Latest Articles about Central Asia
SCANDAL ERUPTS OVER KYRGYZ CENTRAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION DAYS BEFORE LOCAL ELECTIONS
On September 26 former Chair of the Central Elections Commission (CEC) Klara Kabilova released a video statement describing psychological and physical intimidation by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s son Maksim in the run-up to local elections scheduled for October 5. According to Kabilova, Maksim repeatedly threatened her... MORE
Target and Attackers Still a Mystery in Islamabad’s Marriott Bombing
The September 20 terrorist attack on Islamabad’s American-owned Marriott hotel shook the whole country. Shocking scenes of flames engulfing the 290-room hotel were televised live. Mostly used by foreign dignitaries and local elites, the luxury hotel continued to blaze for around 12 hours, taking the... MORE
NAZARBAYEV OFFERS MEDVEDEV SUPPORT
During a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, on September 22, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev offered his support to Russia with regard to the conflict in Georgia. Security issues were discussed at the presidential level during the fifth international forum of the... MORE
CORRUPTION IN THE HYDRO-ENERGY SECTOR BECOMES CLEARER IN KYRGYZSTAN
On September 18 and 19 representatives of the Central Asian ministries of energy met in Almaty to discuss regional energy cooperation. The first round of negotiations was held on September 9 and 10 but failed to produce any agreement among the participating states, because of... MORE
FIERCE COMPETITION OVER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN
The Kyrgyz government has become involved in a number of intrigues ahead of local elections scheduled for October 5. Among the most scandalous is the arrest of Ishenbay Kadyrbekov, a member of the Ata Meken opposition party. Several other cases suggest that President Kurmanbek Bakiyev... MORE
BRITISH PETROLEUM AND ITS WOES WITH THE CPC
To paraphrase Queen Elizabeth, BP has had an "annus horribilis" in Eurasia. Its joint venture in Russia, BP-TNK, has been under attack by its Russian partners; and last month an explosion in Turkey damaged the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, forcing BP to declare force majeure and... MORE
A Who’s Who of the Insurgency in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province: Part One – North and South Waziristan
Militants operating in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) include both Taliban and non-Taliban forces. However, the Taliban militants are much larger in number and have a lot more influence in the region. The Pakistani Taliban have close links with the Afghan Taliban and operate on... MORE
NEW CSTO MILITARY FORCE PLANNED
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), long regarded by Western military experts as something of a “paper tiger,” will become increasingly active in Central Asia as Russia’s President Medvedev presses for the militarization of the organization. CSTO General Secretary Nikolay Bordyuzha has referred to the... MORE
SOUTH OSSETIA TESTS KAZAKHSTAN’S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES
Speaking at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Moscow on September 5, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev went out of his way to show his country’s commitment to this heavily militarized organization, which unites four Central Asian countries, Armenia, and Belarus under the watchful... MORE
RUSSIA OFFERS SUPPORT AMID KYRGYZSTAN’S ECONOMIC CRISIS
Following a bilateral meeting in Moscow, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov announced an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to begin cooperation in the hydro-energy sector (www.24.kg, September 17). Furthermore, Russian Gazprom will explore natural gas reserves in Kyrgyzstan. Chudinov was vague about how... MORE