Latest Articles about Central Asia
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
TRANS-CASPIAN EXPORT OPTION NOW AVAILABLE TO CPC COMPANIES IN KAZAKHSTAN
Visiting Kazakhstan on March 14, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced that he was conveying to President Nursultan Nazarbayev "the desire of the United States" to expedite the signing of the agreement on trans-Caspian oil transport from Kazakhstan through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (press release, March... 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
NAZARBAYEV THREATENS TO CRACK DOWN ON LIBEL, BRIBERY
In a televised address to the nation on March 1, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev elaborated at great length on the country's economic priorities, promising a solid package of social benefits to a large section of the population and reiterating his ambition to place Kazakhstan among... MORE