Weekly Digest of Central Asia
BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Central Asia was the scene of intense geopolitical struggle and the Great Game between the British and Russian Empires, and later between the Soviet Union and the West, over Afghanistan and neighboring territories. Into the 21st century, Central Asia has become the area of a renewed geopolitical interest, dubbed the New Great Game, largely based on the region’s hydrocarbon and mineral wealth. On top of that, the region now is perhaps the most important node in the implementation of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative through which Beijing aims to get direct access to Western markets. Every week thousands of news appears in the world’s printed and online media and many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia, we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to peaceful development and better knowledge of this unique region. So we are presenting this Weekly Digest which compiles what other media have reported on Central Asia over the past week. KAZAKHSTAN On His Watch: The Dark Events Of Nazarbaev's Long Reign Nazarbaev's presidency was marked by numerous suspicious deaths — many of them unsolved — of journalists, activists, protesters, businessmen, and politicians March 26 — “The major economic strides made by energy-rich Kazakhstan during President Nursultan Nazarbaev's nearly 30-year reign often overshadow reports chronicling an undemocratic, repressive tenure punctuated by jailings and the suspicious deaths of opposition leaders, activists, and journalists.” READ MORE: https://www.rferl.org/a/on-his-watch-the-dark-events-of-nazarbaev-s-long-reign/29843509.html KAZAKHSTAN AFTER NAZARBAYEV: THE FIRST PRIORITY IS CONTINUITY The coming weeks and months will test the robustness of Nazarbayev’s opaque, but no doubt meticulous, succession plan March 26 — “Last week, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, resigned after 30 years in power. At 78 years old, Nazarbayev’s resignation had become all but inevitable, but the events of Mar. 19 still contained an element of surprise. Even so, Nazarbayev’s strongman tendencies are not going anywhere: By manipulating the constitution over the years, he has created a powerful post-presidential role for himself.” READ MORE: https://warontherocks.com/2019/03/kazakhstan-after-nazarbayev-the-first-priority-is-continuity/ What’s Behind Nazarbayev’s Surprise Resignation ‘Ruse’ in Kazakhstan? Nazarbayev likely found that ruling Kazakhstan has become more difficult than it was just a few years ago March 28 — “Kazakhstan’s president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, resigned from office March 20, stunning the nation and the region. For many Kazakhstanis, Nazarbayev is the only leader they remember. At age 78, he had ruled for three decades and was the last remaining Soviet-era leader still at the helm of a former Soviet country.” READ MORE: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/27711/what-s-behind-nazarbayev-s-surprise-resignation-ruse-in-kazakhstan Kazakhstan Looks Beyond Central Asia for New Trade Opportunities As Kazakhstan aims to become one of the top 30 developed economies by 2050, it has to continue to appear as an attractive trade partner and a destination for extra-regional investors March 28 — “Trade between Kazakhstan and India in 2018 reached USD$1.2 billion, according to the Kazakhstani authorities. While this amount is not particularly large when compared to Kazakhstan’s trade with China...
