NATO announces the cost of its new headquarters to be €1billion, Russia speaks against the militarization of the Arctic, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton plans a visit to Egypt.

HEADLINES:

European Firms Discuss Investment In Nagorno-Karabakh (Radio Free Europe)

A group of businessmen from Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have visited the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh to look at investment opportunities, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

No need for soldiers in Arctic – Russia (The Voice of Russia) – Full Article Below

Russia is against the militarization of the Arctic and sees no need in a large number of troops in the region, Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov stated during talks with his Danish counterpart Gitte Lillelund Bech in Moscow on Tuesday. However, he still backs military cooperation between the Arctic countries and proposes joint rescue exercises for handling possible emergencies.

Earlier, Denmark’s Defense Minister stated that problems of the Arctic should be managed by the Arctic countries as it was done before.

Nato Brussels headquarters to cost €1billion (The Telegraph)

Nato’s new headquarters in Brussels will cost its members €1billion (£841 million) at a time of deep cuts to British defence budgets and despite promises by the Alliance to cut its costs.

Ashton aims to visit Tahrir Square, scene of Egypt’s revolutionary drama (EUobserver)

EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton hopes to visit revolutionaries camped out in Tahrir Square in Egypt next week as well as Omar Suleiman, a career spy dubbed the "torturer-in-chief" by protesters, who was chosen by President Hosni Mubarak to oversee the transition process.

Chechen militant claims to have ordered Moscow airport bombing (Deutsche Welle)

Islamist rebel leader Doku Umarov has claimed responsibility for last month’s deadly suicide bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. He linked the attack to the violent separatist insurgency in the North Caucasus.

Nord Stream enters Baltic Sea (UPI)

The world’s largest submarine pipeline plow arrived Tuesday in the Baltic Sea to lay part of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, the project consortium announced.

Russian minister not welcome in UK after Guardian reporter expelled – MP (The Guardian) 

Labour MP Chris Bryant calls on invite to Kremlin foreign minister to be revoked after Moscow expels Luke Harding

EDITORIALS AND COLUMNS:

Is Cameron able to rescue the Big Society? (The Telegraph)

 ‘You can call it liberalism. You can call it empowerment. You can call it freedom. You can call it responsibility. I call it the Big Society." With these words, David Cameron last July reaffirmed his commitment to an idea that had been given a brief moment in the sun during the election campaign, before being consigned to a backroom, like an embarrassing relative. 

The Big Society concept was, he declared, "a huge culture change" that would make "a real difference to the country I love". 

This is no 1989 moment for the Arab world (The Guardian)

Unlike the ‘third wave’ of democratisation in eastern Europe, uprisings in the Middle East risk leaving a corridor of failed states

Compiled with the assistance of Klée Aiken.

Image: transatlantic.jpg