Kyrgyz elections

Summery

• European Rights Court Says Azerbaijan Violated Election Rights

BAKU -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the Azerbaijani government is guilty of having violated citizens' right to a free and fair election during parliamentary elections five years ago, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

• CEC approves text, form, number and rules to prepare ballots

The Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the text, form, number and rules to prepare ballots at a today's meeting.

• Over 200 candidates registered in Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections

Over 1,322 candidates, ready to compete for MP mandate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, appealed to the district election commissions. Over 1,266 candidates got petitions from the CEC. Roughly 399 have already filled them out and submitted to the CEC, Mazahir Panahov, the CEC chairman, said at a CEC meeting.

• Head of OSCE observation mission discusses Azerbaijan pre-election situation with opposition party

Head of OSCE observation mission Audrey Glover discussed pre-election situation in Azerbaijan with the chairman of the opposition Azerbaijan National Independence Party (ANIP), Yusif Bagirzade, the press service of the ANIP said.

• Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry hands over note of protest to U.S. charged' affairs

Azerbaijan has handed over a note of protest to the U.S. charged' affairs in Baku. U.S. charged’ affairs Adam Sterling was invited to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on September 24, ministry’s spokesperson Elkhan Polukhov said. 

• Azerbaijan Refutes Armenian Claim It Killed Captive

BAKU/YEREVAN -- Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian has publicly accused the Azerbaijani authorities of killing an Armenian man found hanged in Azerbaijani custody on October 5, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.

• Nagorno-Karabakh To Reopen Airport

STEPANAKERT -- Authorities in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh are pressing ahead with plans to reopen the disputed territory's sole civilian airport, which was shut down nearly two decades ago.

• Nagorno-Karabakh Flag Raised At UN, Briefly

Azerbaijan's ambassador to the United Nations has complained that on September 27 Armenia raised the flag of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic on the premises of Yerevan's UN mission in New York.

• Iranian Defense Minister To Visit Azerbaijan

BAKU -- Iranian Defense Minister Major General Ahmad Vahidi will visit Azerbaijan next week at the invitation of his Azerbaijani counterpart, Colonel General Safar Abiyev, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

• Azerbaijan, NATO cooperation prospects discussed in Brussels

Azerbaijan was represented at the talks by a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The delegation included Deputy National Security Minister and Deputy Emergency Situations Minister, Chief of State Border Service, heads of departments of the Interior Ministry and Defense Ministry, according to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Economic/Energy Front

• BP reaffirms its commitment to cooperate in Azerbaijan's energy projects

The British company BP is ready to continue cooperation in the implementation of the Azerbaijani oil and gas projects, to which it is party, new BP CEO Robert Dudley, said in Baku on Thursday at the signing ceremony of a new contract for exploration and development of the prospective structures Shafag-Asiman.

• Azerbaijan to allocate 3 bn. 287 mln US $ to military expenditures next year

Azerbaijan will allocate 2 630 169 341 AZN to financing of Armed Forces, other military units considered in legislation and militarized organizations.

Social Front

• U.S. Calls On Azerbaijan To Improve Rights Record

BAKU -- A U.S. diplomat says President Barack Obama told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during their meeting at the United Nations that Baku needs to improve its record on democratic development and human rights, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

• Azerbaijan Won't Recognize Harvard Graduate's Diploma

"I had my master's degree diploma from Harvard and I was not able to verify that this diploma is a legal document in the republic of Azerbaijan," Bakhtiyar Hadjiyev, an Azerbaijani citizen and public policy graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service.

Kazakhstan

Political Front

• Kazakh Official Denies Presidential Staff Chief Had Stroke

ASTANA -- A Kazakh official has denied reports that presidential-administration head Sarybai Qalmurzaev has been hospitalized with a stroke, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

• Key political risks to watch in Kazakhstan

ALMATY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's long-serving leaderhas announced his intention to stay at the helm of CentralAsia's largest economy for a third decade, erasing concernsabout the possibility of a destabilising succession struggle.

Geo strategic Front

• U.S. Seeks To 'Revitalize' OSCE

BRUSSELS -- The U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says the United States and its European partners are seeking to "revitalize" the OSCE at the organization's December summit in Astana.

• Suspected Killers Of Kyrgyz Journalist Arrested In Kazakhstan

ALMATY/BISHKEK -- Kazakh investigators have arrested two people in connection with the murder of Kyrgyz journalist Gennady Pavlyuk, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Economic/Energy Front

• Kazakhstan to inject over KZT2.3 trillion into power sector by 2015

"During the implementation of the investment program to develop the power sector in 2010-2014 the industry will receive over 2.3 trillion tenge," said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Duisenbai Turganov at a press conference on Friday in Astana.

• Kazakhstan and South Korea discussing shipyard project on the Caspian Sea

Astana. October 4. Interfax-Kazakhstan - Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation.

