BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Central Asia is an important geopolitical area between Europe, Russia and China. It is in Central Asia that world powers have confronted each other for centuries; it is here that China needs to succeed with its new Silk Road Belt for direct access to the Western markets; and it is here that a large wealth of raw materials has its origin. Every week thousands of news appears all over the world in printed and online media and it is quite understandable that 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 the region, and for this reason we are presenting this Weekly Digest of Central Asia which compiles what other media have reported during the past week.
KAZAKHSTAN
Reform and modernization in Kazakhstan
Analyst examines the impact of new constitutional and economic reforms in Kazakhstan
March 5 — “This past January, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced an unprecedented shift of presidential power, followed by major economic reforms. This will be the first time the president of a post-soviet central Asian country willingly devolved so much power to the parliament.” READ MORE: http://globalriskinsights.com/2017/03/reform-and-modernization-in-kazakhstan/
Kazakhstan: Parliament Rams Through Vague Constitution Fix
Redistribution of some presidential powers to the Parliament and Government in Kazakhstan is seen by some observers as an attempt to facilitate state power succession in the country
March 6 — “Kazakhstan’s parliament has hastily adopted amendments to the constitution following weeks of largely cursory public consultation. Following parliament’s adoption of the reforms on March 6, the amendments will have to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court, but that procedure is likely to be a formality.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/82686
Kazakh Capital, a Post-Soviet Creation, Is Growing Real Roots
A glimpse of Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana, seen from today back through the years since the country’s independence
March 7 — “The Astana Opera towers over a windswept plaza in this capital on the Central Asian steppe, a near-copy of Moscow’s neoclassical Bolshoi Theater, right down to the sculpture of galloping horses on the roof.” READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/world/asia/kazakh-capital-a-post-soviet-creation-is-growing-real-roots.html?_r=0
Kazakhstan to increase agricultural exports 10 percent in 2017
Kazakhstan is increasing the export of agricultural products, including grain and meat, and expanding its export markets to include Russia, China, and Arab countries
March 9 — “The Ministry of Agriculture intends to increase exports 10 percent in 2017 over last year’s $2.1 billion total, First Vice Minister Kairat Aituganov recently announced. “The export of agricultural products reached $2.1 billion, which is 5 percent higher in comparison with the results of 2015. The export of grain grew by 29 percent and reached 5.3 million tonnes, flour by 33 percent, vegetable oil by 20 percent, eggs by 47.6 percent,” Aituganov said.” READ MORE: http://astanatimes.com/2017/03/kazakhstan-to-increase-agricultural-exports-10-percent-in-2017/
Rio Tinto plans investing in geological exploration in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is developing a new subsoil use code in an attempt to increase foreign investment in geological exploration and mining projects in the country
March 9 — “Australian-British concern Rio Tinto plans considerable investments in geological exploration in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Investment and Development Ministry said March 9. The announcement came after a meeting of Kazakh Deputy Minister for Investment and Development Timur Toktabayev with Rio Tinto Geological Exploration Director Dave Andrews and Exploration Director for the Eurasia-Africa Region Ken Tainton.” READ MORE: http://en.trend.az/casia/kazakhstan/2729941.html
KYRGYZSTAN
Baku Criticizes Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Pro-Armenian’ Move
Bishkek has taken a political step that supports Armenia, Kyrgyzstan’s fellow member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
March 7 — “Azerbaijan has criticized Kyrgyzstan for refusing to fully back a joint declaration by Muslim states, which voices support for Baku’s position in the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh) conflict.” READ MORE: http://armenianweekly.com/2017/03/07/baku-criticizes-kyrgyzstans-pro-armenian-move/
Eurasian Intergovernmental Council held in Bishkek
The EEU meeting in Bishkek was marked by the unresolved Belarus-Russia gas dispute and a step towards creation of a free trade zone between the EEU and Iran
