RAFIK SAIFULIN

Tashkent said again that Uzbekistan-Russia relations are strategic, and that Russia plays a key role in ensuring global and especially regional security and stability in Central Asia.

PETER RUTLAND

The bloody and chaotic overthrow of the Bakiev regime is not good news for anybody. For Western liberals, it merely highlights the sorry conditions in Kyrgyzstan, the one country in Central Asia that had tried to follow Western advice about the benefits of democratization, market reform and free trade.

ALISHER KHAMIDOV

The developments in Kyrgyzstan are claiming much of our attention. We're still receiving controversial reports and updates from Kyrgyzstan. Many of us are grappling with similar questions: What's happening in Kyrgyzstan? Are we talking about another Tulip revolution? How are the current protests similar or different from the Tulip revolution? So what are broader patterns here?

EVGENI SAVKOVICH

The Chinese energy companies gained a foothold in the world market. They have interests even in such poor and remote countries, as Sudan. While in 1990-2000s China National Petroleum Corporation was China’s “flagship”, in the late 2000s the situation changed slightly.

AZAMAT MUKHAMEDZHANOV

Recovering from the financial and economic crisis, the Kazakh authorities are going to develop the country’s regions. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, spoke about that in his Annual Address to the Kazakh people in 2010.

ANDREY GROZIN

It was clear even before the elections that the Tajikistani authorities could not achieve their main object from those elections – to improve Tajikistan’s image on the international scene.

DENIS KIM

The problems in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan relations could be solved if the sides were ready to make a compromise with each other. If Emomalii Rahmon and Islom Karimov made any concessions to each other, it would ease tension between the neighbouring countries.

DENIS KIM

In December 2009, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, President of Kyrgyzstan, launched the constitutional reform. The official reason is the constitutional amendments are needed to define the powers of the President, the Parliament and the Cabinet, considering the administrative reform in Kyrgyzstan.

AZAMAT MUKHAMEDZHANOV

For Kazakhstan the year 2010 started not only with festivities in honour of its OSCE presidency, but also with the necessity to solve serious diplomatic issues.

ANDREY GROZIN

Laying of a gas pipeline to China, through which the Turkmen gas will be pumped via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, is a result of Beijing’s well thought-out strategy to diversify its raw materials sources. In this respect China’s foreign policy resembles that of Russia, since it is built only on pragmatism.

DENIS KIM

All the main political and economic resources will be concentrated in Kurmanbek Bakiyev's hands. Strengthening of the presidential power in the republic can be regarded as a result of Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s winning the July 2009 presidential election by a landslide.

DAVID GOZER

Now Kyrgyzstan is one of the states whose corruption level is the highest in the world. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev knows that and means to alter the tendency reforming the government administration system.

AZAMAT TEMIRKULOV

President Bakiyev’s decision is reasonable. This is not a redistribution of powers between the Parliament and the President or between the President and the Cabinet in favor of Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

NAILYA SHAKIROVA

The elections to Oliy Majlis (the Parliament) of Uzbekistan will be held in December 2009. Five political parties are going to take part in the election campaign.

ZHIBEK SYZDYKOVA

If Kurmanbek Bakiyev is reelected, there may appear some risks. Firstly, corruption and clan system may continue to exist. Secondly, Kyrgyzstan resembles the neighboring countries more and more, it becomes more authoritarian, which aggravates its domestic problems. 

ANDREY GROZIN

I believe that Central Asia wasn’t under discussion of the Russian and U.S. Presidents during the visit of Barack Obama to Moscow on July 6-8. Though, this discussion was highly expected in the countries of Central Asia.

KONSTANTIN SYROEZHKIN

The SCO tries to adequately react to the world processes, which the Yekaterinburg summit has shown. The main subject of the summit was the financial and economic crisis and the ways to minimize its negative consequences for the SCO member states.

SERGEY MASAULOV

The main issue that Kyrgyzstan will have to solve electing the President on July 23, 2009 is the country's future rather than a new person in President’s office.

ARTEM ULUNYAN

Now Ashgabat seeks to take advantage of the economic recession strengthening its influence in the world and in Central Asia, and it seeks to step up cooperation with its neighbors.