Social Front

• Kazakhstan Deports Kyrgyz Labor Migrants En Masse

BISHKEK -- Kazakh authorities have deported some 130 Kyrgyz labor migrants, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Kyrgyzstan

Political Front

• Kyrgyzstan tense as parliamentary vote nears - OSCE

 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan is highly volatile after June’s ethnic clashes and there are widespread fears an election next weekend could trigger new violence, Europe’s leading vote monitoring group has said.

• Offices Of Kyrgyz Political Party Damaged In Attack

Bishkek police say on October 6 some 100 members of the Meken Sheyitteri (Martyrs of the Homeland) and Aikol Ala-Too (Generous Ala-Too Mountains) movements forced their way into the offices and destroyed furniture, equipment, and documents. They told RFE/RL that a special security team was sent to the offices immediately.

• Death Toll From Violence In Kyrgyzstan Rises

BISHKEK -- The death toll from the June clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan's southern regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad has risen to 429, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Kyrgyzstan's Elections Offer Prospect Of Real Change

It is one thing to discuss and debate the fate of a remote foreign country. It is quite another thing to ponder and worry about your own country, which appears before you in three dimensions even in your dreams.

• Ex-Kyrgyz Security Chief Released From Jail

BISHKEK -- The former chief of an elite Kyrgyz security unit was transferred from jail shortly after a protest in Bishkek by security officers demanding his release, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Trial Date Set For Ethnic Uzbeks In Kyrgyzstan

KARA-SUU, Kyrgyzstan -- The trial of 10 ethnic Uzbeks in the southern Kyrgyz village of Kara-Suu will resume on October 19, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

The trial was halted by Judge Bakyt Usupbekov on September 30 after relatives of the victims attacked the defendants' lawyer, Kair Asanov

• A new draft law on political parties to be discussed in Kyrgyzstan

After the elections of Kyrgyzstan, a new draft law on political parties is to be discussed. It was voiced today at an open forum “Kyrgyzstan after elections: state structure in conditions of parliamentary government.”

• Provocations are possible before the Kyrgyz parliamentary elections – Sariev

 “In Kyrgyzstan, provocations are possible in the last three days before the parliamentary elections,” Akylbek Sariev, the Chairman of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Kyrgyzstan, stated Wednesday at a meeting with rallying relatives of the killed during the April events.

• Political parties: The parliamentary elections may cause third revolution

Representatives of political parties fear that the parliamentary elections will lead toward third revolution. Such statement was voiced at today’s meeting of Ombudsman with members of political organizations.

Geo strategic Front

• Russia Takes Active Role In Kyrgyz Parliamentary Elections

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) greets Ar-Namys party leader Feliks Kulov, a visit that has boosted the party ahead of the upcoming elections.

• Ex-MP denies his agreement on land cession to China

Ex-member of Parliament denies that he has voted for the cession of Kyrgyz lands to China, according to Bolot Sher (Sherniyazov).

• Fugitive Uzbek Community Leader Tells His Story Of The Unrest

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have sent a request to Ukraine for the extradition of Kadyrjon Batyrov, who is accused by Bishkek of fomenting interethnic hatred. They attribute statements to Batyrov on greater rights for Kyrgyzstan's ethnic Uzbeks that they say were one of the main sparks that ignited clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in June in the Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces that left hundreds dead and briefly displaced hundreds of thousands of people, mainly Uzbeks.

Economic/Energy Front

• Energy Minister discusses power export projects with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan

Osmonbek Artykbaev has discussed the projects of electric power export from Kyrgyzstan to Southern Asia with the colleagues from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, the press service of the Ministry of Energy informs.

Social Front

• Kyrgyz Satirical Paper To Resume Publication

BISHKEK -- Former editors of the shuttered Kyrgyz newspaper "De Facto" say they will resume publication of that biweekly within three months, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Turkey Holds Ethnic Tolerance Conference In Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK -- Turkey is holding a conference today on ethnic tolerance and dialogue at Kyrgyzstan's prominent Issyk-Kul lake resort, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports

• Kyrgyzstan's Ex-Deputy Parliament Speaker 'Beaten, Robbed'

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's former deputy parliament speaker says he was beaten and robbed in his apartment in Bishkek, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

    Tajikistan

Political Front

• Tajik National Guards Deny Death Toll In Crash

Tajikistan's National Guards have denied multiple media reports that 28 people were killed in a helicopter crash in the east of the country where a military operation against Islamist militants is under way.

• 34 Troops Killed In Tajikistan

Military sources say up to 34 Tajik troops were killed in two separate incidents in the east of the country, in an area where a military operation against Islamist insurgents is under way.

