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
Kazakhstan: Old Leader, New Foreign Policy Challenges
For many years, Kazakh President Nazarbayev has been successfuly maneuvering between his country’s two great neighbors — Russia and China, pursuing Kazakhstan’s economic and political interests
Mar 23 — “On March 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that Kazakhstan’s provision of visa-free entry to U.S. citizens would require the approval of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), comprising Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan. Lavrov’s comment surprised many, particularly authorities in Kazakhstan.” READ MORE: https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-old-leader-new-foreign-policy-challenges/29119901.html
Internet censorship in Kazakhstan: more pervasive than you may think
The government in Kazakhstan is taking more efforts to monitor, control and repress dissenting voices in the Internet
Mar 26 — “As of April this year, internet users in Kazakhstan will no longer be able to leave anonymous comments online. In late December 2017, President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a law obliging websites to register every internet user who wishes to leave a comment, either by SMS verification or digital signature.” READ MORE: https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/dina-baidildayeva/internet-censorship-in-kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Opposition Figure Sparks Balloon Crackdown
The recent flashmob organized by fugitive opposition figure Mukhtar Ablyazov has shown Kazakh authorities’ fear of potential protests in the country
Mar 27 — “When Kazakhstan’s Public Enemy No. 1 ordered his supporters to brandish blue balloons at recent holiday celebrations in support of his banned political movement, police sprung into action. According to media reports, an unspecified number of people, some of them only a few years old, were stopped by law enforcement officers while out strolling, balloons in hand, at Nowruz festivities in the capital, Astana.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/kazakhstan-opposition-figure-sparks-balloon-crackdown
Rothschild pitches idea of pre-IPO sales for Kazakh privatizations
Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious privatization program aimed to sharply cut the state’s role in the economy by 2021
Mar 27 — “Rothschild, which advises the Kazakh central bank, has recommended that the country’s privatization program include pre-sales to strategic investors before shares are put on the market.” READ MORE: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kazakhstan-privatisation-rothschild/rothschild-pitches-idea-of-pre-ipo-sales-for-kazakh-privatizations-idUSKBN1H31RR
China Assures Kazakhstan That US Trade Offensive Won’t Hit Imports
China’s ambassador to Kazakhstan says his country will consolidate economic cooperation with Kazakhstan and Russia
Mar 29 — “China has pledged to boost imports from Kazakhstan and guaranteed that US moves to slap punitive tariffs on Beijing’s goods will not affect the amount of metals, oil and gas it buys from the Central Asian nation.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/china-assures-kazakhstan-that-us-trade-offensive-wont-hit-imports
KYRGYZSTAN
Turkish agency opens 2 health centers in Kyrgyzstan
The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency has donated more than $1 billion in aid to Kyrgyzstan over the last 10 years
Mar 25 — “The Turkish state-run aid agency has established two health centers in Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan, a statement said on Sunday. According to the statement issued by Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), the health centers were built in Atbasi town of Naryn district which is 400 kilometers away from capital Bishkek” READ MORE: https://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/turkish-agency-opens-2-health-centers-in-kyrgyzstan/1099059
Situation around two projects will not affect Kyrgyzstan-China relations
China is ready to develop economic cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in all areas, particularly in agriculture, transport and infrastructure, the Chinese ambassador says
Mar 26 — “Kyrgyzstan has no choice but to pay off its debts to China. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Finance, the country owes $1.7 billion to the Export-Import Bank of China, which is 41.3% of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign debt. China provides preferential loans to Kyrgyzstan, which brought much benefit to the country’s socio-economic development, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Xiao Qinghua said recently at a roundtable in Bishkek.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/19531-situation-around-two-projects-will-not-affect-kyrgyzstan-china-relations
Kyrgyzstan: Former Presidential Candidate Accused of Coup-Plotting
Authorities in Kyrgyzstan continue prosecuting opposition figures and independent journalists
Mar 29 — “Security services in Kyrgyzstan have opened a second criminal investigation against former presidential candidate Omurbek Babanov, signaling that politically motivated pressure on opposition figures is set to continue unabated.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/kyrgyzstan-former-presidential-candidate-accused-of-coup-plotting
Dacha built in Ala-Archa state residence for Almazbek Atambayev
Kyrgyzstan’s law guarantees lifetime welfare support to former Presidents, including a residence in the territory of the state Ala-Archa compound near the capital Bishkek, where the incumbent President resides