ANDREY GROZIN

Russia has initiated the visit of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan to Moscow. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev personally invited his Turkmen counterpart to Russia, which shows that a lot of questions have been accumulated in Russia-Turkmenistan relations over the past six months.

ABDUGHANI MAMADAZIMOV

The informal part of Mr. Rahmon’s visit to Russia is of the greatest interest. The Presidents did the fishing, which could be interpreted in the following way: Moscow gives Dushanbe a fishing rod implying that it should fish by itself. It means that currently instead of relying only upon Russia, Tajikistan should seek extra foreign aid and investments.

ANDREY GROZIN

The visit of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to Russia made on February 24, testifies to the serious problems in Russia-Tajikistan relations as well as in the relations between Tajikistan and its Central Asian neighbors, above all, Uzbekistan.

YURI PANASIK

The world financial crisis is a real challenge not only for Russia but also for the regional integration organizations and bilateral alliances in the former Soviet Union where Russia pretends to be the leader. This offers new opportunities as well as new challenges to Russia.

SVYATOSLAV POLKHOV

The Democrats’ coming to power in the U.S.A. is highly conducive to unexpected and far-reaching consequences for Russia’s foreign-policy interests. Moscow decided to pursue a preemptive tactic giving much money to Kyrgyzstan, actually in exchange for the closure of the American base in its territory.

AZAMAT TEMIRKULOV

Washington is altering its attitude to the Central Asian region in the context of Afghanistan. The main cause is to ensure routes to transfer the American cargo to Afghanistan.

ZHIBEK SYZDYKOVA

The visit of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan to Moscow on February 3-4 showed Bishkek’s intention of improving the relations with Russia.

ANATOLY TSYGANOK

Bishkek’s foreign policy is similar to that one of Astana. Kyrgyzstan, like Kazakhstan, finds it important to keep on friendly terms both with the U.S.A. and Russia.

ANDREY GROZIN

The main goal of the election was to confirm President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s image. It is almost two years since Saparmurat Niyazov died and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov became the President. It is necessary to show that he has more democratic beliefs than his predecessor had and is going to reform Turkmenistan’s political system.

ANDREY GROZIN

Over the past year the U.S. and EU representatives have actively interacted with Tashkent. Uzbekistan’s foreign policy is the same as that of its neighbors – the Central Asian countries are guided by the much talked-about "multivector" policy.  

ROGER N MCDERMOTT

Current re-engagement between the U.S., NATO and Uzbekistan may be characterised as officially cautious and low key.

ANDREY GROZIN

It is known that at the recent SCO summit, which took place in Dushanbe on August 28, the Central Asian states and China publicly interpreted Russia’s military operation in the Caucasus in a restrained way, but on the whole Moscow's actions were supported.

ASKAR AKAYEV

From 1998 to 2004 we had kept the inflation at the level of 3-4%. This was the best result in the CIS. At present the inflation makes up 30-40%. 40% is a critical level, if it heightened, Kyrgyzstan would face economic recession.  

VLADIMIR PARAMONOV, ALEKSEY STROKOV

VLADIMIR PARAMONOV, OLEG STOLPOVSKI

ANDREY GROZIN

Medvedev’s visit to Kazakhstan was fruitful. Some said it would be a reconnaissance and ceremonial visit. But as a matter of fact, a lot of practical issues were addressed, certain agreements were reached.

DMITRY VERKHOTUROV

The purpose of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Azerbaijan was to resolve the issue of the sector division of the Caspian Sea. This was the major purpose.

GULNUR RAKHMATULINA

On April 22-23, 2008 President of Uzbekistan Islom Karimov was on an official visit to Kazakhstan, which is of great importance to the development of the mutually beneficial cooperation of the two countries.

ROVSHAN IBRAHIMOV

On April 22, a regular meeting of the representatives of the Caspian countries on determination of the Caspian Sea legal status was over. The next, twenty third meeting is decided to be held in Baku.

VLADIMIR YASINSKIY

Today the EDB is able to bring into life the most challenging initiatives. And as new member states join the Bank’s activity, its potential will boost their economies.

RAFIK SAIFULIN

Russia's presence does not hinder the development of complementary areas of cooperation and making new partners to implement bilateral and multilateral economic projects. Furthermore, these processes are already under way without any detriment to the Russian-Uzbek relations.