• Military Helicopter Crash In Tajikistan Kills 26

DUSHANBE -- At least 22 Tajik State National Security Commitee personnel and four crew members were killed on the morning of October 6, when a Tajik National Guard helicopter crashed in the Rasht district, 200 kilometers east of Dushanbe, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

• Another Fugitive Killed In Tajikistan

DUSHANBE -- Bozorali Valadi Egamberdi, an Afghan citizen who escaped from a Tajik detention center more than a month ago, has been killed in a gun battle with Tajik security forces, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

• Tajik Minister Accuses Media Of Sympathizing With Militants

DUSHANBE -- Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloev has accused independent newspapers of sympathizing with the Islamic militants who ambushed an army convoy in late August, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

• Worries Grow As Tajik Government Continues Operation Against Militants

Government forces have set up over a dozen checkpoints along the road connecting Dushanbe and the administrative center of the Rasht district, and are searching passing vehicles and their passengers.

• Afghan government not able to fully control Afghanistan’s common border with Tajikistan, says Afghan FM

DUSHANBE, October 7, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- President Emomali Rahmon received visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasoul Wednesday afternoon.  The two discussed a broad range of issues related to state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

• Tajik, Afghan FMs sign protocol of cooperation

DUSHANBE, October 7, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik-Afghan bilateral cooperation in various fields was the focus of a meeting of Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi with his Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rasoul that took place here Wednesday afternoon.

• Tajikistan, Pakistan satisfied with cooperation level

DUSHANBE, October 2, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- State and prospects of further expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan were discussed here on October 1 in the course of the talks of President Emomali Rahmon with visiting Pakistani Minister for Petroleum Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar.

Geo strategic Front

Economic/Energy Front

Social Front

• Dushanbe to host 2nd Central Asian forum on HIV/TB co-infection problem

DUSHANBE, October 5, 2010, Asia-Plus -- The 2nd Central Asian scientific and practical conference entitled “HIV/TB: Towards Universal Access” is opening in Dushanbe tomorrow.

• In Tajikistan, Islamic Names Are The New Fashion

Until earlier this year, one 19-year-old student from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, was known as Shohrukh to his friends and family.

• Tajikistan Suspicious Of Its Students

Tajik authorities say graduates of foreign religious schools could pose a threat to their homeland -- and they're taking steps to address the issue. Tajik students studying at Cairo's Al-Azhar University say they are concerned about Dushanbe's request that the prominent Islamic school send back anyone studying outside official government quotas.

    Turkmenistan

Political Front

• Turkmen Opposition Politician Allowed Into OSCE Conference

An exiled Turkmen opposition politician has gained permission to attend an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) conference in Warsaw that he initially was barred from attending, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.

• Turkmen President Hails Work Of National Security Service

ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has called on the National Security Ministry to fight against those who "disseminate slanderous information about Turkmenistan's democratic, law-based secular state," RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.

• Exiled Turkmen Activists Barred From OSCE Conference

One of the men, Annadurdy Hajiyev, a member of the Watan movement and former deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Turkmenistan, is seen here in a file photo with Tajigul Begmedova, head of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation on Human Rights

• New law on Military Duty and Military Service comes into force in Turkmenistan

The new law of Turkmenistan "On Military Duty and Military Service" came into force on October 6. The law provides for "legal regulation of conscription and military service to ensure the fulfillment by Turkmenistan's citizens of their constitutional duty and responsibility to protect the Fatherland."

Geo strategic Front

• Belarusian parliament ratifies military agreement with Turkmenistan

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus ratified the agreement between the governments of Belarus and Turkmenistan on military and military-technical cooperation on October 4. The agreement was signed on January 25, 2010 in Minsk.

• Iran - closest neighbor and partner of Turkmenistan

The Days of Culture of Turkmenistan started in the province of Golestan of the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 2. The delegation of Turkmenistan composed of famous artists, poets, musicians, singers, members of the Theatre and Film Arts arrived in the city of Gorgan to participate in the events.

Economic/Energy Front

• Russia remains strategic partner of Turkmenistan in oil and gas sector

Turkmenistan maintains strategic cooperation in the oil and gas industry with his long-standing partner - Russia, although the global economic crisis has slowed down the pace of implementation of joint projects.

• Turkmen gas reserves available for EU - president

(AFP) - Turkmenistan’s president said on Thursday the isolated Central Asian state had the capacity to almost quadruple gas exports in the next 20 years and was ready to meet demand from Europe.

Social Front

    Uzbekistan

Political Front

Geo strategic Front

Economic/Energy Front

• Tashkent hosts Uzbek-Czech Business Forum

The forum of business circles of Uzbekistan and Czech Republic was held at the business center in Tashkent. The event, organized by the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, focused on further expanding of the bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

Social Front

• Tortures in Uzbekistan: The position of former prisoner Sanjar Umarov produced sharp criticism from his "colleagues"

Uzbek dissidents and human rights advocates, representatives of civil sector sharply criticized the statements of Sanjar Umarov, the prominent businessman and former head of Sunny Coalition opposition movement, he shared in the interview with The New York Times.

