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Articles

Why foreign investors are reluctant to invest in Kyrgyzstan

LONDON (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries are constantly trying to attract foreign investment, which is very important for the local economies and one of the most important answers to persistent economic stagnation. The inability to solve this problem during at least the past decade requires a consideration on how the attraction of foreign investment has been handled and the several reasons behind the failure, involving not only large multinationals but also small and medium foreign entrepreneurs. Continue reading

10 years ago

Failed coup in Turkey a message to Central Asia: the cases of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

LONDON (TCA) — Has the failed coup attempt in Turkey been a warning sign that its controversial head of state should behave? Or has it been an attempt by hardliners dissatisfied that he was starting to show signs of behaviour? What it has demonstrated is that a nation suffering from severe personality splits remains unpredictable and its future course, either with or without Erdoğan, unclear. For Central Asia’s regimes, it means that they have to remain on the alert on all levels while keeping their heads cool. Continue reading

10 years ago

Merkel in Kyrgyzstan: no news from the western front

BISHKEK (TCA) — The visit of Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel to Bishkek this week, part of a tour in the region which also included Mongolia as the end destination to join a summit of Eurasian heads of government (including Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and China’s Li Ke-qiang), has not gone unnoticed in Germany. In Kyrgyzstan, President Atambayev has seized the opportunity to boost his own profile. Substance and tangible results of the visit, however, look hard to distinguish. Continue reading

10 years ago

Central Asia and Turkey’s repentance: too early for Turkish delight

LONDON (TCA) — Recep Erdoğan’s “mea culpa” and his attempts to get Turkey back on the political scene have been met with mild tolerance – but with less enthusiasm than he might have hoped for. The maneuver could restore “business as usual” between the former USSR and Turkey, but the latter is now under close watch by virtually everybody and “rebuilding mutual trust” is no matter of words but of deeds, the ball remaining in Turkey’s camp. Continue reading

10 years ago

Central Asia terror cells and Turkish connection

LONDON (TCA) — The longstanding plan to destroy the secular states of Central Asia and eventually that of Russia cherished by Daesh and its connected Central-Asian groups has been complicated by Turkey’s recent reconciliation move towards Moscow. This could explain the choice of Istanbul as the latest terror target and the fact that it was masterminded and carried out by former Soviet citizens, probably including at least one Kyrgyz and one Uzbek perpetrator. Continue reading

10 years ago

Central Asia: wine offers perspective to investors

BISHKEK (TCA) — Vine-growing and wine-making are among those old traditions in all of Kyrgyzstan and the south of Kazakhstan, while the east of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are now reviving the industry under new brands. Technological upgrading with European input could boost output even further with the outlook to conquer a place among global wine exporters. Continue reading

10 years ago

Central Asians ‘rediscover’ Russian as a social stabiliser and economic catalyst

LONDON (TCA) — Attempts by national governments of Central Asia’s former Soviet republics to make their indigenous languages tools for nationalistic mainstream politics have been halfhearted from the very beginning following the break-up of the USSR. Intrusions of other external movements, mainly though not only “Islamic” ones, have made authorities throughout the region think twice. With a large number of migrants to Russia and business development, all landlocked countries of Central Asia are in search for coexistence between nationalist sentiments and cross-frontier ambitions. Continue reading

10 years ago

Kazakhstan’s agro-sector capital-strapped: investment delayed by trade tycoons

LONDON (TCA) — Hope could be glimmering for Kazakhstan’s stagnating agro-sector which is more than half a century behind in technology, management and other aspects for sheer lack of capital to invest into crop diversification, quality improvement and other needs to boost product competitiveness. Kazakhstan is the world’s seventh-largest grain exporter, with half of its output available for sales abroad. Continue reading

10 years ago

Violence in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe: 19 killed

ALMATY (TCA) — The latest violence in Aktobe, here in Kazakhstan, is leaving the authorities and sideliners in the dark. If it was the work of a gang or terrorist group acting on the orders of either Daesh or Al-Qaeda from their remote strongholds in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan or part of a more secular conspiracy against the Kazakh state, no one seems to be able to explain. Continue reading

10 years ago

Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Central Asia Terrorism Security Afghanistan Uzbekistan Taliban

Terrorism in Central Asia: Will Al-Qaeda take control over Uzbek terror movement?

LONDON (TCA) — With the recent death of its last strongman, the oldest and most threatening terrorist organization of Central Asia, the Uzbek-dominated IMU, has disappeared – or may be not? From recent events it is easy to observe that Al-Qaeda is absorbing the global jihad conglomerate into its own ranks. This includes Daesh, apparently considered too exposed to be of further use, and of course the Taliban, making the danger toward Central Asia all the more acute. Continue reading

10 years ago

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