FARID МUKHAMETSHIN

In recent years the relations between Russia and Uzbekistan have reached a high level and have followed a sustainable bilateral development pattern in almost all areas.

TAMERLAN IBRAIMOV

The results of the three-year presidency of Kurmanbek Bakiyev are not impressive. Many tasks that were set in 2005 have not been fulfilled yet.

VLADIMIR YASINSKIY

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), founded in 2006 by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a unique international financial institution working in the post-Soviet space.

ALEXANDER KNYAZEV

Central Asia is a geographic, rather than a geopolitical entity, which is characterized by the absence of any political or economic uniformity. There are serious political, economic and other differences among the states in the region, which are exacerbated by the border, territorial and resources claims. All of these impede political and military integration.

GEORGETA POURCHOT

Eurasian Home website with a kind permission of the Greenwood Publishing Group Inc., publishes the first chapter "Sovereignity from Within" of the book "Eurasia Rising: Democracy and Independence in the Post-Soviet Space" by the Eurasian Home website contributor Georgeta Pourchot.

NARYN AIYP

10 Kyrgyzstani citizens have been killed in Moscow and St. Petersburg since the beginning of 2008. All of them were killed without obvious reasons – in the street unknown people sneaked up to a person from behind, stabbed him or her with a knife and ran away.   

ANDREY GROZIN

In spite of the apparent unity of the Tajik elite and integrity of authorities, the elites and President Emomali Rahmon were at variance.  

ABDUMANNOB POLAT

As long as Karimov keeps his iron fist upon political system and government, he is most likely to stay in power. However, nobody knows for how long he will stay healthy and strong enough (physically and politically) to control Uzbekistan and his own team. He clearly needs to prepare succession scenarios.

ABDUMANNOB POLAT

On December 23, Uzbekistan will vote for the head of state, while nobody doubts that incumbent President Islom Karimov will win a new seven-year term.

SERGEY MASAULOV

The parliamentary election was quite a useful experience for many Kyrgyz parties as practical rather than developmental elaboration of their future actions. Kyrgyzstan is undergoing the process of building real political parties. How it will go now depends solely on the parties’ own choice.

IGOR FINOGENOV

The distinctive feature of the Eurasian Development Bank is that it is a development bank, that is to say we are less concerned with gainig purely financial profit from our activities. Rather, we are trying to address such serious issues as facilitating integration initiatives in the post-Soviet space.

ARKADY DUBNOV

Studying in Western universities is the main target for many Kazakh students. For them learning English is not an end in itself, but a means to become part of the Western community. Those failing to learn English, will study in Russia.

ANDREY GROZIN

ABDUMANNOB POLAT

In the light of Tashkent's reticence and reluctance to disclose its information on the events in Andijan, independent assessments has taken on added value.

TAMERLAN IBRAIMOV

According to the Central Election Committee, 2.4 million people (76 percent of voters) supported the new Constitution and the Election Code. The turnout was 80.64 percent (to believe the Central Election Committee). A number of NGOs report that the turnout was much lower – about 30-40 percent of voters.

ABDUMANNOB POLAT

Uzbekistan is a key geostrategic nation in Central Asia, because of its prime geographic location at the critical crossroads of China, Russia, the Middle East and southern Asia.

ABDUMANNOB POLAT

Islom Karimov will nominate himself again and be reelected for the next term. Most probably, the President will choose his competitor and will cede him as many votes as he will find appropriate.

STANISLAV PRITCHIN

Central Asia becomes of more and more importance to Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. There are some objective reasons for that. In many respects, Kazakhstan is the region’s leader and seeks to keep this status by stepping up political and, above all, economic cooperation with its neighbors.

GULNUR RAKHMATULINA

The fact that Kazakhstan is stepping up economic cooperation with the Central Asian countries by no means signifies that Russia’s interests in the region are being infringed upon.

NIKOLAI KUZMIN

Kazakhstan does not set its oil and gas policy alone. In this respect its independence is very relative. Astana believes that it is necessary to take account of the interests of consumers and transit countries.

ELENA YATSENKO

The Central Asian states are becoming agents of world politics and can act pursuant to their own interests. Russia can be one of the parties solving the region’s problems. Our proposals must be diverse and competitive. If we lose the competition, Russia will have to conform to the other actors’ rules.

