points out that in Vladimir Putin's telegram of congratulations on the 15th anniversary of the republic's independence, the Russian president "wished happiness, peace and prosperity to President Vladimir Voronin and the peoples of Moldova." The last phrase angered journalists. "Russian tsars have at all times mixed up continents, oceans, seas, rivers, mountains, state borders and names of peoples. It is not surprising, therefore, that Putin does not know that there is only one people in Moldova. It is possible, however, that our president himself misled Putin with talk about a multi-ethnic Moldova." (Timpul de Dimineata, September 1).

The media report that Moldova's debt to Russia stands at $144,733,000, stressing that this is the lowest figure among CIS countries.

ARMENIA

Media explain growing xenophobia in Russia with poor standards of living and a bleak outlook for the future. "Most [54% of those polled in early August by the Yury Levada think tank] want authorities to restrict the inflow of immigrants and believe that there is nothing wrong with the 'Russia is for Russians' slogan, but 'within reasonable limits.'" Panorama.am, August 30).

"People begin to seek the easiest explanations for their poor quality of life, and, as a rule, look for the scapegoat. And find one. In any Russian city's market place local residents come into contact with the Azeri and Tajiks, people from the Caucasus, Koreans, Chinese or Vietnamese ... Young people often see yesterday's refugees become rich after some time. What they don't see is all the pains taken by these people to reach their prosperity ... In Russia the youth see no future in their own country, and many are just uneducated." (168 Zham, August 30).

GEORGIA

Experts believe the forthcoming referendum in South Ossetia on the republic's independence has been stage-managed by Moscow to irritate officials in Tbilisi and provoke Georgia to use force in the region.

"The referendum will have no legal weight. The idea of holding it belongs to Moscow, namely to President Vladimir Putin. He urged the Georgian president to allow the people living in troubled areas to decide their own future through a referendum, as Moscow did in Chechnya ... The world community remembers well this 'referendum' at Russia's gunpoint and what it cost the Chechen people and Russia itself, and how most of Chechnya's population 'supported' the proposal to 'remain' part of the Russian Federation. Moscow also thinks that because of this step by separatists Tbilisi may lose patience and launch an armed conflict in the Tskhinvali region." (Akhali Versia, September 4).

AZERBAIJAN

Media express the opinion that possible sanctions against Iran, let alone a likely military action by the United States, will play into Moscow's hands and boost Russia's political role and economic position in the world.

"It cannot be ruled out that the Kremlin's strategy designed to prevent UN Security Council sanctions in fact pursues the aim of provoking the U.S. to a military solution of the Iranian conflict ... If sanctions are imposed against Iran, Russia stands to lose several billion dollars in the 'Bushehr affair' [construction of a nuclear power plant]. We must also bear in mind that Iran is an important outlet for Russia's defense industry. It is already the third biggest arms importer after India and China. But Russia's financial and economic losses will be more than recouped with a hike in oil prices. In the event of sanctions against Iran, prices for a barrel of oil on world markets are expected to surge to $100 or more ...

"In addition, Moscow needs Tehran as a political ally. With its help Russia hopes to prevent the spread of NATO and U.S. influence in the Caspian region. The two states are openly opposed to Georgia and Azerbaijan entering the North Atlantic alliance. But even in this respect everything will ultimately depend on what the current Kremlin boss prefers: a confrontation with the West, above all the U.S., which is fraught with economic sanctions against Russia, with all ensuing consequences, or imitation of resistance in exchange for a steady economic growth guaranteed by export revenues from the oil so needed by West European countries...

"Besides, Russia will formally take the side of the Muslim world 'waging a just struggle against world imperialism,' which means that Russia's prestige in the Muslim world will inevitably grow. Another important factor is that sooner or later a formula for a political settlement of both the Iranian and Middle East conflicts will have to be found, and Russia will become the intermediary whom Muslim countries fully trust." (Zerkalo, September 1).

KAZAKHSTAN

Journalists comment on a statement made by President Nursultan Nazarbayev about a possible rerouting of Siberian rivers to Central Asia. Water requirements, the media believe, force heads of Central Asian countries to take a more definite stand on the "political implications" of the issue. "Such a project would be very profitable for Russia, not as assistance to backward republics, but as a highly advantageous commercial and geopolitical instrument ... The Americans can give Central Asia a military presence, certain political guarantees and perhaps even some investments. The only thing they cannot give us is water, and water in these parts is everything. It is life, politics, influence, control and management of all political processes." (Navigator-II, September 5).

KYRGYZSTAN

Opposition politicians stress that Kyrgyzstan's cooperation with Russia should be limited to electricity generation, but must also include the preservation of its water resources.

"Russia does not need Kyrgyzstan because we are a country with many problems. Russia needs our power industry, because its oil and gas will run dry in a couple of decades. It needs water, because in about the same period of time it will be hit by a drinking water crisis. This is why the Russian oligarchs are extending their tentacles here. If we give them everything now, some time later we will have to meter our tapwater." (Obshchestvenny Reiting, August 30).

UZBEKISTAN

Problems faced by migrants in Russia and violation of their rights remain at the focus of the opposition press. A report on preparations for City Day celebrations in Moscow describes Operation Illegal Immigrant.

"Today Moscow is celebrating its 859th birth anniversary. In the run-up to City Day, the authorities demonstrably purged the city of illegal migrants. Two days of raiding yielded more than 5,500 aliens illegally residing and working in the Russian capital. These were mainly citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Ukraine ... More than 400 people were banned from entering Russia for five years. Fifty-seven migrants were deported, and 66 people were put in placement centers. Moscow's Federal Migration Service reports that different estimates put the number of illegal immigrants in the city between 1 and 1.5 million." (Fergana.Ru, September 2).

TAJIKISTAN

Journalists are concerned about rising nationalistic sentiments in Russia and blame the country's leadership for lack of action. "Skinheads are terrorizing people ... Every migrant worker should be vigilant. Russian authorities should control every step of the nationalists, but they are not lifting a finger ... People killed in the streets or reported missing, sudden break-out of fire in the homes of migrant workers - isn't that the work of neo-Nazis? When men in police uniforms rob Tajiks, aren't they neo-Nazis?" (Tochikiston, August 31).