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BISHKEK (TCA) — How attractive is Central Asia’s agro-sector for investors looking at long-term, sustainable opportunities? Now that hydrocarbons are out of vogue, investors in the region, led by China, are looking seriously at farming as an alternative to make more money out of money. And the best places to do it seem to be the most unlikely looking countries, namely Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. With China expected to cool down on its frantic capital-spending abroad, there is room for other players to join in. Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — Many sideliners have remained in the dark over what China had in mind on launching its “One Belt, One Road” scheme on the Eurasian mega-continent back in 2013. Especially China’s entry into agro-sectors in neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan made people in those countries restless. It is now becoming clear that as developments in China’s food-related commitments are concerned, the plan is part of a much broader master-scheme. Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — Upcoming December 4, the Uzbeks will go to the polls to elect a new president, following the death of their quarter-century-ruling leader Islam Karimov. Investors can take a break while those dreaming of a velvet revolution are in for a wake-up call: the issue of “succession” in Uzbekistan appears to have been well-precooked in a most timely and almost elegant manner. As in surrounding former Soviet republics except Kyrgyzstan, the Uzbeks do not like surprises, especially those considered prepared elsewhere. Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — Who is in charge in Kyrgyzstan, and who in case of differences between the “pillars of power” is to have the last word? The Kyrgyz Parliament has recently approved a draft law to hold a nationwide referendum aimed to approve constitutional amendments. Critics inside and outside Parliament accuse the head of state of trying to push for fresh changes in the Constitution in order to shift more powers from Parliament and the Government towards himself. Most surprising is that reading the Constitution leads to the inevitable conclusion that in case he would want to do so he does not need any changes, since the present ambiguity of the Constitution would perfectly allow him to do so within it. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — Today, east-west rail links are considered at least as important as maritime power. The various branches included in China’s ambitious plan to install a hardware network, in which rail and road links are crucial, face various problems, though. The problems include the failure of different players in the complex game, in particular Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to come to a joint agreement to eliminate border hubs for transit traffic – not to speak of battlefield Afghanistan. This, as well as other factors, makes land routes more complicated and thereby more expensive than wished for. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — As the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) Committee on ICT, Science, Technology and Innovation will hold its first session from 5 to 7 October in Bangkok, we are publishing the following OP-ED on closing the broadband divide to connect people in Asia and the Pacific, written by Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UN ESCAP, in the lead up to the event: Continue reading