STANISLAV PRITCHIN

Development of three competing gas export pipelines from Central Asia has been started in the summer 2007. The first, the Russian Caspian Gas Pipeline, consists in modernization of the existing facilities; two new projects, the Transcaspian and Transeurasian pipelines, will go to the EU and China, respectively.

SERGEY RIAZANTSEV

The labor migration to the countries of Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) has become a mass and significant migration flow in terms of its social and political consequences.

ELENA YATSENKO

The “Nur Otan” party headed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev swept the early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan with the outcome of 88.5 percent of the votes. This  victory shows that the majority of the Kazakhs pin their hopes on Nazarbayev as their national leader.

ANTON MOROZOV

There are several reasons for the “Nur Otan” party’s sweeping victory in the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan.

ANDREY GROZIN

“Nur Otan” party’s success means people’s desire to maintain the existing regime. In fact, the elections turned out the referendum on the President’s policy.

ADZHAR KURTOV

The political reform in Kazakhstan has created favorable conditions for the multi-party system. The law has been improved, it is true, but everyday practice shows that the reform will change nothing. In the dissolved Parliament the pro-presidential Nur Otan party had the constitutional majority. I am sure this party will retain the constitutional majority after the elections.

VALENTIN BOGATYREV

Kyrgyzstan has a lot of opportunities in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Future development of our country, which is located in the middle of Asia and does not have much oil and gas, depends on the regional economic projects in a large measure.

DMITRY VERKHOTUROV

The agreement on strategic oil and gas cooperation signed by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan during the two-day visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Kazakhstan continues development of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project.

ANDREY GROZIN

The parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan will not give any surprises. The political opposition is unlikely to achieve a breakthrough. So any realistic analysis should be focused on how many votes three dominating parties will get.

ADZHAR KURTOV

The struggle for Turkmenistan’s energy resources is being waged. Here Russia has obvious advantages. Firstly, Central Asian states regard China as a different civilization. Secondly, the price factor counts.

DENIS KIM

On June 2 at the Second Meeting of the Kyrgyz Citizens the Kyrgyz opposition leader Felix Kulov advanced an initiative to create the confederation of Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

VITALY KULIK

Kyiv has always been interested in keeping Ashgabat at arm’s length. It is not only a matter of the special price of the Turkmen gas for Ukraine and the possibility to buy it avoiding the Russian quotas, but ultimately of the participation in implementation of the Thans-Caspian Gas Pipeline project.     

TIMUR POLJANNIKOV

Is the case against Aliyev connected with the reforms of the Kazakh Constitution? At first sight, it may seem to be so.

ANDREY GROZIN

From now on President Nazarbayev will have a free hand in maneuvering within the elites. He is interested in maintaining the existing peace among the elites.

VITALY VOLKOV

Russia at the last moment concluded with Kazakhstan the agreement on joint uranium enrichment within the framework of the international center for uranium enrichment. Those steps are of strategic importance, and they are economically grounded.

NIKOLAI KUZMIN

Energy security is the major topic of the negotiations between the Russian and Kazakh Presidents during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Kazakhstan. There is a number of important points here.

NOOKATBEK IDRISOV

Despite of the fact that after the Tulip Revolution (March 24, 2005) the new people came into power in Kyrgyzstan, the corrupt policy which had been pursued by the overthrown government was followed in the country.

ANDREY GROZIN

Different scenarios can be expected to take place in Kyrgyzstan. Now the sides do not tend to conflict with each other and to use force. The opposition is not interested in that scenario since inevitable victims will discredit the opposition leaders.

VITALY VOLKOV

According to sources in Ashgabat, Berdymukhammedov is gradually strengthening his positions, which is showed by his election as Chairman of Halk Maslahaty.

ALEXANDER KNYAZEV

Bakiyev proves himself to be a strong politician since he is ready to negotiate with the opposition forces and make a compromise with them. That is showed by the appointment of the eminent oppositionist Almaz Atambayev as Prime Minister.

ROVSHAN IBRAHIMOV

Currently, the share of foreign companies in recovering Turkmen gas has not exceeded 10%. However, after the death of Turkmenbashi, the new government may revise its policy and open the country’s economy to foreign capital.

