Russia - the CIS, one big happy family

The recent meeting of the 12 heads of state that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States, in St Petersburg, hasn't had much coverage. That's probably because few people know it still exists.

The former president of Moldova, Petr Luchinsky, echos a point, more from Kommersant..., that EU boosters often put forward - that the neighbours will envy the success of the EU's regional structure and try and imitate it. The article doesn't mention what Vladimir Putin thought of this suggestion

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Kosovo - you first, no, before you...

Macedonian and Montenegrin Presidents have rushed to declare they're not rushing to declare anything at all about the status of Kosovo anytime soon.

Wisely so perhaps, given the less than unanimous support among EU member states, more from Balkans Insight... 

Reaction generally seems to range from fears over a Greater Albania, precedents for other break away areas and the idea that it might be a triumph for human rights, more from Transitions Online...

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