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: Ex-Deputy Presidential Administration Chief Arrested
Another top government official arrested in Kazakhstan, following the recent arrest on corruption charges of the country’s economy minister
Jan 16 — “A crusade in Kazakhstan against the leaking of state secrets has claimed another scalp in the shape of former deputy head of the presidential administration, Baglan Mailybayev. The Committee for National Security, or KNB in its Russian initials, said in a statement on January 16 that Mailybayev has been placed under arrest for 2 months on suspicion of illegally gathering and disseminating state secrets. Another former top official in the presidential administration, the ex-deputy head of the internal policy department Nikolai Galikhin, has also been arrested in connection with the same case.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/81986
DP World signs agreement with Kazakhstan
A Dubai firm will develop a special economic zone in Kazakhstan’s Caspian port of Aktau
Jan 16 — “Global trade enabler DP World has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Kazakhstan for the development of a special economic zone in Aktau further boosting trade and logistics in the country. The MoU was signed by DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem and Governor of Mangistau, Akim Alik Aidarbayev, in the presence of First Deputy Prime Minister, Askar Mamin. It builds on DP World’s present management advisory services contract with the Port of Aktau, Kazakhstan’s main cargo and bulk terminal on the Caspian Sea.” READ MORE: http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/government/dp-world-signs-agreement-with-kazakhstan-1.1962949
KazAgroFinance Seeks to Grow Agricultural Technology, Production
Kazakhstan continues to develop its agriculture sector through state support programs, whereas the sector is also in need for private and foreign investments
Jan 17 — “Investment in Kazakh agriculture increased 50 percent in 2016 totalling 228 billion tenge (US$686.96 million) compared to 148 billion tenge (US$445.92 million) a year earlier. According to General Manager of Assets of the Inspection Department at KazAgroFinance Tuleugazy Seisenov, the state constantly allocates significant funds to support agriculture. The government subsidises projects, provides preferential loans and offers leasing purchase of agricultural machinery.” READ MORE: http://astanatimes.com/2017/01/kazagrofinance-seeks-to-grow-agricultural-technology-production/
1st batch of Kazakhstan wheat sent to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Port
Kazakhstan, one of the world’s largest grain producers, is expanding its wheat export destinations, adding Vietnam to China and Middle East countries
Jan 19 — “The first batch of Kazakhstan wheat has been sent to the Port of Ho Chi Minh city (Vietnam) from Kazakhstan’s Zhaltyr railway station. The cargo will be delivered through the Lianyungang port of China. The inaugural shipment of wheat was carried out by Kazakhstan Railways’ daughter company JSC KTX Express together with LLP China-Kazakhstan International Logistics Company of Lianyungang city.” READ MORE: http://www.inform.kz/en/1st-batch-of-kazakhstan-wheat-sent-to-vietnam-s-ho-chi-minh-port_a2990759
An Uzbek Transition for Kazakhstan?
Expert analyzes possible scenarios of power succession in Kazakhstan
Jan 20 — “On December 13, Astana hosted the first meeting of a working group on the issue of redistributing powers between branches of government, established by the decision of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The meeting was an important step in preparing for a future transition of power in Kazakhstan, a process inspired by events in Uzbekistan. There, after the death of long-time President Islam Karimov in September 2016, the transition was both smooth and well-organized. It was officially completed by December 4, when Uzbekistan’s presidential election took place.” READ MORE: http://thediplomat.com/2017/01/an-uzbek-transition-for-kazakhstan/
KYRGYZSTAN
Why ISIS Recruits from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
As poverty remains widespread in Central Asian countries, more residents of the region will join the ranks of IS
Jan 16 — “ISIS operatives from Central Asia have been implicated in the Ataturk Airport and Reina Nightclub attacks in Istanbul. The June airport attack was carried out by a Chechen, a Kyrgyz and an Uzbek, ostensibly trained by ISIS. Currently, Turkish authorities suspect a Kyrgyz or Uzbek as the shooter in the Reina New Year tragedy. ISIS has claimed responsibility for that attack and declared war on Turkey. Although it is impossible to confirm how many Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and other Central Asians are fighting for ISIS in Turkey and Syria, The Diplomat reports that most are used for suicide missions.” READ MORE: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-isis-recruits-uzbekistan-kyrgyzstan-19067
Kyrgyzstan Mourns Victims Of Plane Crash That Devastated Village
Kyrgyzstan has seen one of the most terrible aviation disasters since independence, with experts considering poor air navigation control, the pilots’ mistake and bad weather conditions among possible causes of the Turkish plane’s crash
Jan 17 — “Kyrgyzstan is observing a day of mourning to honor victims of a plane crash outside the capital, Bishkek. A Turkish cargo plane crashed near Manas International Airport on January 16, plowing into a village and killing at least 38 people as they slept or prepared for work or school.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-mourning-plane-crash/28238890.html