TIMUR POLJANNIKOV

Many analysts consider the agreement on the development of the joint nuclear centre on the uranium enrichment to be the “only positive result” of the recent Putin-Nazarbayev meeting (March 19, 2007).

VITALY VOLKOV

Berdymukhammedov’s positions are not strong in power. Ambitions of the Turkmen elites  are being suppressed by special services that have been working for Berdymukhammedov and his team since Saparmurat Niyazov’s death.

SAIFULLO SAFAROV

A series of economic issues have been solved during the Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov’s state visit to China.

ANDREY GROZIN

The USA, Russia and China considered the possibility of Niyazov’s death. But apparently, they have no action plan for this event. So, in the near future the other countries’ interference will be extremely little.

NUR OMAROV

No doubt, the Bakiyev-Kulov alliance will survive the Cabinet’s resignation. Felix Kulov will be the acting Prime Minister and keep the powers enlarged by the new Constitution.

TIMUR POLJANNIKOV

Tashkent’s move towards Astana is made under the necessity: rapture with the USA after Andijon events forced President Karimov once again to turn to Russia and its strongest ally in Central Asia Kazakhstan.

NUR OMAROV

Since nobody wants serious shocks in Kyrgyzstan, the government and the opposition have to compromise. However, the action towards Tekebayev has indicated that the authorities are not ready for that.

LEONID VARDOMSKY

Russian leaders must comprehend interests and capabilities of the EAEC member-states and Russia itself, find mechanisms to accommodate these interests and introduce appropriate forms of cooperation.

ANDREY GROZIN

Iran’s opportunity in those countries is not able to compare with Russia’s role. I believe that Iran cannot replace Russia and to oust it from Central Asia and the USA can do.

ASKAR NURSHA

On June 16, 2006 Kazakhstan signed the intergovernmental agreement with Azerbaijan and joined the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Project.

ALEXANDR SALITSKY

In the 5-year evolution of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) the question whether the economic cooperation could become one of the priorities in the interaction of the SCO member states has been examined for a long time.

ANDREY GROZIN

The entire complicated situation in Kyrgyzstan, the rally organized by supporters of MP Ryspek Akmatbayev, killed on May 10, dismissals of high-ranking officials – all of that is tightly connected to the visit of Uzbek President Islom Karimov to Russia. 

ANDREY GROZIN

I would not say that because of raising a fee for the USA for using the Kyrgyz military bases, the current policy pursued by the Kyrgyz authorities has become less pro-Western than it was under former President Askar Akayev.

ANDREY GROZIN

The conflict within the ruling elite groups in Kazakhstan is caused by system-related processes rather than by conjuncture factors.

DOSYM SATPAEV

Assassination of Altynbek Sarsenbayev, the Kazakh opposition leader, has utterly shocked both the opposition and the political and business elite of Kazakhstan.

DANIYAR ASHIMBAYEV

Our sociologic centre has made two surveys of the public opinion with regard to the forthcoming elections. The situation is as follows: about 80 percent of the voters are expected to go to the polling stations; 77-85 percent of the voters will support Nursultan Nazarbayev.

DOSYM SATPAYEV, VIKTOR KOVTUNOVSKY

"Most forecasts on Nazarbayev’s ‘clear-cut victory’ are made on the initiative of the President’s environs. In reality, Nazarbayev is afraid of the elections. The repressions against the political opposition speak for that", said Viktor Kovtunovsky.

ALEXEI MAKARKIN

The lower house of the Kazakh parliament (Majlis) has set the date for the next presidential election, which is to take place on December 4. Elections in the post-Soviet republics have tended to coincide with the phenomenon of "color revolutions". For Kazakhstan, however, such a prospect seems unlikely. It is not so much the question of a 9-percent economic growth registered in the first six months of this year (economic growth in Ukraine under Viktor Yanukovich government was as high), or the charisma of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who, as opposed to, say, Eduard Shevardnadze, has not exhausted his political potential. The main point is that there are no grounds for a revolution in Kazakhstan.

The ill-informed Brit might think that the only thing that Kazakhstan and Britain have in common is Borat, the comedy Kazakh invented by British comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen. But actually, the connection is strong and getting stronger. Never mind the jokes – British businesspeople are making serious money in the oil-rich central Asian republic.

