Latest Articles about Central Asia

TURKMENISTAN SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN ENERGY TIES WITH CHINA

Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a framework agreement on oil and gas cooperation in Beijing on April 3. Niyazov was in Beijing for a six-day visit to China. The trip underlined the growing ties between the two countries in culture,... MORE

TURKMENISTAN-CHINA GAS AGREEMENT UNREALISTICALLY AMBITIOUS

Visiting China on April 2-7, President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan signed with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao a "general agreement" on Turkmen gas deliveries to China and construction of a pipeline to link the two countries. Turkmen state media have published the agreement's text, and... MORE

NAZARBAYEV’S GROWING CONFIDENCE ON VIEW IN VISIT TO MOSCOW

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev received a warm welcome during his April 3 visit to Moscow. Friendly relations were emphasized when Nazarbayev dedicated a new monument to the 19th-century Kazakh poet Abai Kunanbayev, a devoted Russophile. Speaking at the ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that... MORE

TAJIK MILITARY WEARY OF NATO

Tajikistan's military leadership has expressed public concern over the country's recent trend toward closer involvement with the NATO Alliance as a mechanism through which Dushanbe will gain enhanced military and security capabilities. The apparent turn in the direction of Tajikistan's stated aims in this sphere... MORE

KAZAKHSTAN SET TO SUPPLY MORE ARMAMENTS TO ITS ARMED FORCES

Kazakhstan has taken additional steps to improve its ability to supply its armed forces with armaments and to foster greater security independence as a consequence. Specific proposals include the creation of a helicopter factory as well as stepping up the manufacture of ammunition for the... MORE

KYRGYZSTAN MARKS FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF TULIP REVOLUTION

A year has passed since March 24, 2005, Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan, when crowds seized the main government building in Bishkek and President Askar Akayev fled the country. The popular euphoria over the ouster of the corrupt regime quickly changed to anxiety as tensions rose... MORE

KAZAKH-UZBEK RELATIONS SHOW SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's March 19 visit to Uzbekistan was one of his first foreign trips after his reelection as president in December. This priority stresses the political importance of Tashkent for Astana as an economically significant neighbor, although it would be premature to regard... MORE

BISHKEK STAGES ANTI-TERRORIST EXERCISES

Kyrgyzstan has launched a series of military exercises aimed at testing and enhancing its anti-terrorist capabilities. Commencing on March 10, and scheduled to finish in late March, these two-stage command and staff exercises involved the use of the security agencies and emergencies department, clearly rehearsing... MORE

BAKIYEV FACES STRONG, MATURING OPPOSITION IN KYRGYZSTAN

One year after Kyrgyzstan's March 24 Tulip Revolution Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev faces outspoken criticism of his regime from both political and non-governmental sources. Although the current political situation in Kyrgyzstan largely resembles the final years of former president Askar Akayev's regime, when the general... MORE