Summery

     Azerbaijan

Political Front

• Azerbaijani CEC: Some 1,152 MP candidates apply to district electoral commissions

Some 1,152 candidates for parliament have applied to district electoral commissions, 1,092 have received a subscription list from the Central Election Commission, and 200 have already filled them out and submitted them to the CEC, CEC chairman Mazahir Panahov said Monday at a meeting of the committee.

• International observers starting their missions in Azerbaijan

Observation missions of international organizations are starting their mission in Azerbaijan to monitor parliamentary elections in the country, Central Election Commission's department for international relations Rovzat Gasimov said.

• Election Commission to receive final voters' lists by October 3rd

The voters' lists have been finalized for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The Sechkiler Information Center is publishing the lists to be sent by October 3 to the precinct election commissions, CEC Secretary Natig Mammadov told a press conference.

Geo strategic Front

• Azerbaijan And The West: Beyond Interest, Toward Commitment

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku in July. A friend in need is a friend indeed. I couldn’t agree more.

• Two democrats risk U.S. interests by blocking envoy to Azerbaijan

The US-based Washington Post newspaper has published an article entitled “Two democrats risk U.S. interests by blocking envoy”.

FOR THE AWARD for Most Craven Election-Year Pandering at the Expense of the National Interest, we nominate -- this week -- Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

• Azerbaijan supports Pakistan's position in Kashmir problem"

Within the framework of his visit to Pakistan Commander of Azerbaijani Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Shahin Sultanov met with Defense Minister of this country Ahmad Mukhtar, APA reports quoting official website of Pakistani Defense Ministry.

Economic/Energy Front

• ADB officials visit Azerbaijan State Oil Fund

Members of the Asian Development Bank's Board of Directors have visited Azerbaijan's State Oil Fund. The Fund's Executive Director Shahmar Movmusov informed the ADB officials of Azerbaijan's oil strategy.

• Top ten countries investing in Azerbaijan determined

Great Britain leads the list of the foreign investors in Azerbaijan, during January-July, 2010. According to State Statistical Committee, Great Britain invested AZN 505 038.8 thousand capital in Azerbaijan’s economy during the same time, up 30.8% compared with a year ago.

Social Front

• Sumgait seaside cleaned from litter as part of International Coastal Cleanup -

Over five tons of litter has been collected from Sumgait cost of the Caspian Sea as part of the International Coastal Cleanup action. About 110 volunteers collected over five tons of litter as a part of an ecological campaign held by Cola-Cola. 

• 35% of drugs produced in Afghanistan is smuggled to other countries through Iran-Azerbaijan route"

35 % of drugs illegally produced in Afghanistan is smuggled to other countries through the Iran-Azerbaijan route. This was said by First Deputy General Prosecutor of Azerbaijan Rustam Usubov on Monday at the scientific- practical conference on "Actual problems of the fight against illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors' held at the Science and Education Center in the General Prosecutor's Office.

• Azerbaijan attends 54th session of IAEA's conference in Vienna

The 54th session of International Atomic Energy Agency`s (IAEA) Conference was held in the Austrian capital of Vienna on September 20-24.

• Baku to host meeting of CIS council of heads of migration services

On Sept. 29, Baku will host the eighth meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Migration Services, the press service of the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan reported on Friday.

    Kazakhstan

Political Front

• Kazakh Court Refuses To Issue Warrant For Minister's Arrest

ASTANA -- A court in Astana has refused to issue an arrest warrant for Kazakh Health Minister Zhaqsylyq Dosqaliev over unspecified allegations stemming from an ongoing investigation, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

• Kazakh Police Say Health Minister May Have Simulated Stroke

ASTANA -- Kazakhstan's financial police have said that Health Minister Zhaqsylyq Dosqaliev may have simulated a stroke to escape justice, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

• Kazakhstan’s president confidence rating high

Almaty. September 28. Interfax-Kazakhstan – The poll conducted by the Institute of Political Solutions (IPS) revealed that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev retains trust of 79.9% respondents.

Geo strategic Front

• Issues of opposing nuclear terror financing discussed in Astana

ASTANA, September 28 (Itar-Tass) -- Issues of opposing financing of nuclear terrorism are discussed at a conference which opened in the capital of Kazakhstan on Tuesday. More than 150 representatives of the countries-participants in the Global Initiative of Combating Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, as well as observers from international organizations take part in the conference which is held behind closed doors.

Economic/Energy Front

• Kazakhstan Renews Push For Global Currency Under UN Auspices

UNITED NATIONS -- Kazakhstan has repeated its idea that the creation of a global currency under UN control would significantly decrease the odds of a future financial crisis.

• Environment agency of Kazakhstan to complete inspections of all oil companies by end of September

Astana. September 27. Interfax-Kazakhstan - The Ministry of Environment of Kazakhstan by the end of this week will complete environmental inspections of oil companies operating in the republic, said the head of state environmental control department Daniyar Aliyev. "At the moment, no inspection reports have been issued yet, as the checks are still going on. At the end of this month or in a few days, we plan to complete all inspections," he told reporters on Monday in Astana.

