Latest Articles about Central Asia

MOSCOW PUNDITS PONDER TURMOIL IN KYRGYZSTAN

As Askar Akayev's regime collapsed across Kyrgyzstan, Russian policymakers and analysts considered whether the upheaval in the Central Asian republic falls into the same category as the Rose Revolution in Georgia and Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Most Russian commentators note some important parallels between events... MORE

CROWD SEIZES GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN BISHKEK

This morning, 15,000 to 20,000 people gathered in Bishkek's central square demanding President Askar Akayev's resignation. The protesters then stormed the government headquarters. There are reports of severe fights between the protesters and hooligans allegedly hired by the government to stir up tensions in the... MORE

KARIMOV AGAIN SEARCHES FOR WESTERN SUPPORT

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov re-launched his efforts to secure further Western support for his regime during a visit to Slovenia March 15-17. His campaign comes at a time when NATO officials are actively seeking to develop Uzbekistan's role within the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and... MORE

NIYAZOV UNBENDING ON GAS PRICES TO RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

On March 23, Gazprom officially acknowledged for the first time that Turkmenistan had ceased gas deliveries to Russia on January 1. Gazprom Vice-Chairman Alexander Ryazanov confirmed to Moscow journalists that the company rejects Ashgabat's demand for a price increase, from $44 to $58 per 1,000... MORE

SAAKASHVILI OFFERS TO GO TO KYRGYZSTAN AS MEDIATOR

On March 22, as post-election violence and anarchy engulfed large parts of Kyrgyzstan, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili wrote an informal, personal letter to his Kyrgyz counterpart, Askar Akayev, offering to mediate between the Kyrgyz authorities and the opposition. "Based on my own personal experience, I... MORE

KAZAKHSTAN AMENDS ELECTORAL LAW, BUT REFORMS STILL LACKING

Kazakhstan's citizens have become accustomed to broken promises of radical political reform since the country became independent in 1991. Even members of Kazakhstan's "pocket parliament" admit that public confidence in the legislature's integrity has dramatically plummeted in recent years. On March 10 parliament made yet... MORE

MASS PROTESTS, LITTLE CHANGE AFTER KYRGYZ PARLIAMENTARY RUNOFF

Voters in Kyrgyzstan returned to the polls on March 13 for a second round of voting for a new parliament. The results confirmed majority representation for pro-presidential forces in the next single-chamber parliament. With six months to go before the presidential election, the mass protests... MORE

PROTESTORS CLOSE KYRGYZSTAN’S MAJOR TRANSPORTATION ROUTES

The situation in Kyrgyzstan remains very tense following its disputed February 27 parliamentary elections. News reports about massive protest demonstrations organized by the opposition continue to pour in from across the country. In Naryn, a city in central Kyrgyzstan, approximately 600 protesters have been continuously... MORE