RUSSIA LAUNCHES NEW OIL AND GAS VENTURES IN CENTRAL ASIA.

Russia’s Lukoil and Kazakhstan’s Yuzhneftegas companies have setup a $300 million joint venture to develop an oil deposit at Kumkolin Kazakhstan, Segodnya reported August 23. Meanwhile,Russia’s Gazprom and Turkmenistan’s petroleum ministry have signedan agreement on transporting Turkmen gas to Ukraine via Russiaand on oil and gas fields in the Karakum desert, Delovoy Mirreported the same day.

New Islamic Center to Open in Tashkent.