• Russia, Kazakhstan plan to develop renewable energy industry

MOSCOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's largest hydropower company RusHydro has signed a memorandum of cooperation on building renewable energy enterprises in the Jambyl region in southern Kazakhstan with the regional government.

• Tau Capital invests in Kazakh oil explorer

 (SRI) - Tau Capital, a Kazakhstan-focused investment fund, has agreed to take a 6% stake in Kazakh oil company Lucent Petroleum in exchange for equity and debt financing.

• Japan firms to provide nuclear estimates to Kazakhstan

 (Reuters) - The Japan Atomic Power Company, Toshiba Corp (6502.T) and a unit of Marubeni Corp (8002.T) have reached an agreement with Kazakhstan to provide data and cost estimates on the possibility of the country building its first nuclear power plant.

Social Front

• Kazakhstan’s president reduces civil servants by 15 percent     

ASTANA, September 30 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed a decree providing for a 15-percent reduction of the regular staff of organizations financed by the state budget, including the law enforcement and judicial authorities.

• UN Official Hopes Kazakhstan Will Improve Prison System

ASTANA -- UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak says he hopes Kazakh authorities will stop "window dressing" the situation regarding the country's penitentiary system, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Kyrgyzstan

Political Front

• Poll shows six of 29 parties will pass to parliament

In Kyrgyzstan, the poll of Perspektiva Consortium has shown that six of 29 parties, participating in the elections, will pass to parliament.

• Ethnic Uzbeks' Trials In Kyrgyzstan Postponed After Disruptions

KARA-SUU/NOOKEN -- Two separate trials of ethnic Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan have been postponed by the judges after disruptions, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

The trial of 10 ethnic Uzbeks in the southern Kyrgyz village of Kara-Suu was stopped by the judge after the defendants' lawyer was attacked by relatives of the victims.

• Ethnic Uzbek Journalist Transferred From Kyrgyz Jail To House Arrest

JALAL-ABAD, Kyrgyzstan -- Uzbek journalist Ulukbek Abdusalamov has been transferred due to his poor health from jail to house arrest in the southern Kyrgyz city of Jalal-Abad, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Former Kyrgyz President's Nephew To Stand Trial

BISHKEK -- Authorities in Kyrgyzstan say the nephew of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiev is to stand trial in connection with deadly interethnic violence there in June, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Geo strategic Front

• Russian Border Guards To Be Stationed In Southern Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK -- Russian border guards stationed in Kyrgyzstan's northern Chui region will be transferred to a southern oblast to help with cross-border issues, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Kyrgyzstan’s permanent representative in the UN changes

The permanent representative of Kyrgyzstan in the United Nations Organization has changed. Today President of transition period Roza Otunbayeva signed a decree, according to which Nurbek Jeenbaev was released from the post of permanent representative of the Kyrgyz Republic in the UN in New York City.

Economic/Energy Front

• Kyrgyzstan tries to solve debt problem

Kyrgyzstan tries again to correct its “credit history.”

One and a half year ago in Moscow, during the visit of the Kremlin by representatives of delegation from Kyrgyzstan, we heard the conversation of two Russian officials.

Social Front

• Kyrgyz human rights advocates urge Roza Otunbayeva “to take immediate measures against illegal actions of law enforcement officers and judicial agencies”

Kyrgyz human rights advocates urge the interim president Roza Otunbayeva “to take immediate measures against illegal actions of law enforcement officers and judicial agencies the made during investigations and proceedings against citizens charged with participation in the conflict happened in Osh and Jalal-Abad regions.”

• Kyrgyz Farmer Shot On Uzbek Border

BATKEN -- A Kyrgyz citizen was wounded in a shooting incident on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border on September 28, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Tashtemir Eshaliev, who heads Kyrgyzstan's Batken Oblast Defense and Security Department, told RFE/RL the incident took place near the village of Kaitpas in the Kadamjai district when an Uzbek border guard shot at Almaz Joroev, who said he mistakenly crossed the border while searching for missing cattle.

Tajikistan

Political Front

• Second Tajik Prison Escapee Killed By Security Forces

DUSHANBE -- The Tajik Interior Ministry says security forces have killed a second escapee from a prison break last month, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

The ministry said on September 28 that Russian national Gusein Suleimanov, 25, was killed by security forces in the Chanoro village of Faizobod district one day earlier. It is the same district in which Rahmiddin Azizov, another of the 25 prison escapees, was killed the previous day in a shootout.

• Tajik Officials Say Former Rebel Involved In Deadly Attack On Army

DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's Interior and Defense ministries say they believe former United Tajik Opposition (UTO) fighter Abdullo Hakimov (aka Mullo Abdullo) played a role in the attack on September 19 in which 25 Tajik soldiers were killed and dozens more injured, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported.

