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BISHKEK (TCA) — As Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have been involved in tensions concerning disputed border areas in the Ferghana Valley, a densely populated region shared by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, we are republishing an article by Paul Goble, entitled “Central Asia’s ‘Karabakhs’ may be even more dangerous than the original”, originally published by the Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor, which draws a parallel between the Caucasus and Central Asia. The article is below: Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — With the recent removal of the sanctions on Iran, Europe and the former Soviet republics have jumped on the platform to announce “breakthrough” deals on the occasion. Today most of those “new” deals are in fact a lot older, and it will take several years before a concrete benefit will be achieved both for Central Asia and Iran. Today Iran needs every bit of cash to cope with its huge socioeconomic problems while Central Asia access to the sea and alternative export routes has always been of high priority. Continue reading
ASHGABAT (TCA) — Turkmenistan’s dream to become a world energy player seems to have gone up in smoke just when it could have grasped a glimpse of reality. A trade conflict with Russia’s gas giant Gazprom has prematurely locked its gas outlet to the north, leaving only China as its customer. Ashgabat’s lack of market insight in the midst of a continental price slump appears to be the main cause of Turkmenistan’s inability to cash in on its monoculture. Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — Videos have emerged last week of a largely Uzbek group called The Iman Bukhari Jamaat (IBJ) fighting Kurdish forces with mortars, machine guns and crude artillery pieces — another militant group fuelling the fire of war and instability in the nearby regions. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — European sanctions on Russia and Russian counter sanctions on Europe, as well as new sanctions of Russia on Turkey, have forced European and Turkish manufacturers to find new ways to stay in the Russian market. A new model of export oriented cooperation between Russia and former Soviet States is now taking shape with the purpose to produce in Russia and in several Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member countries. The new initiative “Made with Italy” is being promoted by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development as a new way of transferring technological know-how and other forms of cooperation to countries that enjoy the benefits of their membership of the EEU and are free from any form of sanctions. Continue reading
OSH, Kyrgyzstan (TCA) — In Afghanistan, the Taliban has regained a foothold and launched the spring offensive codenamed “operation Omari,” after the name of its late leader Mullah Muhammad Omar. This will certainly nullify the peace efforts of the quadrilateral coordination group of China, the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan for reaching a direct dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban. The spring offensive will certainly escalate violence and further destabilize the country. Such development on the ground, with the Afghan government’s role in state management reduced by ever intensive fighting, may turn foreign intervention from a last option into the only option. With Afghanistan falling again into chaos, terrorism may spread to neighboring countries of Central Asia and probably China’s western Xinjiang region. Continue reading
