A process for providing regiospecific and highly stereoselective synthesis of 9-β anomeric purine nucleoside analogs is described. The introduction of the sugar moiety on to 6-(azolyl)-substituted purine bases is performed so that highly stereoselective formation of the β anomers of only the 9 position regioisomers of the purine nucleoside analogs (either D or L enantiomers) is obtained. This regiospecific and stereoselective introduction of the sugar moiety allows the synthesis of nucleoside analogs, and in particular 2′-deoxy, 3′-deoxy, 2′-deoxy-2′-halo-arabino and 2′,3′-dideoxy-2′-halo-threo purine nucleoside analogs, in high yields without formation of the 7-positional regioisomers. Processes for providing novel 6-(azolyl)purines for the regiospecific and highly stereoselective synthesis of 9-β anomeric purine nucleoside analogs are described. The compounds are drugs or intermediates to drugs.