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
Air Astana plans direct Mumbai-Kazakhstan flights
The number of passengers carried between Kazakhstan and India during 2017 reached 43,459, an increase of 43 percent compared with 2016. The number of transit passengers travelling from New Delhi via Almaty to other international destinations grew by 33 per cent in 2016
Nov 15 — “Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana plans to add Mumbai as its second destination in India by 2019, the airline’s President and CEO Peter Foster said today. The airline operates 10 flights between Kazakhstan and India every week, including a daily service between Almaty and New Delhi and three frequencies between Astana and New Delhi.” READ MORE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-astana-plans-direct-mumbai-kazakhstan-flights/articleshow/61661117.cms
Kazakh President addresses global issues in Astana Club speech
Kazakh President Nazarbayev speaks on terrorism, global economy, migration, poverty and infrastructure projects in Eurasia
Nov 16 — “Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the Astana Club, a neutral platform to debate public issues based on Chatham House rules, during its Nov. 13 third annual meeting. He talked about global challenges and threats such as growing terrorism, military issues, economic situation, migration, as well poverty and lack of water and food.” READ MORE: https://astanatimes.com/2017/11/kazakh-president-addresses-global-issues-in-astana-club-speech/
Kazakh oligarch Kenes Rakishev dealt with Shakro Molodoy
A new look at the life and business empire of Kazakh billionaire Kenes Rakishev
Nov 16 — “In the story of the slaughter that has occurred on December 14, 2015 near Elements Restaurant on Rochdelskaya street, the protectors of restaurant keeper Zhanna Kim still remain in shadow. However, their involvement has resulted not only in the arrest of thugs who had arrived to ‘deal’ with the caterer, but also in the prosecution of thief № 1 Shakro Molodoy and three officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICR)” READ MORE: https://en.crimerussia.com/gromkie-dela/kazakh-oligarch-kenes-rakishev-dealt-with-shakro-molodoy/
‘Pakistan-Kazakhstan trade value holds immense potential’
Trade between Kazakhstan and Pakistan relies on the Regional Cooperation for Development Highway which goes through Afghanistan, and is dependent on the security situation in this war-torn country
Nov 17 — “Trade value between Pakistan and Kazakhstan could increase manifold from the existing below $25 million, but lack of logistics network keeps the immense bilateral trade potential underexplored, a business policy advocacy group said.” READ MORE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/244756-pakistan-kazakhstan-trade-value-holds-immense-potential
Kazakhstan: Editor’s Parole Release Ordered in Surprise Ruling
Journalists critical of the government in Kazakhstan routinely face harassment from the authorities, often in the form of criminal cases
Nov 17 — “A court in Kazakhstan has ordered the release on parole of a prominent journalist who was sentenced last October to serve six years in prison on fraud charges. Lawyers filing the parole appeal for Seitkazy Matayev, 63, said their client had exhibited exemplary behavior while in prison and that he was suffering from circulation trouble, Tengri News reported on November 16.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/86066
KYRGYZSTAN
Kyrgyzstan creates new traffic police department in an anti-corruption drive
The government is once again reorganizing the traffic police in an effort to put an order on the country’s roads
Nov 12 — “On November 10, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov held an emergency Government meeting to discuss the critical situation on the country’s roads. The Prime Minister signed two Government resolutions, according to which the Main Patrol Police Directorate has been abolished and the Main Directorate for Road Traffic Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be established. The staff of the new unit will be increased.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/18913-kyrgyzstan-creates-new-traffic-police-department-in-an-anti-corruption-drive
Kyrgyzstan: Sheep Sacrificed to Stem Car Crash Scourge
The situation on Kyrgyz roads is appalling, with both drivers and pedestrians ignoring traffic rules, which results in a high number of fatal accidents
Nov 14 — “Local officials and religious leaders in southern Kyrgyzstan ritually sacrificed a sheep this week in the hope of stemming the persistent scourge of car accidents along the country’s highways. Their ceremony was only partly symbolic.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/86031
Kyrgyz President Atambayev Set to Hand Successor a Massive Bilateral Headache
Kyrgyzstan’s new President, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, is inheriting from outgoing President Atambayev a crisis in the relations with neighboring Kazakhstan that can have serious impact on Kyrgyzstan’s economy
Nov 16 — “While the spirit of regional cooperation seems to be awakening in Uzbekistan, the Kazakh-Kyrgyz relationship continues to stall out along the border amid accusations and insults. In the latest bit of barbed works, Kyrgyzstan’s lame-duck President Almazbek Atambayev complained on November 15 that Kyrgyzstan “has been cut off the Eurasian Economic Union at the whim of Kazakhstan’s leadership.” READ MORE: https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/kyrgyz-president-atambayev-set-to-hand-successor-a-massive-bilateral-headache/
Kyrgyzstan refuses $100 million Kazakhstan aid amid growing tensions
Bishkek has rejected Kazakhstan’s $100 million aid intended to help Kyrgyzstan adapt to the Eurasian Economic Union, which again proves that the Moscow-led bloc has many internal weaknesses and contradictions between its members
