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
Kazakhstan, Turkey to create joint chamber of commerce and industry
Kazakhstan and Turkey are strengthening economic cooperation within the framework of the Turkic Business Council
April 8 — “ Kazakhstan and Turkey are planning to establish a joint chamber of commerce and industry, according to the Deputy Chairman of the board of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Nurzhan Altayev. “The fifth meeting of the Business Council of the Turkic-speaking countries is considering the establishment of a joint chamber of commerce and industry between Kazakhstan and Turkey. It will unite all branch associations and entrepreneurs – from the Kazakh side those who work with the Turkish side and vice versa.” READ MORE: http://astanatimes.com/2017/04/kazakhstan-turkey-to-create-joint-chamber-of-commerce-and-industry/
Kazakhstan Thanks British Nazarbayev Biographer
The Kazakh government has given Jonathan Aitken a medal marking “25 years of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” apparently for a book on Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev
April 11 — “The storied history of Western actors spinning post-Soviet dictatorships for foreign audiences has seen some notable entries over the past dozen years.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/04/kazakhstan-thanks-british-nazarbayev-biographer/
Kazakhstan: MPs Pay Rise Causes a Stink
As the incomes of Kazakhstan’s citizens have fallen due to the tenge’s devaluation and low oil prices, a pay rise for Kazakh MPs has caused popular discontent
April 11 — “News that Kazakhstan’s parliamentarians have been given bumper pay rises of up to 50 percent of their salary is causing a stink. The information leaked out to the media through deputies themselves. Bahytbek Smagul and Yekaterina Nikitinskaya told news outlets that the salary increases had taken effect as of March 1 and that MPs will now be earning around 600-700,000 tenge (around $2,000 to $2,200) per month.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83181
Kazakhstan: President Calls for Switch to Latin Alphabet by 2025
The so-called national-patriots favor the switch as a boon to putting a distance between Kazakh and Russian while Kazakhstan’s Russian-speaking population perceive the idea as a threat to their cultural legacy
April 12 — “The president of Kazakhstan published an article in a state newspaper on April 12 announcing a switchover to the Latin alphabet by 2025 — a stark change of tack from the vaguer and longer-term objectives set previously.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83206
China-Kazakhstan border trade gives him pot of gold
Trade is booming at Horgos, the largest land port on the border with Kazakhstan in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
April 13 — “Ni Jianhua is never worried about slow sales in the free trade zone on the China-Kazakhstan border. After seeing the fifth client of the day out, the baby care product trader hurried to a warehouse in the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center to inspect a batch of baby carriages, which just arrived at the northwest China’s port from south China’s Guangdong Province.” READ MORE: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/13/c_136205015.htm
Kazakhstan Breaks Oil Production Cut Promise
Kazakhstan can only increase its crude oil production, as the country needs to earn cash by oil exports and return huge investments in the Kashagan oilfield development
April 14 — “Kazakhstan, it seems, has been one of the worst violators of a promise made in December to cut oil production. According to data in the International Energy Agency’s March Oil Market Report [PDF], Kazakhstan had agreed to a 20,000 barrel per day cut but instead increased production over the baseline month level (October) by 78,000 bpd.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/04/kazakhstan-breaks-oil-production-cut-promise/
KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyzstan’s Osh airport completes terminal expansion
The airport of Osh needed expansion to accommodate growing international traffic as the Kyrgyz authorities hope for the transit potential of Osh and the country’s other airports
April 11 — “Osh airport, which serves the Kyrgyz city of the same name, has expanded its passenger terminal area, managing company Manas International Airport reports. The terminal’s floor area has been expanded from 5,000 to 7,160 square meters, boosting its througput capacity from 450 to 600 passengers per hour.” READ MORE: http://www.rusaviainsider.com/kyrgyzstans-osh-airport-completes-terminal-expansion/
Armenia, Kyrgyzstan have obvious advantages in EAEU, Russia’s Putin says
While many in Kyrgyzstan claim the country’s membership of the Eurasian Economic Union has not met expectations, the Russian president says the membership has given more advantages to Kyrgyzstan
April 12 — “In an interview with Mir Russian TV Company, President of Russia Vladimir Putin have talked about the influence of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on the economies of its member states after its formation and completely rejected the claims that the sanctions imposed on Russia have also hit its member states.” READ MORE: http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/04/12/Armenia-EAEU-Russia-Putin/1760203
