Latest Articles about Uzbekistan
UZBEK REGIME OPTS FOR SHORT-TERM STABILITY OVER POLITICAL REFORM
On November 6 Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov announced his decision to enter the upcoming presidential elections on December 23. Karimov’s choice to seek another term provides a short-term solution to the fears of potentially ruthless competition for state power among local politicians and business elites.... MORE
CAN UZBEKISTAN COME IN FROM THE COLD?
On October 18 Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov met with his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov for wide-ranging talks on international and regional issues. The summit was initially given only passing reference on Uzbek television, with reports mentioning the scheduled signing of cooperation documents (Uzbek TV First... MORE
UPROAR OVER ANDIJAN FADES AS EU WARMS TO TASHKENT
On October 17 European Union foreign ministers agreed to lift travel restrictions against Uzbek Defense Minister Ruslan Mirzayev, National Security chief Rustam Inoyatov, and six others, saying it was "with a view to encouraging the Uzbek authorities to take positive steps to improve the human... MORE
WITHOUT HEIR, KARIMOV LIKELY TO STAND FOR RE-ELECTION
Uzbekistan’s Central Election Committee has announced that a presidential election will be held on December 23. According to Article 8 of the law on presidential elections, parliament is to approve the decision to hold an election three months before the president’s term in office ends... MORE
SECURITY SERVICE VETERANS RISING TO THE TOP IN UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan remains the focus of terrorists in Central Asia. This situation has encouraged a “siege mentality” among the higher echelons of the Uzbek government, which is seeking to strengthen the country’s political and security institutions by combining them. Tashkent’s obsession with security also extends to... MORE
UZBEKISTAN FOSTERS EU CONTACTS
Uzbekistan, isolated from the West since the Andijan massacre in May 2005, clearly regards the European Union as its best hope for rapprochement as a means to promote its interests within Europe. As a result of the German presidency of the Council of the EU,... MORE
RUSSIAN ECONOMIC TIES WITH UZBEKISTAN HIT TURBULENCE
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov traveled to Tashkent on March 7 in a bid to prop up the Russia-Uzbek economic partnership, but the trip also served to highlight unresolved economic issues between the two countries. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's March 7 visit to Uzbekistan... MORE
UZBEK GAS OUTPUT, EXPORT SET TO GROW UNDER RUSSIAN MONOPOLY CONTROL
On February 19, Gazprom’s subsidiary office in Tashkent announced that Uzbekistan will deliver 13 billion cubic meters of gas to Russia in 2007, up from 9 billion cubic meters in 2006. Russia is the sole export destination for Uzbek gas. Under the contract for 2007,... MORE
TASHKENT USES “DEMOCRACY CARROT” TO ENTICE WEST
On January 4 the Rand Corporation released a report on U.S. security assistance to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2005. The report concluded that, despite intense efforts, Washington’s assistance had no discernable effect on improving Uzbekistan’s performance in the areas of human rights, democratization,... MORE
UZBEKISTAN CONSIDERS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH THE WEST
Recent events in Uzbekistan seem to point to warming relations with the West and a possible re-adjustment of its relations with Russia. EU sanctions on Uzbekistan will remain in place for another year, despite Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Norov’s recent trip to Brussels. Nevertheless,... MORE