Last week, the Kremlin signed a deal with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan that apparently stymies the mooted Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline, which the EU was hoping would free up some Turkmen gas from the bear hug of the Kremlin. Instead, it looks like for the time being, all Turkmen gas will be exported via Gazprom.  

This month, President Nazarbayev undertakes his first state visit to the US for five years. As he stands on the White House lawn shaking President George Bush’s hand, he may well reflect that his reign, in its seventeenth year, has been a success.

The early April upheaval in Kyrgyzstan is helping to define what the Collective Security Treaty Organization is, and is not.

Kazakhstan, currently chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), by extricating the former Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from internal exile in Jalalabad has highlighted opaque features of the crisis.

Kyrgyzstan's opposition says it has taken control of the government and dissolved parliament after a day of violent unrest that left at least 68 people dead and hundreds more wounded.

As President Kurmanbek Bakiyev confronts a political crisis in Kyrgyzstan, he is not getting any help from Moscow. If anything, the Kremlin appears intent on turning up the heat on the embattled Kyrgyz leader.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has reportedly opened negotiations to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) in Israel for use within the FSB border guard service.

Uzbekistan’s state railroad company Ozbekiston Temir Yollari has won the Afghan government’s tender to build rail infrastructure linking the northern Afghan border town of Hairatan with Mazar-e Sharif.

Unless Baku chooses to invest heavily in a complete reorientation of its energy and foreign policy, Azerbaijani natural gas exports to China do not seem a likely prospect in the near or middle term.

Russia wants to turn a newly minted Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan into its major vehicle for post-Soviet economic integration in Central Eurasia.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) hopes to sign an agreement within 18 months with the United Nations that will allow the CSTO to act beyond its borders in future joint peacekeeping and counterterrorist operations.

On October 6 the French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Astana on a state visit and met his counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev.

NATO and the U.S. should continue to bear responsibility for providing basic military security in Afghanistan. But the solution to the complex of socio-economic problems should be found in a broader international context, with the direct participation of Afghanistan’s neighbors.

Kazakhstan's defense ministry is actively preparing to host the final stage of the Collective Operational Response Force (CORF) exercise in October.

On August 26, a military exercise began in Moscow, marking the first official testing of the new Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF) created within the framework of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev, exchange the signed copies of a joint memorandum on Russia's new base in Kyrgyzstan during their meeting at Cholpon-Ata.

Speculation has recently mounted that Bishkek will agree to a request from Moscow to open a new Russian military base in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Since there are a number of frozen conflicts within the CIS, Tashkent would like the CSTO to rule out even the slightest implication that this collective force could intervene in any of these circumstances.

On June 17, following the CSTO and SCO summits, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev sacked the country's first civilian Defense Minister Daniyal Akhmetov.

The implementation of the SCO project is both a serious challenge to Russia and, at the same time, a chance to use collective resources for consolidating its positions in Central Asia and strengthening the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership.

On May 21 Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev characterized the country's forthcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a vital part of its interest in pursuing integration with Europe.

With a helping hand from South Korea, the United States has reestablished a strategic presence in Uzbekistan.

Following the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) summits in Moscow, President Dmitry Medvedev told President Nursultan Nazarbayev that only through the pursuit of joint economic projects would these countries be able to withstand the current financial crisis.

Azerbaijan looks set to benefit from the closure of Manas, while Western planners refocus on expanding supply routes in a way that does not involve a scramble for alternative bases.

New cooperative arrangements and dynamics are needed in Central Asia, both to promote the stabilization of Afghanistan and strengthen regional security.

Uzbekistan is willing to cooperate with the alliance over the stabilization of Afghanistan by playing a future pivotal role in the northern supply route, sharing intelligence, and stimulating a more regional approach to the Afghan problem.

As Kyrgyzstan's parliament prepares to take up the question of closing the U.S. air base at Manas Airport, it appears Kyrgyzstan's "multivector" foreign policy may be coming to an end.

The interests of Kyrgyzstan and, accordingly, its policy with respect to the U.S. during the years of independence have not gone beyond the corridor of commercial preferences.

