On February 13, Kyrgyz Parliamentary Speaker Omurbek Tekebayev confirmed his decision to resign following a shocking clash with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. In his address to the legislature on February 3, Bakiyev criticized the parliamentarians for intrigues, laziness, and corruption. The president called parliamentarians "puppets... MORE

Kazakhstan is set to boost its military exports markedly during 2006, as it seeks to expand its access to international arms markets and further strengthen its defense industry. This concerted drive towards enhancing Kazakhstan's role as an arms exporter will put a priority on several... MORE

Representatives of the Uzbek community of Jalalabad city have appealed to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, claiming they are the victims of overt discrimination. "Trends to incite dislike of Uzbeks and representatives of other ethnic groups are being developed and spread around among Kyrgyz," according to... MORE

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmonov has declared his intention to raise the combat readiness of the Tajik armed forces in order to address adequately the security threats facing the country. Such familiar language, usually employed for wider political reasons, was utilized in the unusual setting of... MORE

The recent government reshuffle in Astana disappointed analysts who expected major changes. Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov had a rough 2005; he was strongly criticized for the scandalous takeover of PetroKazakhstan by the China National Petroleum Company, the Russian-Ukrainian gas deal's detrimental consequences for the Kazakh... MORE

Amid rivalries over energy supplies between a number of post-Soviet states, international media outlets have largely ignored Tajikistan's initiatives with Iran for hydroelectricity. Tajikistan is an important part of the Central Asian power system, which has a high potential for producing hydroelectricity, but it has... MORE

The recent turnover at the top of the Uzbek Ministry of Internal Affairs is still generating talk inside Uzbekistan. On January 5, the National Information Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) announced a presidential decree naming Bahodyr Matlyubov as the new Minister of Internal Affairs, replacing the... MORE

Members of the Kyrgyz parliament are calling for the resignation of Tashtemir Aytbayev, chairman of the National Security Service. A resolution, adopted on January 26, aims at tackling the unsatisfactory nature of the National Security Service in its efforts to combat organized crime. MPs also... MORE