Kyrgyzstan: Religious Authorities Order Closure of Illegal Madrasas
A non-governmental organization’s report calls for the need of a radical overhaul to religious education in Kyrgyzstan
April 12 — “A representative for the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan has said that four madrasas have been shut down over the past week for failing to obtain proper authorization. Kushtarbek Mamatov told EurasiaNet.org that the schools were giving lessons without the correct papers and did not appear to know that they needed to register and obtain approval from a government commission.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83211
TAJIKISTAN
Tajikistan: Man Arrested for Slightly Disrespecting President
If the man’s prosecution goes ahead, it would be the first ever case under the law criminalizing insulting the Tajik President, which is punishable by up to five years in jail
April 10 — “A man in northern Tajikistan has reportedly been arrested and potentially faces several years in jail for being slightly disrespectful to a poster of President Emomali Rahmon. Akhbor news website reported last week that Hasan Abdurazokov, an unemployed father of three in the Sughd region, offended Rahmon ahead of the recent Nowruz holidays.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83166
Putin: Russia Hopes Never to Use Forces in Tajikistan Over Afghanistan Crisis
Russian military stationed in Afghanistan is a deterrant factor in case of possible spillover of Afghan conflict across the border with Central Asian former Soviet republics
April 12 — “Russia hopes never to deploy its Armed Forces and units in Tajikistan toward settlement efforts in neighboring Afghanistan, President Vladimir Putin said. “We very much count on the fact that we will never have to use our armed forces, including our units of the 201st base in Tajikistan,” Putin told the Mir broadcaster in an interview published Wednesday.” READ MORE: https://sputniknews.com/asia/201704121052557503-putin-russia-tajikistan-afghanistan/
Russia-Tajikistan talks on air service suspended
The ongoing dispute between Tajikistan and Russia is centered on the violation of parity in the number of air carriers on both sides
April 13 — “The talks on air service between Russia and Tajikistan have been suspended and will be resumed on April 22, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said Thursday.” READ MORE: http://tass.com/economy/941215
Tajikistan: New Mayor’s Reign Begins With Transport Fiasco
The new Dushanbe’s mayor’s efforts to overhaul the city’s transportation system have faced protests from deprived drivers
April 14 — “When the president of Tajikistan earlier this year appointed his son to become mayor of the capital, Dushanbe, he urged him to be a listening and compassionate leader. Going by Rustam Emomali’s first actions in office, the advice does not appear to have made an impact.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83236
TURKMENISTAN
Korean Gov’t Shows Big Interests in Turkmenistan Construction Projects
South Korean government requested Turkmenistan to allow Korean companies to participate in the construction of three major plant projects in Turkmenistan
April 10 — “South Korea will strengthen economic cooperation with Turkmenistan with the fourth largest natural gas reserve in the world. On April 6 (local time), Joo Hyung-hwan, the industry and commerce minister of South Korea, agreed on the economic cooperation between the two countries in the 6th Korea-Turkmenistan Economic Joint Committee meeting held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.” READ MORE: http://businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/national/17781-112b-turkmenistan-projects-korean-gov’t-shows-big-interests-turkmenistan
The golf club and new park to supplement recreational infrastructure of Ashgabat
A golf club will appear in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat, in the country located in the vast Karakum Desert
April 12 — “New 630 hectares park and the 70 hectares golf club will appear soon on the south-west of Turkmen capital where the 15th phase of urban planning construction is carried out.” READ MORE: http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/_eng/?id=8073
Turkmenistan Not Playing With Its Showcase Sports Event
Turkmenistan’s President Berdymukhamedov has written a song titled “Forward, Forward, Only Forward My Beloved Turkmenistan”, which was declared the official anthem for the upcoming mega-event for the country — 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
April 13 — “Late one evening in early April, the president of Turkmenistan emerged, dressed in a bright red tracksuit, on a garishly lit stage in the boondoggle Caspian holiday resort of Awaza. There were only five months to go before the start of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, or AIMAG, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov told his audience, “and we still don’t have an anthem.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83231
UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan: Police Shake-Up Part of Elite Struggle?
