Latest Articles about Central Asia
TAJIKISTAN CONCENTRATES ON NATIONAL GUARD REFORM
Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmonov has declared his intention to raise the combat readiness of the Tajik armed forces in order to address adequately the security threats facing the country. Such familiar language, usually employed for wider political reasons, was utilized in the unusual setting of... MORE
NAZARBAYEV ROTATES CABINET, IGNORES PROMISE TO INCLUDE OPPOSITION
The recent government reshuffle in Astana disappointed analysts who expected major changes. Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov had a rough 2005; he was strongly criticized for the scandalous takeover of PetroKazakhstan by the China National Petroleum Company, the Russian-Ukrainian gas deal's detrimental consequences for the Kazakh... MORE
IRAN, TAJIKISTAN STRENGTHEN COOPERATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR
Amid rivalries over energy supplies between a number of post-Soviet states, international media outlets have largely ignored Tajikistan's initiatives with Iran for hydroelectricity. Tajikistan is an important part of the Central Asian power system, which has a high potential for producing hydroelectricity, but it has... MORE
SPECULATION CONTINUES OVER APPOINTMENT OF NEW UZBEK MVD CHIEF, RESIGNATION OF SNB CHAIR SEEMS INEVITABLE
The recent turnover at the top of the Uzbek Ministry of Internal Affairs is still generating talk inside Uzbekistan. On January 5, the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) announced a presidential decree naming Bahodyr Matlyubov as the new Minister of Internal Affairs, replacing the... MORE
CALLS GROW FOR RESIGNATION OF KYRGYZ SECURITY CHIEF
Members of the Kyrgyz parliament are calling for the resignation of Tashtemir Aytbayev, chairman of the National Security Service. A resolution, adopted on January 26, aims at tackling the unsatisfactory nature of the National Security Service in its efforts to combat organized crime. MPs also... MORE
MOSCOW TO INCREASE NUCLEAR TIES WITH UZBEKISTAN
The five members of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC) formally admitted Uzbekistan to the organization during its January 25 summit meeting in St. Petersburg. The EEC member states -- Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan -- agreed to allow Uzbekistan to join the organization for... MORE
RUSSIA WELCOMES UZBEKISTAN INTO ITS EURASIAN ENERGY EMPIRE
On January 25, at the St. Petersburg summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC), Uzbekistan officially joined this Russia-led integration organization. This decision marked yet another stage in Uzbekistan's geopolitical drift into Russia's fold. But it also underscores the joint interest of Moscow and Tashkent... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN CLAIMS REGIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE
The inauguration ceremony of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, held in Astana on January 11, witnessed more than the expected national display of Nazarbayev's tight grip on power. According to sources within the Foreign Ministry, it also conveyed the impression that Kazakhstan is now the leader... MORE
INTEREST REBOUNDS IN TRANS-CASPIAN PIPELINE FOR TURKMEN GAS
Russia's New Year "gas attack" on Ukraine and its impact on gas supplies Europe-wide has suddenly reawakened interest in obtaining direct access to the gas reserves of Turkmenistan. Such interest reemerged even before the second round of Russian gas supply shortfalls to Europe in the... MORE
NAZARBAYEV PLACES PRIORITY ON TIES WITH MOSCOW
The inauguration ceremony in Astana on January 11 for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was a widely trumpeted political event conceived to attract international attention and world leaders to Kazakhstan. Yet the propaganda effect of the inauguration ceremony obviously fell far short of the expectations, as... MORE