Hopes and fears on people’s Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan
Ordinary Kyrgyz citizens have different attitudes to China’s increasing economic, and political, influence in Kyrgyzstan
Jan 17 — “Difficult but necessary: this is the essence of the relationship between China and Kyrgyzstan, its gateway to Central Asia and the first step on its “new Silk Road”, launched by Xi Jingping with his grandiose One Belt One Road (Obor) project.” READ MORE: http://www.atimes.com/article/hopes-fears-peoples-silk-road-krygyzstan/
TAJIKISTAN
Fixed-route minivans expected to be removed from Dushanbe streets
Authorities in the Tajik capital plan to replace minivans with large buses or trolleybuses to improve the public transport system in the city
Jan 19 — “Dushanbe authorities intend to remove fixed-route minivans from the city streets in the first half of 2017. They are expected to be replaced with buses and trolleybuses and private taxies will also remain in the city, Ghayurbek Iskandarov, the head of Dushanbenaqliyotkhizmatrason (public transport service), told Asia-Plus in an interview. ‘This decision is aimed at reducing traffic flow and traffic jams in the city,’ Iskandarov said, noting that more than 3,031 minivans are currently running in the city.” READ MORE: https://www.news.tj/en/news/tajikistan/society/20170119/235713
Russian Troops in Tajikistan Hold Counterterrorist Drills
As the situation in neighboring Afghanistan deteriorates, Russian military stands ready to help Tajikistan protect from possible terrorist attacks
Jan 20 — “Russian troops deployed at the 201st military base in Tajikistan carried out counterterrorist drills, the press service of the Russian Central Military District said in a statement on Friday.” READ MORE: https://sputniknews.com/world/201701201049799893-russia-tajikistan-drills/
322 residents of Sughd province fighting alongside IS militants in Syria, says Sughd governor
Poverty and persecution of the Tajik Islamic party could be among the reasons why Tajik citizens join the IS in Syria
Jan 20 — “In a report released at a news conference in Khujand, Sughd governor Abdurahmon Qodiri revealed on January 19 that 322 residents of Sughd province are fighting alongside Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.” READ MORE: https://www.news.tj/en/news/tajikistan/security/20170120/235746
TURKMENISTAN
Tree million trees to be planted under national tree and shrub planting campaign in 2017
Located in the Karakum desert, Turkmenistan is taking steps to combat desertification and increase its biological diversity
Jan 15 — “During extended session of the Government of Turkmenistan on January 13, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed the Resolution regulating all-nation tree and shrub planting campaign in 2017. Large-scale work for increase of natural forests and afforestation of the territories surrounding recreational and cultural zones evidence the steadfast fulfilment of international obligations on three main environment conventions – On Biological Diversity, On Climate Change and On Combat Desertification.” READ MORE: http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/_eng/?id=7370
Turkmenistan: Head of State Gas Company Fired
The head of Turkmenistan’s gas company has been replaced as the country has been involved in a gas debt dispute with Iran and badly needs to diversify its gas export routes
Jan 16 — “The head of Turkmenistan’s state gas company Turkmengaz has been fired as the government remains mired in an debt dispute with Iran over historic gas deliveries. At a government meeting on January 13, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov announced that Ashirguly Begliyev was being moved to another unspecified post to be replaced by his deputy, Maksat Babayev.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/82001
Ailing Turkmen Economy Could Be Taking Toll On Public Health
Amid a suspected anthrax outbreak in Turkmenistan, livestock owners reportedly slaughter their animals before they might show signs of disease and sell the meat at half the price
Jan 19 — “RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, has reported on a suspected anthrax outbreak in the northern province of Dashoguz. People there say cattle are showing signs of the sickness. Turkmen authorities have not said anything about it, but they almost never do, or would.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/ailing-turkmen-economy-public-health-concerns/28243497.html
UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan: Swiss Prosecutor Visit Reveals a Defiant Karimova
A Swiss prosecutor’s meeting with the daughter of Uzbekistan’s late president confirmed that she is alive despite the rumors and is under house arrest in Tashkent
Jan 16 — “One veil of mystery has been lifted from the saga surrounding the daughter of Uzbekistan’s late president with the news that she was recently questioned by Swiss prosecutors in Tashkent. The Wall Street Journal and Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported over the weekend that Gulnara Karimova met with the prosecutors in December at the location in which she is held under house arrest. The reports definitively squashed rumors that began in November claiming Karimova had died as a result of poisoning.” READ MORE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/81996
Turkish Police Detain Central Asian Suspects Linked To Nightclub Attack Suspect
A new Central Asian and Uyghur trace appears in the case of the Istanbul nightclub attack after the arrest of an Uzbek suspected of the massacre