March 7 — “Bishkek hosted a Eurasian Intergovernmental Council summit. The event began with a meeting between delegation leaders and the President of Kyrgyzstan.” READ MORE: http://www.tvr.by/eng/news/ekonomika/v_bishkeke_prodolzhaetsya_sammit_evraziyskogo_mezhpravitelstvennogo_soveta/
Belarus and Kyrgyzstan changing taxation of agricultural produce
Kyrgyzstan and Belarus — both member states of the Eurasian Economic Union — are taking steps to remove barriers to mutual agricultural exports. For Kyrgyzstan, barriers related to products certification still remain in trade with Russia and Kazakhstan, also EEU members
March 9 — “Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are lifting barriers regarding VAT on some agricultural products, reports UkrAgroConsult. The taxation will be changed in the course of work for removing obstacles to free movement of goods and services in domestic markets of the EAEU.” READ MORE: http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/belarus-and-kyrgyzstan-changing-taxation-of-agricultural-produce
TAJIKISTAN
Tajikistani citizens lead among IS fighters
Citizens of Tajikistan, and other Central Asian countries, are among the militants fighting in the ranks of the Islamic State in the Middle East. They represent a threat to their home countries once they return back home
March 7 — “Natives of Tajikistan are leading the list of suicide bombers among the so-called Islamic State group. According to data in the War by Suicide: A Statistical Analysis of the Islamic State’s Martyrdom Industry report by the International Countering Terrorism Centre in the Netherlands, 27 citizens of Tajikistan have blown themselves up in Syria and Iraq during the period between December 2015 and November 2016.” READ MORE: http://enews.fergananews.com/news.php?id=3271&mode=snews
Tajikistan: Former Mayor Questioned Over Corruption
Tajik President Rakhmon is consolidating his grip on power, with the recent appointment of his son as the new mayor of Dushanbe seen as another step towards strengthening of his family rule
March 9 — “The net is tightening around the former mayor of Tajikistan’s capital as investigators reportedly question him over suspicious movements in the city budget.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/82741
Situation in currency market is under control, says Tajik central bank
The Tajik national currency, the somoni, continues to weaken against the US dollar, as Tajik authorities are trying to solve the situation with the country’s troubled banks
March 10 — “The National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) says the situation in the country’s currency market is under control. Tajik central bank states it has all necessary means and opportunities to provide stability in the domestic currency market.” READ MORE: https://www.news.tj/en/news/tajikistan/economic/20170310/237481
TURKMENISTAN
The End Of The (Gas Pipe-) Line For Turkmenistan
China is currently the only buyer of Turkmenistan’s natural gas, but the pipeline project to increase Turkmen gas exports is facing a delay
March 6 — “Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and his government just cannot seem to get a break lately. Not that they necessarily deserve it. But all the same, Turkmenistan’s last realistic hope to export a significant amount of additional natural gas to a customer has just evaporated.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-gas-pipeline-china-berdymukhammedov-iran-russia/28353522.html
Uzbek President Makes First Official Trip Abroad to Turkmenistan
The new Uzbek president is mending ties with Central Asian neighbors, starting with a visit to Turkmenistan
March 8 — “Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev just finished his first trip abroad — to Turkmenistan — since officially taking the helm in Tashkent in December. While the requisite pile of papers were signed, diplomatic phrases exchanged, and obligatory tour of the Akhal-Teke horse-breeding complex completed — the trip is just the Turkmen tip of Mirziyoyev’s regional reengagement plan, which has seen measurable progress in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/uzbek-president-makes-first-official-trip-abroad-to-turkmenistan/
Turkmenistan hosting seminar on Caspian Sea issues
Experts from the Caspian littoral states of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan discuss economic, political, and ecological issues of the sea which contains huge hydrocarbon and fish resources
March 8 — “The International Ocean Institute (IOI) with the support of Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry and the State Enterprise on Caspian Sea Issues under the President of Turkmenistan is holding a seminar in Avaza, titled “Caspian Sea – sustainable development and management”, which will last until March 16, the Turkmen government said in a message.” READ MORE: http://en.trend.az/casia/turkmenistan/2729348.html
All Quiet on the Turkmen Front?