Nov 16 — “Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev signed a parliamentary resolution on Thursday to refuse $100 million in aid from oil-rich neighbour Kazakhstan amid an escalating spat between the two Central Asian countries.” READ MORE: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/kyrgyzstan-refuses-100-million-kazakhstan-aid-amid-growing-tensions/article/507750
TAJIKISTAN
New metallurgical plant launched in Tajikistan
China has increased its economic presence in Tajikistan with the opening of a new metallurgical plant in the country
Nov 16 — “A metallurgical plant of a Tajik-Chinese mining company was commissioned in the city of Istiqlol, Sughd Region, Tajikistan. The facility worth $57 million was commissioned during the visit of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.” READ MORE: https://en.trend.az/casia/2822150.html
Tajikistan’s exports up by one third
Since the beginning of this year, Tajikistan has seen a positive foreign trade balance — a positive sign for the country’s economy
Nov 17 — “The export of Tajik industry products since the beginning of 2017 amounted to more than $1 billion, showing a 35 percent ($258 million) increase compared to the January-October 2016, according to the data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.” READ MORE: https://www.azernews.az/region/122413.html
Tajikistan: Russia Shows Off Jeweler-Like Accuracy of Iskander-M Missile
Russia has confirmed its strategic interest in maintaining its strong military presence in Tajikistan, a country that shares a long border with the war-torn Afghanistan
Nov 17 — “Ten-day military exercises in Tajikistan by a Moscow-led security alliance have seen the renewed deployment of a short-range ballistic missile system recently introduced to the region.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/86071
TURKMENISTAN
Turkmenistan: Iran, Saudis dangle exits from energy cul-de-sac
Turkmenistan possesses huge natural-gas reserves but for now has only one buyer of its gas — China. As the Turkmen economy is experiencing a downturn caused by low gas prices in the world market, Ashgabat is striving to diversify its gas exports and find investors in its hydrocarbon projects
Nov 14 — “In these lean times, Turkmenistan has been seeking out potential clients and partners for its energy industry, only for two to present themselves at the same time. As chance would have it, they are sworn rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. The overture from the Saudis was admittedly very noncommittal and came during last week’s Turkmen-Saudi Joint Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation, which was convening for its fifth session.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/18924-turkmenistan-iran-saudis-dangle-exits-from-energy-cul-de-sac
Capital amnesty in Turkmenistan: Returning money back home
Turkmenistan reportedly plans to amnesty capital and property based on the experience of foreign countries, such as Kazakhstan, in an effort to attract much-needed investments in its struggling economy
Nov 14 — “Solutions to the economic challenges are often associated with big investments and with the right incentives this can be achieved. Turkmenistan, a major natural gas producer, in a bid to stay strong at a time of persistently low hydrocarbon prices and difficult external environment, aims to attract investments through capital amnesty.” READ MORE: https://en.trend.az/other/commentary/2820502.html
Rethinking Turkmenistan – Azerbaijan Relations
The Caspian Sea, which separates Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, is at the same time an area of promising bilateral cooperation in trade, transit, and the export of hydrocarbons
Nov 15 — “On the 8th of August, Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov paid an official visit to Baku, where he was welcomed by First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov, Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, and other officials. This year Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations. In this regard, the leaders showed eagerness to boost cooperation between the two countries.” READ MORE: https://intpolicydigest.org/2017/11/15/rethinking-turkmenistan-azerbaijan-relations/
Send Your Child To A State Kindergarten Or Lose Your Job, Turkmen Parents Told
Falling attendance at state-run kindergartens is the latest blow to the state budget in gas-rich Turkmenistan, which is facing an economic downturn due to the global slump in energy prices
Nov 17 — “It’s been several weeks since Turkmenistan hiked fees to state kindergartens tenfold, nearly emptying many preschools, prompting a rare public protest, and resulting in the jailing of an official for merely interacting with protesters.” READ MORE: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-state-kindergarten-protests-fee-increase/28859474.html
UZBEKISTAN
Role of new regional policy of Uzbekistan in political and economic processes in Central Asia
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan speaks on his country’s latest initiatives aimed at building a prosperous Central Asia
Nov 15 — “Despite the fact that for the first time the representative of our institute is participating in the meetings of this platform, we are well aware of its high intellectual status, which allowed Astana Club to prove itself as an international debate ground for discussing the most urgent issues, which are affecting the world as a whole and the Eurasia region in particular.” READ MORE: https://astanatimes.com/2017/11/role-of-new-regional-policy-of-uzbekistan-in-political-and-economic-processes-in-central-asia/
Volkswagen enters Uzbek market
German auto makers are big players in Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s largest automobile producing country along with Kazakhstan
Nov 16 — “A joint Uzbek-German enterprise, JV MAN Auto-Uzbekistan, will start production of Volkswagen Amarok pickups. The agreement on the organization of joint production was signed by Uzavtosanoat and Volkswagen AG within the framework of the official visit of Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov to Germany, podrobno.uz reported.” READ MORE: https://www.azernews.az/region/122342.html
