Latest Articles about Central Asia
A CSTO Rapid-Reaction Force Created as a NATO Counterweight
On February 4 the presidents of the Russian-dominated, seven-member Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) gathered in Moscow to sign an agreement to create a joint rapid-reaction force. In recent years Moscow has done its best to transform the CSTO--a loose alliance that has served mostly... MORE
Moscow Eyes Stronger Partnership with Tashkent
Despite some recent setbacks, the Kremlin has intensified efforts to expand its relations with Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation. Following talks in Tashkent, Uzbek President Islom Karimov praised the bilateral summit meetings on January 22 and 23, which served to clarify important issues of... MORE
Bakiyev Pleases Moscow, Seeks to Oust U.S. Military Base
At a February 3 press conference in Moscow Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that his government had decided to shut down the U.S. military base at the Manas airport. Although Bakiyev had previously been playing with the idea of ousting the U.S. base, his statements... MORE
Kazakhstan Raising Its Afghanistan Profile
On January 28 the United States announced plans to purchase a "significant part" of the goods needed to supply its forces in Afghanistan from Kazakhstan. U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Hoagland clarified these intentions in the context of the U.S.-Kazakh agreement on the transit of... MORE
Kazakh Opposition Criticizes Half-Hearted Democratic Reform Efforts
As Kazakhstan’s term of chairmanship of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) draws near, state officials have intensified diplomatic maneuvering, constantly shuttling between Western capitals and Astana. Outwardly, Kazakhstan has made some impressive steps toward democratization of political processes to justify its... MORE
Bakiyev Stifles Small and Medium Businesses, Further Angers the Public
Last December Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev amended the tax code, significantly increasing taxes for small and medium-sized businesses. A month later the effect of the new tax is being acutely felt, with numerous businesses shutting down and unemployment rising. In the meantime, the number of... MORE
Russia Strengthening Its Monopoly on Uzbek Gas
On January 23 in Tashkent, Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of Russia and Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan firmed up bilateral agreements that strengthen Russia’s monopoly on Uzbek exports of natural gas. Their quid-pro-quo involves a steep increase in Gazprom’s purchase price for Uzbek gas in return for... MORE
Kazakhstan’s Peacekeepers Penciled in for Afghanistan?
On January 14 Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) General David Petraeus, visited Kazakhstan. Among the key senior Kazakh military officers he met with was Lieutenant-General Bolat Sembinov, the deputy defense minister responsible for cooperation with the West. Ostensibly they discussed progress in implementing... MORE
Bakiyev Strengthens Control over Armed Forces Ahead of Opposition Revolts
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s recent personnel reshuffles have shown that he is concerned about a potentially unstable spring as well as presidential elections tentatively scheduled for 2010. Bakiyev has replaced all heads of security structures and revamped cadres in his administration. Furthermore, in December he... MORE
Tajikistan Claims Border Security Improving
Tajikistan’s border security agencies, severely challenged by the continued flow of narcotics and arms across the country’s porous borders, have released official statistics and details on their successes over the past year. On January 7 Colonel-General Khayriddin Abdurahimov, chief of the main border directorate within... MORE