Mar 30 — “A summer house (dacha) was built at the territory of Ala-Archa state residence for 89.3 million soms for ex-president of Kyrgyzstan. At least 77.8 million soms of the sum were allocated by the former head of state himself. Azattyk reported.” READ MORE: https://24.kg/english/79956_Dacha_built_in_Ala-Archa_state_residence_for_Almazbek_Atambayev/
TAJIKISTAN
Tajikistan, Russia in Fresh Airlines Battle
Unwillingly or not, authorities in Tajikistan are making the life of Tajik migrant laborers in Russia even harder, as they will now have to pay more for air tickets to Russia
Mar 27 — “Aviation authorities in Tajikistan and Russia are once again engaging in a seasonal battle of wills that may produce no winners, but will certainly leave innumerable hard-up Tajik migrant laborers counting their losses. This time, the story began on March 12, when Tajikistan’s Transportation Ministry suddenly denied Yekaterinburg-based Ural Airlines permission to operate five routes connecting cities in the two countries.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/tajikistan-russia-in-fresh-airlines-battle
Tajikistan Denies Funneling Weapons to Taliban
Russia and the US have long been exchanging proofless accusations of Moscow supporting the Taliban and of the US backing the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Now, Tajikistan has got its portion of such accusations
Mar 28 — “Tajikistan has staunchly denied accusations leveled by a high-ranking US general that it is assisting Russia in supplying weapons to the Taliban insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/tajikistan-denies-funneling-weapons-to-taliban
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan: as the Karimov wall crumbles, families reunite
As relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have warmed following top-level bilateral meetings, it has become much easier for ordinary Tajiks and Uzbeks to cross the previously tightly-controlled border for visiting relatives in the neighboring country
Mar 28 — ““And who are you?” Robiya Rahmonova asked expectantly one March morning when a stranger appeared at the gate outside her home in Panjakent, in northwest Tajikistan. For three days, Robiya, a 58-year-old housewife with a ready smile, had been “expecting guests from Uzbekistan.” Tajik state television had bombarded viewers with interminable footage of a recently concluded visit from Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/19541-uzbekistan-tajikistan-as-the-karimov-wall-crumbles-families-reunite
TURKMENISTAN
A ‘Disappeared’ Man in Turkmenistan Dies
The Prove They Are Alive campaign, which fights enforced disappearances in Turkmenistan, documented 26 deaths in custody of those disappeared. The campaign believes another 23 disappeared inmates may have also died
Mar 23 — “Most people have not heard of Begmurad Otuzov. His wife, son, and other relatives had not heard from – nor seen – him in more than 15 years, since his arrest in 2002 in Turkmenistan. Otuzov was one of more than 100 people who have disappeared in Turkmenistan’s prison system.” READ MORE: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/23/disappeared-man-turkmenistan-dies
Turkmenistan, Iran Talk Gas Swap Deals
Natural gas remains the centerpiece of Turkmen-Iranian relations, despite the ongoing gas-debt dispute between the two countries
Mar 27 — “Turkmenistan is exploring options on natural gas swap deals with Iran to export its fuel to markets further afield, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reportedly said during a visit to Ashgabat on March 27.” READ MORE: https://eurasianet.org/s/turkmenistan-iran-talk-gas-swap-deals
What is Iran’s Interest in Maintaining Relations With Turkmenistan?
Despite existing problems in bilateral relations, Turkmenistan and Iran have no other option than cooperation in energy and transport spheres in the strategic Caspian region
Mar 29 —“ Despite an ongoing gas dispute, Iran seems intent on maintaining relations with Turkmenistan.” READ MORE: https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/what-is-irans-interest-in-maintaining-relations-with-turkmenistan/
What Turkmenistan president’s visit to Gulf means for TAPI pipeline project
Turkmenistan is pushing the implementation of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, which, if completed, will diversify the country’s gas exports. The project’s funding, however, remains a serious impediment to its implementation
Mar 29 — “Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait in mid-March as part of a campaign to revive a long-stalled natural gas pipeline from his country to Pakistan and India (Neftegaz.ru, March 16). The visit occurred three weeks after a February 23 groundbreaking ceremony marking the latest effort to put the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline back on track.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/19546-what-turkmenistan-president-s-visit-to-gulf-means-for-tapi-pipeline-project
UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan seeks to be India’s all-weather ally in Central Asia
Uzbekistan can be used by India for making inroads to the Central Asian region
Mar 26 — “Double-landlocked Uzbekistan with centuries-old bonds with India is keen to play a key role in New Delhi’s connectivity initiatives in resource-rich and strategically important Central Asia where China’s activities have further been bolstered by its Belt and Road Initiative.” READ MORE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/uzbekistan-seeks-to-be-indias-all-weather-ally-in-central-asia/articleshow/63472248.cms
A New Dawn in Uzbekistan?