Turkmenistan’s porous and poorly guarded border with Afghanistan remains vulnerable to potential intrusion by Taliban and IS militants
March 11 — “One of the great fears across Central Asia for the past 30 years has been the potential for one of the successive conflicts in Afghanistan to spill over the border.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/all-quiet-on-the-turkmen-front/
UZBEKISTAN
EBRD to return to Uzbekistan after decade-long absence
After the death of Uzbekistan’s authoritarian President Islam Karimov and with promises of liberal reforms made by the new president, the EBRD plans to resume lending in the country
March 6 — “The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will this week signal it is to ready to restart work in Uzbekistan after a decade-long absence, sources at the bank have told Reuters.” READ MORE: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ebrd-uzbekistan-exclusive-idUSKBN16D25J
Uzbekistan: Leader Pays Bridge-Building Visit to Turkmenistan
Despite speculation that the new Uzbek president would make his first foreign visit to Russia or Kazakhstan, his first destination was Turkmenistan
March 7 — “The president of Uzbekistan’s maiden foreign trip, to Turkmenistan, may prove a valuable exercise in building bridges — well, inaugurating them at least.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/82691
Uzbek Activist Urlaeva Held in Psychiatric Facility
Uzbekistan still remains a difficult place for rights activists, despite the fact that several political prisoners have been released since the new president came to power in Tashkent
March 9 — “Uzbek police detained prominent local human rights advocate Elena Urlaeva (pictured) on 1 March and placed her in a Tashkent psychiatric facility, Reuters reported, citing Human Rights Watch. The detention came a day before the activist planned to meet with the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, and the International Organization of Trade Unions to discuss the issue of forced labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry.” READ MORE: http://www.tol.org/client/article/26755-uzbekistan-urlaeva-arrest-cotton-prisoners.html
AFGHANISTAN
Top U.S. General Says More U.S. Ground Troops Needed In Afghanistan
As fighting has intensified between government troops and the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Trump administration is working on a new US strategy for the country which would require more US troops there
March 9 — “The head of the U.S. military’s Central Command says more U.S. troops will be needed on the ground in Afghanistan in the fight against the Taliban and other forces.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/top-general-more-ground-troops-needed-in-afghanistan/28360526.html
Putin’s dance with the Taliban
Although Moscow has officially denied its support of the Taliban, Russia may still use the organization for achieving its geopolitical goals in the Central Asia region
March 9 — “Russia may be in decline economically and demographically, but in strategic terms it is a resurgent power, pursuing a major military re-armament programme that will enable it to continue expanding its global influence. One of the Kremlin’s latest geostrategic targets is Afghanistan, where the United States remains embroiled in the longest war in its history.” READ MORE: http://gulfnews.com/opinion/thinkers/putin-s-dance-with-the-taliban-1.1991315
IS Taking New Strategy in Afghanistan
Although Islamic State militants are not as strong and dangerous as the Taliban in Afghanistan, Daesh terror attacks are becoming more sophisticated and deadly
March 10 — “The attack in Kabul that killed at least 30 people this week, claimed by the Islamic State militants, was different in strategy from the group’s past assaults. Those, like the one on a Shi’ite Hazara minority group protest in Kabul last year, had been simpler. Large public gatherings are easy targets for a suicide bomber.” READ MORE: http://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-islamic-state-new-strategy/3759855.html
Top Afghan Official: Islamic State and Taliban Are Not ‘Opposed to Each Other’
Although the Taliban and Islamic State are not rivals inside Afghanistan, the two groups may have different objectives with regard to neighboring Central Asia states
March 10 — “The Afghan Taliban and the Islamic State branch in the region do not consider each other rivals, the national security adviser (NSA) to the president of Afghanistan told the Times of India (TOI), echoing other assessments of the relationship between the two Sunni jihadist groups.” READ MORE: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/03/10/top-afghan-official-islamic-state-taliban-not-opposed-each-other/
WORLD
Russian Advances in the Gulf
Moscow is trying to expand its influence and increase economic, energy, and military cooperation with Iran, the UAE, and Iraq
March 8 — “All too often, Russian policy in the Middle East is perceived as tied mainly or exclusively to Syria and its ongoing civil war. But in fact, Moscow has long sought to expand its influence across the entire region; its intervention in Syria, in turn, has greatly heightened Russia’s ability and willingness to conduct that regional policy.” READ MORE: https://jamestown.org/program/russian-advances-gulf/
Expert says Mideast problems directly affect Caucasus and Central Asia
Hundreds of natives of Central Asian states fight in the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria, and the terrorist organization may seek to expand its territory to former Soviet republics
March 9 — “The developments in the Middle East directly concern Eurasia and the states in the continent’s southern belt, a leading Russian expert told TASS on Thursday.” READ MORE: http://tass.com/world/934715
Putin, Erdogan Pledge Cooperation To Help Bring End To Syrian Conflict
After the recent standoff caused by the downing of a Russian war plane by the Turkish air forces, Russia and Turkey have restored ties and now continue increasing economic, energy, and anti-terrorism cooperation
March 10 — “Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, citing improved bilateral ties, pledged to work together to help bring an end to the conflict in Syria. The two leaders held talks on March 10 to address the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, economic and energy ties, and efforts to combat terrorism.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-turkey-erdogan-putin-talks-moscow/28361524.html