Finding the Heart of the Ancient Silk Road in Uzbekistan
A travel writer who has visited Uzbekistan says this country, with its tiled cities, vast deserts, and bazaars full of textiles and ceramics, is still unmarred by tourism
Nov 16 — “Late one spring evening, after my first day in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, I walk into Tarona restaurant on a quiet side street, restless with a growing concern after sightseeing. It has been a good day touring turquoise-domed mosques and the Chorsu Bazaar with my guide, Aziz Rakhmatov, but my vague agitation finally defines itself with the restaurant’s pretty, if staged, interior.” READ MORE: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/finding-the-heart-of-the-ancient-silk-road-in-uzbekistan
Reform in Uzbekistan: pain precedes gain
As gasoline and diesel prices have jumped up in Uzbekistan, analysts are trying to explain the reason for the situation — which could be the lack of crude oil at Uzbek refineries and the inefficient, centralized system of fuel supply and distribution in the country
Nov 17 — “On the morning of November 15, motorists in Uzbekistan arrived at filling stations to find shockingly high new prices for their gasoline and diesel. The unwelcome surprise is the talk of the town in the capital, Tashkent, and on social media.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/18941-reform-in-uzbekistan-pain-precedes-gain
AFGHANISTAN
Hamid Karzai: US colluded with ISIL in Afghanistan
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, the former Afghan president said the US government had allowed ISIL, or IS, to flourish inside Afghanistan
Nov 11 — “Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, has accused the US of working with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in his country.” READ MORE: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/hamid-karzai-colluded-isil-afghanistan-171110191715544.html
Has Trump any real option in Afghanistan?
Analyst says that the new US strategy may be no more than a recognition that Washington has no real options in Afghanistan
Nov 15 — “On 21 August 2017, after months of hesitation and much against his own instincts, US President Donald Trump announced a new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia. Recognising that ‘a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill’, Trump announced a condition-based — as opposed to time-bound — approach designed to prevent the resurgence of terrorist sanctuaries.” READ MORE: http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/11/15/has-trump-any-real-option-in-afghanistan/
Opium production has set another record in Afghanistan — here’s where it increased the most
Without drugs, the war in Afghanistan “would have been long over,” the Afghan president has said
Nov 16 — “Afghanistan’s area under opium-poppy cultivation has increased 63% since 2016, rising to 810,505 acres, while its potential opium production increased 87% to an estimated 9,000 tons — both records for the country despite years of anti-narcotics efforts.” READ MORE: http://www.businessinsider.com/opium-production-afghanistan-sets-record-2017-11
Agreement on Afghanistan-Europe transport corridor signed
Along this corridor, Afghanistan’s goods will travel through Turkmenistan, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, then Georgia, across the Black Sea and through Turkey to the Mediterranean and Europe
Nov 16 — “Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Turkmenistan on November 15 signed an agreement on a major international trade and transport corridor that will connect Afghanistan directly to Europe. The document was signed at the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA VII) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/18932-agreement-on-afghanistan-europe-transport-corridor-signed
WORLD
‘The more US engages in war on terror, the more terrorists it produces’
RT spoke to Republican Virginia State Senator Richard Black to discuss the cost of US wars between 2001 and 2018, estimated at about $23,386 for every American taxpayer, which is more than three times the amount calculated by the Pentagon, according to an analysis by Brown University’s Cost of War project
Nov 13 — “There is no doubt the American strategy in the Middle East has been fantastically costly, and the American people do not like war, but there is no force of opposition against it, says Republican Virginia State Senator Richard Black.” READ MORE: https://www.rt.com/news/409752-us-afghanistan-cost-war/
‘It’s a Mistake to Underestimate China’
The US is hardly able, and willing, to compete with the kinds of investments China has been making around the world and particularly in Eurasia as part of its Belt and Road initiative
Nov 16 — “At the recent APEC CEO Summit in Vietnam, President Donald Trump said the United States would refocus its existing development efforts in Asia toward infrastructure investment that promotes economic growth. While the room was full of hundreds of corporate and government officials from the region and around the world, Trump was delivering his remarks to an audience of one: China.” READ MORE: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/china-belt-road/545675/
To Counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Japan, India Can Look to Iran’s Chabahar Port
Iran’s Chabahar Port can give energy-dependent Japan access to energy resources of Iran, but also those of Central Asia and Russia
Nov 16 — “India recently sent over its first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar Port in Iran, marking a new beginning as far as economic interconnectivity in the region is concerned. The opening of this new route allows New Delhi access to not only land-locked Afghanistan, but also the energy-rich nations of Central Asia.” READ MORE: https://japan-forward.com/to-counter-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-japan-india-can-look-to-irans-chabahar-port/