Analyst believes that Uzbekistan’s self-imposed international isolation ended this week when Tashkent hosted a major peace conference on Afghanistan at the end of March
Mar 27 — “After spending decades as a pariah state, feared or at best ignored by even its near neighbors because of its reputation as one of the most repressive and closed nations in the world, Uzbekistan is slowly emerging from the shadows.” READ MORE: http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/03/27/a-new-dawn-in-uzbekistan/
Uzbekistan to simplify its tax system
Uzbekistan plans to reduce the VAT rate from 20 to 12 percent and improve tax administration
Mar 28 — “The system for assessing legislative acts has submitted for public discussion a draft concept of reforming the tax system in Uzbekistan, which provides for reducing the tax burden, reducing the VAT rate, unifying and abolishing a number of taxes and mandatory payments, as well as measures to improve tax administration.” READ MORE: https://www.azernews.az/region/129344.html
Uzbekistan offers India space for defence unit
The extensive use of Russian-made military equipment by both India and Uzbekistan contributes to the growing bilateral defence relations
Mar 29 — “Central Asia’s biggest military power Uzbekistan has offered India a unique proposal, giving its territory to set up a defence manufacturing unit which could allow Delhi to make strategic inroads in the resource-rich region.” READ MORE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/uzbekistan-offers-india-space-for-defence-unit/articleshow/63525828.cms
AFGHANISTAN
Taliban’s Rare Silence on Talks Charges Up a New Peace Conference
Senior Taliban officials reportedly acknowledged that the movement was busy in internal discussions over how to respond to the Kabul government’s peace talks offer
Mar 27 — “Senior diplomats have gathered to talk about peace in Afghanistan dozens of times through the years, and the Taliban have uniformly been both absent and dismissive of their efforts. On Tuesday, Afghanistan and its allies, neighbors and benefactors gathered here in Uzbekistan’s capital to talk again. The Taliban were, to be sure, absent as usual, but they have kept a studious public silence about this latest effort to negotiate peace.” READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/world/asia/afghan-taliban-peace-talks.html
Is Russia undermining US efforts in Afghanistan?
Supporting the Taliban makes sense from Moscow’s perspective, as the group is fighting the Islamic State which is gaining ground in Afghanistan and poses a threat to Central Asian countries
Mar 28 — “While Vladimir Putin basks in the afterglow of his convincing (if unsurprising) re-election as Russia’s president, his foreign ministry has been busy denying allegations of disruptive behavior from the United States and its allies. In addition to accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and is complicit in the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in the United Kingdom, the latest episode concerns Moscow’s support for the Taliban in Afghanistan.” READ MORE: http://thehill.com/opinion/international/380433-is-russia-undermining-us-efforts-in-afghanistan
Russia Using ISIS Fears to Undermine NATO’s Afghan Mission: Analysts
Moscow’s tactic to exaggerate the threat of Islamic State in Afghanistan aims at pressuring the former Soviet republics in Central Asia to cooperate with Russia against the ISIS threat
Mar 28 — “Moscow recently invested $20 million to rebuild the ruined edifice of an old Soviet Union-era cultural center in downtown Kabul, giving it a new name as Russia continues to rebrand itself in a country where it waged a long and bloody war.” READ MORE: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/03/28/russia-using-isis-fears-undermine-natos-afghan-mission-analysts.html
Can Afghanistan Return to Its Pre-2014 Boom Time?
Increasing insurgency and ongoing war has taken its toll on Afghanistan’s economic growth
Mar 28 — “Afghanistan experienced remarkable economic growth for about 10 years leading up to 2012. Average economic growth was recorded at 9.4 percent annually in the period from 2003 to 2012. Per capita income increased more than threefold over the same period, growing from a mere $200 to $670.” READ MORE: https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/can-afghanistan-return-to-its-pre-2014-boom-time/
WORLD
The reemerging self-confidence of Central Asia
A wind of change is blowing in Central Asia — the wind of renewed regional cooperation primarily originating from Uzbekistan, the region’s main game-changer these days
Mar 25 — “Something is stirring in Central Asia. The past two weeks have seen a flurry of bilateral and multilateral get-togethers, starting on March 9, when Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived with great fanfare in Dushanbe for the first state visit of a president of Uzbekistan to Tajikistan since 2000. Less than a week later, on March 15, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the speaker of Turkmenistan’s parliament gathered in Astana for the first exclusively regional “summit” in almost a decade.” READ MORE: https://timesca.com/index.php/news/26-opinion-head/19526-the-reemerging-self-confidence-of-central-asia
Is China’s Belt and Road working? A progress report from eight countries
The Nikkei Asian Review and The Banker examined how BRI projects are unfolding in eight countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, India, Poland, Laos and Pakistan
Mar 28 — “The idea of transforming the ancient fishing village of Gwadar into a bustling port city has been around since at least 1954, when Pakistan commissioned the U.S. Geological Survey to examine its coastline. Their conclusion: Gwadar, which sits on the Arabian Sea, would be an ideal location for a deep-water port.” READ MORE: https://asia.nikkei.com/Features/Cover-story/Is-China-s-Belt-and-Road-working-A-progress-report-from-eight-countries?page=1
China and Russia’s uneasy partnership in Central Asia
Both China and Russia seek to limit the presence of the West in their immediate backyard and strategically important region of Central Asia
Mar 29 — “Bound by common resentment towards the overwhelming power of the West, China and Russia have grown increasingly close over the past decade. They enjoy compatible economies — Russia supplies hydrocarbons and other resources that fuel Chinese industry. They push back at the promotion of Western democracy and human rights, seeing them as threats to internal stability.” READ MORE: http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/03/29/china-and-russias-uneasy-partnership-in-central-asia/
