Latest Articles about Central Asia
BOUCHER VISIT TO BISHKEK REVEALS WIDENING GAP IN U.S.-KYRGYZ RELATIONS
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, constrained in his relations with the West owing to pressures from Russia and China, wants to reshape the perception of Bishkek’s role in Central Asia. Eschewing the perception that his country is becoming the focal point for the conflicting interests of... MORE
TAJIKISTAN: CORRUPTION MOUNTS AS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS NEAR
With presidential elections in Tajikistan planned for this fall, the current president and leader of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emomali Rahmonov, remains the only candidate. The opposition Islamic Renaissance Party will likely put forward its own candidate, although a Rahmonov victory is easily... MORE
TAJIKISTAN RETHINKS BORDER SECURITY
Tajikistan, painfully aware of the weaknesses within its border security structures, is embarking on key strategic and operational changes to the Tajik border guard service. These will be evident in the new level of cross-border cooperation with Afghanistan, which has been long overdue in Dushanbe’s... MORE
CONSTANTA-TRIESTE PIPELINE PROPOSAL FOR KAZAKHSTAN’S OIL
The Romanian government has initiated a five-country project for transporting oil from Kazakhstan via the Black Sea to European consumer markets. The project envisages construction of a pipeline from the Black Sea port of Constanta, passing through the territories of Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia... MORE
BAKIYEV PLAYS THE SECURITY CARD
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, having secured a deal over the future of the U.S. military deployment at Manas, is rapidly consolidating his regional reputation for combating terrorism and extremism. He is doing so primarily through his contacts with Uzbekistan, and, by broadening his definition of... MORE
KYRGYZ-UZBEK SECURITY RELATIONS: SIMILAR PROBLEMS, DIFFERENT POLICIES
Recently revived security ties between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan risk becoming yet another pompous declaration made by leaders of both states on regional security, fighting terrorism, religious extremism, and drug trafficking. The experience of the past year shows that political climates in both countries have rather... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN EYES LATVIA AS GATEWAY TO EUROPEAN OIL MARKETS
When Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Riga on July 18, the overriding topic of discussion was how best to send Kazakh oil to energy-hungry markets in Europe and Scandinavian via Latvia. Nazarbayev did his best to give the impression of a pragmatic leader unburdened by... MORE
IRAN BUILDS PARTNERSHIP WITH TAJIKISTAN
Iran, despite intense U.S. and British diplomatic efforts, has pressed ahead with its strategy of strengthening regional ties in Central Asia, putting a special focus on Tajikistan. Washington and London have probed these evolving relations without making any headway on the Tajik government’s support for... MORE
RUSSIA HIGHLIGHTS CENTRAL ASIAN AGENDA AT G-8 SUMMIT
By welcoming Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the only post-Soviet leader invited to attend the G-8 summit, Russia emphasized Central Asian energy issues at the meeting in St. Petersburg. At a bilateral meeting during the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Nazarbayev's attendance as "useful" (RIA-Novosti,... MORE
PUTIN AND NAZARBAYEV INK DEAL TO PROCESS GAS AT ORENBURG
On the sidelines of the G-8 summit, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a declaration on long-term cooperation in processing Karachaganak gas at Gazprom's Orenburg plant. Both sides pledged to jointly develop the Karachaganak gas field and set up a joint... MORE