• President urges to strengthen fight against terrorism and extremism

DUSHANBE, September 28, 2010, Asia-Plus – Issues related to recent events in the country, maintenance of public order and prevention of crime were the focus of a September 27 meeting of the Council of Security of Tajikistan, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon.

Geo strategic Front

• Kremlin's Ruling Party Boosts Ties Across The Former Soviet Union

As Kyrgyzstan gears up for crucial parliamentary elections on October 10, former Prime Minister Felix Kulov's Ar-Namys party has picked up a key endorsement from Russia's ruling United Russia party.

• Some Fear Tajik Opposition Stronghold Could Become Hotbed Of Islamic Insurgency

It was just a few weeks ago that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon was traveling to his country's eastern Rasht region on a mission of goodwill, opening a new college there and discussing economic and social issues with locals.

• Tajik Authorities Apprehend Two More Armed Militants

DUSHANBE -- Tajik authorities say they have arrested two armed supporters of former warlord and special police unit head Mirzokhuja Ahmadov in the mountainous Rasht district, some 200 kilometers east of the capital, Dushanbe, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

Economic/Energy Front

• ECO energy and oil ministers to meet in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, September 28, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The Ministry of Energy and Industries of Tajikistan (MoEI) will host the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Energy/Petroleum of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

• IMF expects Tajikistan’s year-end inflation to stand at 9 percent

DUSHANBE, September 25, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Mr. Todd Schneider, visited Tajikistan from September 13 to September 24 to hold discussions with Tajik authorities on the third review under a three-year extended credit facility arrangement with Tajikistan.

Social Front

• Lenin Statue Removed For 'Renovation' In Southern Tajikistan

KULOB, Tajikistan  -- Residents of the southern Tajik town of Khatlon discovered on September 29 that the monument to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin had been removed from the town's central park, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

    Turkmenistan

Political Front

Geo strategic Front

• Ambassador of Czech Republic accredited in Turkmenistan

On September 28, Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan Akja Nurberdieva received credentials from the Ambassador of the Czech Republic Robert Kopecky.

Economic/Energy Front

• Turkmenistan increases throughput capacity of C Asia-China gas pipeline

ASHGABAT, September 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmenistan commissioned a compressor station Bagtyyarlyk on Monday. This is the starting point of the Turkmenistani stretch of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline. The compressor station is located on the Turkmenistani-Uzbek border in the Khodzhambassky district of the Lebap region.

Social Front

• Paucity Of Turkmen Books At Ashgabat Book Fair

Readers in Turkmenistan have thousands of books to choose from if they wish to know about culture, history, economy, science fiction, or other apolitical themes.

An international book fair opened in Ashgabat earlier this month under the motto "The Book is the Way to Cooperation and Progress."

• Turkmen Dipping Their Toes Into Online Forums

"I read 'Ruhnama' to the end. It is a mixture of soup, rice, pepper, and poison. I would say it shows Turkmenbashi's thought process. The ideas are not in order. It's chaotic. The beginning of the thought is in the middle, the middle is at the end, and the end is at the beginning."

    Uzbekistan

Political Front

Geo strategic Front

• The U.S., caught between the Afghan war and human rights in Uzbekistan

The U.S. has been accused of becoming soft on Uzbekistan's human rights record because of its close military cooperation with Tashkent on the Northern Distribution Network, which carries a significant portion of U.S.'s war materiel to Afghanistan via Central Asia. But evidence has been somewhat hard to come by to either prove or disprove that assertion.

Economic/Energy Front

Social Front

• The Tashkent-based journalists could not remember a single name of Uzbek senators

On September 23 US embassy in Uzbekistan organized the meeting of Mimi Tennyson Goss, the expert in the field of public administration and journalism, PhD of Harvard University, with journalists.

Summery

Azerbaijan

Political Front

• Azerbaijan's ruling party publishes list of candidates for parliamentary elections

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) published a list of MP candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections on Saturday, the party told Trend. The parliamentary election campaign began in Azerbaijan on Sept. 4.

• OSCE mission to monitor parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan

The OSCE Mission to monitor the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan will start its activity on September 28, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said.

Geo strategic Front

• Obama, Aliyev Meet In New York As Washington Seeks To Improve Ties

U.S. President Barack Obama (right) met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 24.

• Azerbaijan -- A Questionable Partner For The West

The favorite line promoted by the Azerbaijani government and its apologists abroad is that Azerbaijan is "an indispensable strategic partner" of the United States. While the country's geographic location and energy riches present a genuine opportunity for such an alliance, there is nothing strategic about the current cooperation between the Azerbaijani petro-dictatorship and the United States.

