Voters, obviously tired of a long war with Azerbaijan which had drained its economy, propelled Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party to a huge victory.

Askar Akayev was once lauded by Western countries as a democratic outlier in a region of despots and strongmen.

The illicit business has boomed as bicycles become a market increasingly being filled with high-end models costing thousands of Euros.

The government of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is on a non-stop effort to totally overhaul the economy and image of Central Asia’s largest country.

Periodic shootouts have increased along the border, where a kilometre here or a metre there apparently is enough reason to unleash heavy calibre weaponry

Until now Russia was dependent on pipelines crossing Ukraine to pump natural gas to Europe, earning Kyiv $2 billion a year.

Though an armistice is largely holding, border disputes remain common, and a final peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is elusive.

From the very beginning, Ukraine’s post-Soviet nation-building journey has been defined by competition between rival narratives that have sought to place the country within Russia itself. Conversely, the Western world has never quite managed to make up its mind about Ukraine and has generally adopted a cautious approach.