Observers believe the boosting of the role of the police is a continuation of the intra-elite struggle between President Mirziyoyev and Uzbekistan’s powerful National Security chief Rustam Inoyatov
April 12 — “The police force in Uzbekistan is set for a reorganization that looks in part designed to balance power away from the security services. Authorities claim the reform will enhance rights protections, but activists are skeptical.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/83226
After Cancellations and Delays, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Reopen Air Link
The resumed air communication is a big step forward towards improved relations between Tashkent and Dushanbe
April 12 — “The very first direct commercial flight in 25 years from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan landed in Dushanbe on Tuesday. For a one-hour flight, it represented a significant mark of progress in relations between Tashkent and Dushanbe.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/04/after-cancellations-and-delays-uzbekistan-and-tajikistan-reopen-air-link/
The Limits of Uzbekistan’s Drift Toward Russia
Stratfor believes that despite its increasing cooperation with Russia, Tashkent will not abandon its broader strategy of neutrality, and will continue to maintain strategic ties with China, the United States and other foreign powers
April 13 — “Uzbekistan has long resisted being pulled into Moscow’s orbit. Since its independence from the Soviet Union, Russia has sought to enlist Uzbekistan as a partner because of its strategic location bordering each of the other former Soviet states in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) as well as Afghanistan. The country’s sizable population and abundant oil and natural gas reserves have only further piqued Moscow’s interest.” READ MORE: https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/limits-uzbekistans-drift-toward-russia
Uzbekistan Says Had Warned West About Stockholm Attack Suspect
The suspect, Akilov, had been recruited by the Islamic State group after he left Uzbekistan in 2014 and settled in Sweden
April 14 — “Uzbekistan says its security services passed information on Rakhmat Akilov, the man accused of ramming a truck into a crowd of people in Stockholm last week, to the West before the deadly attack.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan-says-warned-west-about-stockholm-attack/28430859.html
AFGHANISTAN
The ‘Mother of All Bombs’ (MOAB) has been dropped on Afghanistan. Here’s what it does (and doesn’t) mean
A retired U.S. Army general comments on the reasons why the U.S. military has used the massive bomb in Afghanistan
April 13 — “On April 13, at 7:32 pm local time, U.S. Forces in Afghanistan struck an ISIS tunnel complex in Nangahar Province. What made this strike more newsworthy than most was its use of a GBU-43 bomb. The Massive Ordnance Air Burst Bomb (MOAB), known more colloquially as the “mother of all bombs” is the most powerful conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal.” READ MORE: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/04/13/mother-all-bombs-moab-has-been-dropped-on-afghanistan-heres-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean.html
TO FIGHT CORRUPTION, AFGHANISTAN MUST STRENGTHEN AND REFORM ITS ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCIES
Transparency International says Afghanistan’s nine agencies currently tasked with anti-corruption work must be consolidated
April 13 — “Afghanistan’s system for fighting corruption has too many separate anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) and not enough coordination or independence to be effective, according to new research by Transparency International, which is recommending an overhaul of the current structures.” READ MORE: http://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/to_fight_corruption_afghanistan_must_strengthen_and_reform_its_anti-corrupt
Man Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Afghans, Pakistanis Into United States
Afghanistan remains a large source of illegal migrants to Western Europe and the US
April 13 — “A Pakistani man has pleaded guilty to helping smuggle at least 81 people from Pakistan and Afghanistan into the United States by way of dangerous journeys through Brazil and Latin America. Sharafat Ali Khan, 32, pleaded guilty on April 12 to charges of conspiracy to smuggle undocumented migrants into the United States for profit.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/us-man-charged-trafficking-migrants-afghanistan-pakistan/28426990.html
Taliban renegades turn Afghanistan into Isis stronghold
Islamic State is said to have strengthened its influence in Afghanistan, from where it may expand to almost every corner of the country and into Pakistan and Central Asia
April 14 — “The Afghan chapter of Islamic State has swelled rapidly since a rift within the Taliban prompted a group of extremist military commanders to break away and form their own militia in 2014.” READ MORE: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/taliban-renegades-turn-afghanistan-into-isis-stronghold-bd6frhw5g
WORLD
WHY EXTREMIST GROUPS ARE GAINING STRENGTH IN CENTRAL ASIA
There are concerns about the growth of religious extremism in Central Asia, as up to 4,000 people from the region are said to have gone to fight for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
April 12 — “When security forces revealed the suspect in an attack on the St Petersburg metro that killed 14 on April 3 was likely a Kyrgyz national, attention turned to the Central Asia region, the source of several attacks on Russia in recent decades. After Friday’s truck attack in Stockholm that killed four, the region made headlines again. Swedish police said the suspect, who has confessed to the attack, was Rakhmat Akilov, from Uzbekistan.” READ MORE: http://www.newsweek.com/where-are-central-asia-extremism-578989
Can Central Asia Be a Broker for the Syria Conflict?
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan need regional stability and security in order to conduct necessary economic reforms
April 12 — “Some mainstream media and expert communities in Western countries constantly fail to capture the essence and logic of political developments—especially the foreign policies of former Soviet countries—in the heartland of Eurasia. Media and experts in the West tend to divide the policies of former Soviet countries into simplistic categories as “pro-Western” and “pro-Russian,” without considering geographical constraints and regional and historical context.” READ MORE: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/can-central-asia-be-broker-the-syria-conflict-20146
London Links Deeper Into The ‘New Silk Road’ With New Direct Train To China
The New Silk Road rail link connecting China and Europe via Russia and Central Asia helps European manufacturers get their products to the booming consumer market in China, and vice versa
April 13 — “On Monday April 10th the UK upped its ante in the collective initiative known as the New Silk Road — an emerging network of enhanced economic corridors and trade routes that are rising up between China and Europe — by launching the first direct cargo train laden with British goods bound for China.” READ MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/04/13/london-links-deeper-into-the-new-silk-road-with-new-direct-train-to-china/#37c5a7a95263
