Azerbaijan - Oct 14

With the visit of Russia's Defense Minister to the Caspian nation of Azerbaijan this past week comes the possibility of closer ties between Russia and its former state. The idea of a "collective defense" system for the Caspian Sea and airspace was brought up, with joint naval exercises solidified for next year. Russia could be attempting to sway Azerbaijan from a Western alliance over to the Russian Customs Union which could hurt energy projects directed at Eastern and Western Europe. Source: Eurasia Net