• Nominee For U.S. Envoy To Azerbaijan Takes Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

President Barack Obama's pick for the next U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan cleared a key congressional hurdle on September 21 by winning the approval of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

• Iranian President Ahmadiejad expected to visit Azerbaijan

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit Azerbaijan soon, according to the Iranian media.

• WILL GAS HELP RESOLVE THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT?

Since August 2010, a rumor is spreading that the Azerbaijani State oil company, SOCAR, would be about to bid for the North-South pipeline, which ships Russian gas from Mozdok to Yerevan through Georgia. Such a move would give Baku control over 10-15% of the pipeline that delivers 80% of the Armenian gas imports, hence giving it new leverage over Yerevan.

Economic/Energy Front

• Azerbaijan transports 133.4 mln tons of oil via Baku-Ceyhan pipeline

Azerbaijan transported 133.4 mln tons of oil via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, 15.4 bcm of gas via Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline so far, SOCAR Vice President Khoshbakht Yusifzade said.

• Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers discusses draft state budget for 2011

Meeting of Cabinet of Ministers headed by PM Artur Rasizadeh was held today.

According to Cabinet of Ministers, the projects of consolidated budget and state budget for 2011 and next three years, economic and social development conception of Azerbaijan for 2011 and next 3 years were discussed, forecast indicators for the same period were listened at the meeting.

• Azerbaijan to export oil products to Afghanistan

Azerbaijan plans to ship oil to new markets, Vice President of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) for Investment and Marketing Elshad Nasirov said.

As a whole, Azerbaijan does not intend to increase volume of petroleum exports, as exports of crude oil is much profitable, Nasirov added.

• Azerbaijan, ADB agree on future projects

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Xiaoyu Zhao agreed on future projects today, the Cabinet of Ministers said. During the meeting, Zhao lauded the level of socioeconomic development in Azerbaijan.

Social Front

• Families Of Jailed Azeri Bloggers Appeal To Obama

Relatives of two Azerbaijani bloggers jailed in a case condemned by rights groups have appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama to press for their release during talks with Azerbaijan's leader Ilham Aliyev.

Kazakhstan

Political Front

• Kazakh Opposition Activists Detained

ATYRAU, Kazakhstan -- Two members of Kazakhstan's unregistered Algha (Forward) opposition party have been detained by police in the western city of Atyrau, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Geo strategic Front

• Kazakh State Secretary invites US President to attend OSCE summit in Astana

Astana. September 24. Interfax-Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan’s State Secretary and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev has held a meeting with the US President Barack Obama in the framework of the 65th UN General Assembly session in New York.

Economic/Energy Front

• FAO Convenes Meeting On Grain Prices Worries

With memories fresh of the food crisis of two years ago, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is holding an extraordinary meeting today prompted by renewed global worries about high food prices.

• In Eurasia, Millions Worry About Beloved Buckwheat

Devastating fires and droughts are not the only consequences of the heat wave that hit much of the former Soviet Union this summer.

Millions of people across the region are now hit by another misfortune: buckwheat shortages.

• Two Explosions Damage Kazakhstan Natural-Gas Pipeline, Halting Shipments

Two explosions in western Kazakhstan damaged a pipeline carrying natural gas in the country, the Emergency Ministry said in a statement.

Flows were halted as emergency workers sought to extinguish the fires caused by the blasts, the ministry said.

Social Front

• Eight Kazakh Inmates Self-Mutilate

QARAGHANDY, Kazakhstan -- Eight inmates at the notorious Dolinka prison in central Kazakhstan engaged in self-mutilation today, the latest in a series of such incidents in the country's jails, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

• Kazakh Border Guard Accused Of Rape

BISHKEK -- An investigation has been launched into the alleged rape of a Kyrgyz woman by a Kazakh border guard last week, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry informed journalists today that a videotape made in the Kazakh border guards' office at the Zhaisan checkpoint while the Kyrgyz woman was alone with the Kazakh guard has been retrieved and is being used as evidence.

• Kazakh Activists Allege They Were 'Kept From Traveling To Almaty'

ATYRAU, Kazakhstan -- Activists of the unregistered Kazakh opposition party Forward (Algha) were unable to travel to Almaty today for a discussion on organizing a referendum seeking President Nursultan Nazarbaev's resignation, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. Adilzhan Kenzhegaliev, a coordinator for Algha's Atyrau branch, told RFE/RL that 15 party activists who planned to travel by train to Almaty could not do so as their seats were occupied by other passengers with valid tickets.

Kyrgyzstan

Political Front

• Printing Of Ballots For Kyrgyz Parliamentary Vote Starts Under Strict Security

BISHKEK -- The printing of ballot papers for Kyrgyzstan's October 10 parliamentary elections is proceeding amid tight security, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Dirtying Kyrgyzstan's New Political Field

Kyrgyzstan holds parliamentary elections on October 10 amid great expectations -- for the first time, really, in post-Soviet Central Asia, there is a fresh and clean political field competing.

