Latest Articles about Central Asia
SOCHI TALKS CONCEAL DEEP MISTRUST BETWEEN ASTANA AND MOSCOW
There is every reason to believe that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian resort town of Sochi on May 20 were highly successful for Astana. Putin generously offered his Kazakh counterpart Russian military equipment and, in what seems... MORE
CHAOS IN THE KYRGYZ SECURITY STRUCTURES
Kyrgyz Armed Forces Day, scheduled for May 27, normally passes with a routine military parade. However, in the current tense political climate in Kyrgyzstan, routine has given way to suspicion and rumor. Opposition groups ignited controversy surrounding the parade, notably the "For Reforms" movement, by... MORE
Nuristan: Insurgent Hideout in Afghanistan
Nuristan, an isolated area in northeastern Afghanistan, is one of the most dangerous parts of the country. Insurgents wield considerable influence in a region plagued by oppressive rulers and parochial local conflicts. Moreover, the Pakistani Islamic terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Toiba – a signatory to Osama bin... MORE
PUTIN LEANING ON NAZARBAYEV TO THWART WESTBOUND ENERGY PROJECTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin used the May 20 meeting in Sochi with his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to ensure that Russia remains the route for the great bulk of Kazakhstan's oil and gas exports and nip trans-Caspian pipeline projects in the bud. Putin's move counters... MORE
RUSSIAN INFLUENCE ON THE UPSWING IN KYRGYZSTAN
On May 19, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told a visiting group of international journalists that Kyrgyz authorities would go ahead with the plan to ask the United States to vacate the Manas air base by June 1 unless Washington agrees to a massive increase in rent... MORE
KYRGYZSTAN FIGHTS ONE-DAY WAR WITH UNKNOWN BANDITS
Early on the morning of May 12 an armed group of about 10 people attacked a Tajik border checkpoint in Isfara oblast. They seized weapons and killed three Tajik guards. A few hours later the group moved into Kyrgyzstan through Batken oblast and headed toward... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN BOOSTING CASPIAN SECURITY
Kazakhstan is boosting its Caspian security through the successful implementation of foreign military and security-assistance programs. These have helped Kazakhstan to develop its maritime border capabilities by providing military hardware, technical advice, and spare parts. Astana has included naval and border security packages into most... MORE
ASTANA’S INTEGRATION DREAMS SUFFER SETBACKS
In an apparent bid to win acclaim by launching a regional integration initiative, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev used his February 2005 address to the nation to propose the creation of a union of Central Asian states on the basis of agreements on eternal friendship among... MORE
Al-Qaeda in Azerbaijan: Myths and Realities
After the events of September 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism, Azerbaijan became one of the active members of the anti-terrorism coalition. Besides providing a small contingent of troops for peace operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Azerbaijani government actively cooperates with the United... MORE
PUTIN MARKS ZERO-SUM WIN WITH KARIMOV IN SOCHI
Uzbek President Islam Karimov's May 12 meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Sochi marks a further stage in Russia's successful exploitation of Uzbekistan's unnecessary alienation from the United States. The Putin-Karimov meeting was demonstratively timed to the anniversary of the violent suppression of... MORE