Jan 19 — “Turkish police on January 18 rounded up 27 people mostly from Central Asia, who they said were linked to an Uzbek man suspected of killing 39 people at a New Year’s party in an Istanbul nightclub. The state news agency Anadolu said Turkish antiterrorism squads raided seven addresses in the northwestern city of Bursa, arresting 27 people mostly from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Some detainees were from China’s minority Muslim Uyghur community and 15 were women, it said.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkish-police-detain-central-asia-suspects-linked-to-nightclub-gunman/28242580.html
Uzbekistan to simplify and intensify sale of state property
Uzbekistan’s new president has taken a new step to speed up privatization of state property in an effort to attract investors in the country’s economy
Jan 19 — “On 17 January 2017, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan approved the Decree ‘On measures for further simplification and acceleration of sale of state-owned facilities for their consequent use in business purposes’.” READ MORE: http://news.uzreport.uz/news_4_e_147442.html
AFGHANISTAN
Obama leaves behind a mess in Afghanistan
Experts say Obama has left behind a huge mess in Afghanistan that won’t be easy for his successor to clean up
Jan 19 — “The outgoing US president, Barack Obama, is leaving behind a mixed legacy in Afghanistan. In 2009, during his first term in office, Obama ordered a drastic increase in the number of US troops in Afghanistan to tackle the Taliban insurgency.” READ MORE: http://www.dw.com/en/obama-leaves-behind-a-mess-in-afghanistan/a-37192534
How Trump will deal with America’s longest war is anyone’s guess
The new US president is yet to announce his plans for Afghanistan as the security situation has deteriorated in the country in recent months
Jan 19 — “Donald Trump has minced few words about his plans to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and end the threat from Islamic State extremists. But the president-elect has been virtually silent on his plans when it comes to Afghanistan, home to America’s longest war.” READ MORE: http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-afghanistan-trump-2017-story.html
Afghan Group Says 2016 Was Deadliest For Journalists On Record
As fighting continues between the government troops and the Taliban, the death toll has grown among ordinary Afghans as well as journalists
Jan 20 — “Last year was the deadliest year on record for Afghan media, with 13 journalists killed, the Afghanistan Journalist Safety Committee said in a report on January 18. The press group documented at least 101 incidents of killings, assault, intimidation, abuse, and other physical attacks, a 38 percent increase over numbers recorded in 2015.” READ MORE: http://www.rferl.org/a/deadliest-year-for-afghan-journalists-2016-taliban-ghani/28244751.html
WORLD
Weaving the Threads of a Possible Trump Doctrine
Stratfor considers possible answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding President Trump’s foreign policy, particularly concerning the US’s relations with Russia and China
Jan 20 — “At noon on Friday in Washington, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States. He enters office at a time of dynamic change, not only in U.S. political and economic life but also in the structure of the international system. At this point, how Trump plans to manage and channel changes underway within the United States is somewhat clear, at least in its broad strokes. By comparison, how his administration will approach foreign policy — whether it will follow through on some of Trump’s less orthodox suggestions — is unknown. There is, as yet, no Trump Doctrine.” READ MORE: https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical-diary/weaving-threads-possible-trump-doctrine?id=be1ddd5371&uuid=c79175ab-7c01-4fa4-a96f-c0957325fe6d
Russia Signs Deal for Syria Bases; Turkey Appears to Accept Assad
Russia has strengthened its position in Syria and Turkey showed more tolerance to the Assad regime on the eve of the upcoming Syria peace talks in Astana
Jan 20 — “Russia signed a long-term agreement on Friday to greatly enlarge its military presence in Syria, more than doubling the space for warships in Russia’s only Mediterranean port and securing rights to an air base that may already be adding a second runway. The agreement covers the port in Tartus and an air base near Latakia, which have been pivotal in Russian assistance to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in fighting an array of insurgents. It ensures Russia’s ability to deploy forces in Syria for the next half-century and perhaps beyond. News of the agreement came as Mr. Assad received what appeared to be another positive development: A Turkish official suggested publicly for the first time that Turkey would accept a peace deal in Syria’s six-year-old war that would allow Mr. Assad to stay in power.” READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/world/middleeast/russia-turkey-syria-deal.html?_r=0
China moves towards FSU leadership role
China aims to increase its political influence in the post-Soviet domain, including Central Asia and now Ukraine
Jan 21 — “As China indicated interest in tackling the Ukrainian crisis, the announcement sounded as a veiled warning to Russia and the US. Coupled with already strong Chinese influence in Central Asia, an increased role in Ukraine-related developments would give Beijing a stronger clout among the Former Soviet Union (FSU) states thus diminishing Russia’s influence. Earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would be willing “to play a constructive role” in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, according to Xinhua.” READ MORE: http://www.atimes.com/china-moves-towards-fsu-leadership-role/