What began on August 7 as a reckless act of aggression by Georgia to bludgeon South Ossetia into submission, quickly escalated to Russian military intervention in Georgia, and the conflict's transformation into a proxy war between the U.S. and Moscow.

During their face-to-face talks Islam Karimov and Nursultan Nazarbayev shared their views on the current state and prospects of mutual relations and discussed the international and regional problems of mutual interest.

Analysts and opposition politicians say the high-stakes information war only scratches the surface in revealing the corruption they say is at the heart of the oil-rich country's political system.

Turkmenistan has confirmed that it will directly supply the European Union with 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year...

President Islam Karimov attended the NATO summit in Bucharest on April 2-4, and offered pact members the use of Uzbek territory as an overland route for supplying non-military material to Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan and its neighbour Tajikistan are caught up in a diplomatic spat after a local clash erupted on the two countries’ shared border over access to water.

But was it a revolution, as so many Kyrgyz people and the government say? Roza Otunbaeva, a former foreign minister and now a leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, says that there was a revolt against the old order.

Alarmed at falling birth rates, officials in Turkmenistan are putting new measures to encourage people to have more children.

Observers regularly comment on how the US Administration has been sending persistent signals to Tashkent on its willingness to restore the bilateral relations and become friends again.

The presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are hailing their improved ties following a rare visit to Tashkent this week by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov of Turkmenistan.

It’s been a year since Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s pro forma election as president of Turkmenistan, and it’s clear that despite a lot of talk about reforms, the Central Asian nation is arguably no more open now than it was under Saparmurat Niyazov.

Sixteen years after independence, thousands of Uzbeks from the border districts of Turkmenistan remain without passports.

What is the ethnic and gender composition of the new parliament of Kyrgyzstan? Does its composition reflect the regional division that exists in the republic?

The programme statement made by each candidate starts with a positive assessment of the “valuable transformations made in the social, economic, political, legal and spiritual spheres” during the 16 years since Uzbekistan obtained its independence from the USSR.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s party appears to have won every available seat in parliament in the December 16 elections. But the opposition says it won’t accept the results.

Soaring inflation rates across the former Soviet Union are causing food price to spiral upward.

Has Tashkent moved to improve its record on torture, despite its well-documented history of abuse? Later this month, the UN panel is due to issue an official report based on the talks with foreign and Uzbek rights activists and officials.

By inviting Berdimuhamedov to Brussels, the EU showed it believes change is possible. Following this visit, it should be clear to Turkmenistan's president that the next step is his.

The Liberal-Democratic Party of Uzbekistan ran its convention in Tashkent on November 6. Delegates unanimously voted to nominate Islam Karimov for election the president on December 23.

Aliev’s accusation is the latest and most scathing one to date in a flurry of recent public feuding between him and authorities.

Kyrgyzstan has maintained the image as the most democratic of the Central Asian states. But the opposition has criticized Bakiev numerous times for simply being a new version of the former authoritarian president.

In the last year, Bishkek and Bejing have established several joint ventures to build homes and factories in Osh, and four brick factories have already been constructed. The mayor welcomes such joint enterprises, which he said will mean more jobs and better infrastructure for the city.

Uzbek president Islam Karimov has still not said a word about whether he will stand in the December election. Although not technically eligible to stand again, he could amend the constitution or use existing loopholes to secure re-election.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to meet with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov when the latter travels to the United States in late September to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in Bishkek fostered an image of unity among Central Asian states. The reality of the region’s political and economic conditions, however, belies such solidarity.

Amid accusations of an unfair election campaign, opposition leaders in Kazakhstan cast doubt on the government’s good faith in promoting a fair media environment.

The U.S.-Uzbek relationship is all of 16 years old, and involves one Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, who from the beginning has sought to get and then keep the attention of the U.S.

While some observers have welcomed signs of change in Central Asia's most isolated country, critics fear the development of a personality cult similar to the one by the man that Berdymukhammedov replaced, Saparmurat "Turkmenbashi" Niyazov.

A June 12 announcement by Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natik Aliyev on the possible joint exploration of an offshore Caspian Sea oil field could serve as the point of departure in a broad rapprochement.

Officials in Moscow seem to view Kulov's initiative as detached from reality, and  potentially destabilizing for the Kremlin’s relations with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s administration.

