Latest Articles about Central Asia
UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WILL TEST POLITICAL PARTIES IN KYRGYZSTAN
Following the national referendum in Kyrgyzstan on October 21, the Kyrgyz constitution and electoral law have been amended, leading to the dissolution of the parliament and government. Although the legitimacy of the referendum has been contested due to allegations of widespread electoral fraud, Kyrgyz President... MORE
BEIJING RAISES STAKES IN TURKMEN GAS GAME
On October 31, oil trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange soared to a record-high $95.08 a barrel for December delivery before settling to $94.53. As the Western energy market has become increasingly jittery, China, now the world’s second-largest oil import market, has made its... MORE
RUSSIA STRUGGLES TO FINALIZE CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE DEAL WITH TURKMENISTAN
On October 26, Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov and Gazprom deputy CEO Valery Golubev were reportedly in discussions about what the Turkmen presidential press service described as “issues of drafting inter-governmental agreements on the expansion of the existing gas transportation system in Central Asia and the... MORE
DEFENSE RELATIONS: LONDON LOOKS TO ASHGABAT
On October 21 London refocused British diplomatic efforts in Central Asia from Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan. The Turkmen state news agency publicized a visit to Ashgabat by an official from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), wrongly suggesting this was the FCO’s director for Russia... MORE
KAZAKH COURT DECISION AGAINST CHEVRON CARRIES POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
The unprecedented tough line taken by the Kazakh government in its row with the Italian Agip consortium may set an ominous precedent for prolonged confrontations with other Western companies. In a second challenge to Western investment, the district court in Atyrau region recently upheld the... MORE
NEW KYRGYZ CONSTITUTION FAILS TO ADDRESS OLD PROBLEMS
On Sunday, October 21, Kyrgyzstan voted in a referendum for a new constitution and electoral law. According to the Central Elections Commission, voter turnout was 76%. Both the new constitution and electoral law were supported with 76% of voters favoring the new documents. While the... MORE
CAN UZBEKISTAN COME IN FROM THE COLD?
On October 18 Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov met with his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov for wide-ranging talks on international and regional issues. The summit was initially given only passing reference on Uzbek television, with reports mentioning the scheduled signing of cooperation documents (Uzbek TV First... MORE
UPROAR OVER ANDIJAN FADES AS EU WARMS TO TASHKENT
On October 17 European Union foreign ministers agreed to lift travel restrictions against Uzbek Defense Minister Ruslan Mirzayev, National Security chief Rustam Inoyatov, and six others, saying it was "with a view to encouraging the Uzbek authorities to take positive steps to improve the human... MORE
WITHOUT HEIR, KARIMOV LIKELY TO STAND FOR RE-ELECTION
Uzbekistan’s Central Election Committee has announced that a presidential election will be held on December 23. According to Article 8 of the law on presidential elections, parliament is to approve the decision to hold an election three months before the president’s term in office ends... MORE
POLITICAL FORCES COUNT DOWN TO KYRGYZ CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM
This week Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that he would chair his newly formed electoral bloc, Ak Zhol, which unites all major pro-presidential political parties. Bakiyev’s bloc will be the frontrunner in the snap parliamentary elections anticipated after the referendum on Sunday, October 21. Al... MORE