Latest Articles about Central Asia
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN CENTRAL ASIA: TIME FOR CHANGE?
On November 10 John Ordway, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, attempted to play down speculation that the Republican defeat in the U.S. mid-term elections could presage changes in Washington’s priorities in Central Asia. In fact, basing his assessment on the continuity of U.S. foreign policy in... MORE
STRENGTHENING THE “EASTERN VECTOR”: ANKARA HOSTS TURKIC SUMMIT
Leaders of Turkic nations are meeting today, November 17, in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. This first summit of Turkish-speaking peoples in five years appears to reflect Ankara’s ongoing rethinking about its international identity. Increasingly frustrated with the mounting hurdles on the path of... MORE
KAZAKH, UZBEK PRESIDENTS CONFER OVER LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN
On November 3 Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev paid an informal visit to Uzbekistan. The trip came as a complete surprise inside Kazakhstan, as it had not been announced in advance and looked like a spontaneous decision. Nazarbayev had been touring South Kazakhstan and he arrived... MORE
KYRGYZSTAN’S NEW CONSTITUTION PROMISES SUBSTANTIAL, LONG-TERM CHANGES
Kyrgyzstan has become the first Central Asian country to endorse a constitution that proclaims a parliamentary state system and significantly trims the president’s powers. This achievement is the result of popular demand, voiced through almost week-long demonstrations organized by the “For Reforms” opposition bloc. According... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN’S SECURITY TIES GROWING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Kazakhstan is seeking to diversify its security interests, looking to Middle Eastern states for assistance. This trend was evident during Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s first state visit to Kazakhstan on November 7. Kazakh officials also explored potential security cooperation with Jordanian Defense Minister Maruf al-Bakhit... MORE
OPPOSITION CELEBRATES AS NEW CONSTITUTION ADOPTED IN KYRGYZSTAN
On November 8 the Kyrgyz opposition bloc “For Reforms” finally managed to broker a compromise between the parliament and President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to endorse a new constitution that considerably empowers the legislative branch and strips the president of key prerogatives. Despite earlier outbreaks of violence... MORE
MOSCOW HOPES CRISIS WILL DRIVE BAKIYEV BACK INTO RUSSIAN CAMP
The political and constitutional crisis in Kyrgyzstan is undermining the rule of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov, who came to power last year as the result of the “Tulip Revolution” in March 2005, which ousted former president Askar Akayev (see EDM, November... MORE
ASTANA OPTS FOR RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE IN NUCLEAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
The most productive part of Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov’s October 26 journey to Moscow appears to be his talks with Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom). Beaming for the cameras, Akhmetov said the sides had reached “fundamental agreements” on... MORE
BAKIYEV WALKS IN AKAYEV’S SHOES AS OPPOSITION WANTS TO REPLAY TULIP REVOLUTION
On November 2 the opposition bloc “For Reforms” staged mass anti-government demonstrations in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The protests continued throughout the weekend. Under mounting pressure, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev submitted a package of constitutional reforms to parliament yesterday, November 6. The parliament convened an... MORE
GERMANY OFFERS UZBEKISTAN HOPE ON LIFTING EU SANCTIONS
At a November 1 meeting in Tashkent with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier raised the prospect of gradually lifting the European Union (EU) sanctions against Uzbekistan with the condition that Tashkent must implement “concrete measures” on human rights issues. The... MORE