Until recently Kazakhstan's ambassador to Austria, Rakhat Aliev, is awaiting possible extradition to his home country to face charges of abduction and, possibly, illegal business activities.

Paul Theroux, the noted American novelist and travel writer, has been to many exotic places, but perhaps none so unusual as Turkmenistan.

The presidents of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistanv have held talks that both sides hope will lay the basis for close cooperation between their resource-rich Central Asian countries.

The announcement from the president of Kazakhstan that his country prefers to transport oil through Russian territory became a sensation in world media.

By some accounts, Rejepov's power reached well beyond his official position as head of a 2,000-strong presidential bodyguard service, and he might have been able to influence Niyazov himself.

While reasserting the policy of neutrality of his predecessor, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has signaled a desire to end Turkmenistan's self-isolation and to repair ties with its Central Asian neighbors.

The Tajik authorities have taken yet another step in their campaign against conservative Muslims -- this time by closing down several in-house religious centers.

Russian is still an essential lingua franca at home and abroad, but Kyrgyz and Uzbek parents often opt for Russian schooling because the teaching is better.

Kyrgyz politics resembles a game of chess between the two main protagonists – the president and Felix Kulov, the leader of the United Front for a Worthy Future for Kyrgyzstan.

It is generally agreed that the road to democracy can be rocky and winding. Kyrgyzstan has had many problems in its attempts to establish democracy.

The size of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas reserves alone make Kazakhstan’s national oil company, Kazmunaigaz (KMG), a worthy topic of study for anyone interested in the NOC’s development.

Tashkent is now facing a difficult geopolitical dilemma: which force should it rely on? Uzbekistan’s strategic partnerships with the United States and Russia are acquiring special importance under these conditions.

At the beginning of next year, Islam Karimov could become prime minister with everything that entails – he gets to run the state again but fends off accusations from critics abroad that he has usurped power.

On the energy map of the world, Eurasia is one region where the global hunt for energy sources carries on unabated.

Current consolidation of the pro-government forces will move the Kazakh opposition still further to the periphery of political life. 

In the age of the USA-led globalization the development of the cooperation between the Central Asian states and Russia may turn out to be of pivotal importance for the region’s nations.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has made reshuffles among the top officials.

Eurasian Home with a kind permission of Defence Academy of the United Kingdom publishes an analytical report on Russia's policy in Central Asia, written by Vladimir Paramonov and Aleksey Strokov.

Eurasian Home with a kind permission of Defence Academy of the United Kingdom publishes an analytical report on Chinese politics in Central Asia, written by Vladimir Paramonov and Oleg Stolpovski.

Eurasian Home publishes the report ”Russian Oil and Gas Projects and Investments in Central Asia” by independent analysts Vladimir Paramonov and Aleksey Strokov (Tashkent, Uzbekistan).

Eurasian Home publishes the analytical report “New Independent States in Central Asia: Security, external affairs and partnerships. A view from Uzbekistan” by Rafik Saifulin, Uzbek political analyst, Tashkent.

Eurasian Home publishes the article “Russia and Uzbekistan enhance allied relations” by Farid Мukhametshin, Doctor of Political Science, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent.

Eurasian Home publishes the analytical report "Kyrgyzstan and Russia: Security, Cooperation and Development Perspectives in the Central Asian Region" by Alexander Knyazev, Doctor of History, Professor of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Bishkek.

Eurasian Home website with a kind permission of the Greenwood Publishing Group Inc. publishes the first chapter "Sovereignity from Within" of the book "Eurasia Rising: Democracy and Independence in the Post-Soviet Space" by the Eurasian Home contributor Georgeta Pourchot.

Eurasian Home publishes the articel "The Future Supply of Gas from Central Asia to Russia: an Expert Assessment" by  Vladimir Paramonov, Ph.D., Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Eurasian Home publishes the article “Bloody conflict in Andijan: 12-13 May, 2005” by Abdumannob Polat. This article is a revised version of the part of the author’s report made for The Jamestown Foundation.

Eurasian Home publishes the article “Major Powers and Uzbekistan: Common Interests and Concerns” by Abdumannob Polat. This article is a revised version of the part of the author’s report made for The Jamestown Foundation.