• Kyrgyz Party Leader To Discuss Agreement With United Russia

BISHKEK -- The Kyrgyz party led by former Prime Minister Feliks Kulov is discussing the signing of a cooperation agreement with Russia's ruling United Russia party, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Uzbekistan's President -- The Osh Mayor's Friend?

You might think the president of a country called Uzbekistan -- literally, the land of the Uzbek -- wouldn't be well disposed to the mayor of a city in a neighboring country where scores of Uzbeks were killed last June. But you'd be wrong, at least according to the mayor of Kyrgyzstan's second city, Osh.

• Two Former Kyrgyz Officials Will Not Be Amnestied

BISHKEK -- Two former Kyrgyz officials have been deemed ineligible for amnesty under a decree signed earlier this month by Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbaeva, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Kyrgyz Judge Defends Conviction Of Ethnic Uzbek Rights Defender

BISHKEK -- The lead judge in the case that led to ethnic Uzbek rights activist Azimjan Askarov being sentenced to life in prison in Kyrgyzstan denies that the charges were politically motivated and says one of the co-defendants testified against Askarov, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Geo strategic Front

• Kyrgyzstan Closes Tajik Border After Clashes In Tajikistan

BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyzstan has closed its border with Tajikistan following the deadly clashes between an armed extremist group and Tajik military forces in Tajikistan's Rasht province on September 19, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Russian-Kyrgyz Military Agreement To Be Signed By March

BISHKEK -- A Russian military official says a new Russian-Kyrgyz agreement on military cooperation will be signed by March, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

General Valery Gerasimov, the deputy chief or staff of the Russian Armed Forces, told journalists in Bishkek today that all Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan will be brought under a single command.

• SCO to help ensure security in south Kyrgyzstan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states will render assistance to Kyrgyzstan in ensuring security in the southern oblasts of the republic, RIA Novosti informs with reference to the public relations center of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

• Russian Military Delegation Begins Talks In Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK -- A Russian military delegation has arrived in Bishkek for talks after Kyrgyzstan said it wanted more money to host Russian military facilities, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Economic/Energy Front

Social Front

• Relatives Demand Kyrgyz Security Officers' Release

BISHKEK -- Dozens of relatives of arrested Kyrgyz security officers gathered on the Old Square in Bishkek to demand their immediate release, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

One officer of Kyrgyzstan's elite "Alfa" security unit and eight officers of a second security unit were arrested in May this year for their role in the violent dispersal of mass antigovernment protests in Bishkek on April 7, during which 86 people were killed.

• Four Men Jailed For Using Mosques To Spark Kyrgyz Unrest

KARA-SUU, Kyrgyzstan -- A court in southern Kyrgyzstan has sentenced four men to four years in jail for using local mosques to set off deadly unrest in June, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

    Tajikistan

Political Front

• Tajik Security Forces Search Homes Of Former UTO Fighters

GHARM, Tajikistan -- A former Tajik opposition commander says government forces have continued to surround and search the houses of ex-opposition fighters living in the central Rasht district, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

• Interior Ministry denies report about eight killed militants and three wounded government troops in Rasht

DUSHANBE, September 24, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Report about eight killed militants and three wounded government troops does not correspondent to the facts, Thohir Normatov, the chef of the Interior Ministry staff, told Asia-Plus Friday afternoon.

• Tajikistan Blames Islamist Militants For Attack That Killed 25 Soldiers

Authorities in Tajikistan are blaming Islamist militants for an ambush that killed at least 25* government troops in the country's eastern Rasht Valley on September 19.

• Reports: At Least Five Tajik Soldiers Dead After Attack

Suspected terrorists today attacked a convoy of troops in Tajikistan, leaving at least five soldiers dead. According to local media, the convoy was in eastern Tajikistan, about 185 kilometers east of the capital, Dushanbe, when it came under gunfire.

• Militants Suspected In Tajik Suicide Bombing Detained

The Interior Ministry in Tajikistan says it has detained three suspected Islamist militants in connection with a recent suicide bombing that killed two police officers and wounded 25 others.

Geo strategic Front

• Tajik leader meets with NATO secretary general in New York

DUSHANBE, September 23, Asia-Plus  -- President Emomali Rahmon met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in New York yesterday on sidelines of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, according to presidential press service.

• Tajik president, Thai PM discuss cooperation issues

DUSHANBE, September 24, 2010, Asia-Plus -- On Thursday September 23, President Emomali Rahmon, who is currently in New York to attend the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, met with Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva, according to presidential press service.

• Kyrgyzstan Closes Tajik Border After Clashes In Tajikistan

BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- Kyrgyzstan has closed its border with Tajikistan following the deadly clashes between an armed extremist group and Tajik military forces in Tajikistan's Rasht province on September 19, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

• Tajikistan Says Five Killed In Counterterrorist Operation

DUSHANBE -- The Tajik Interior Ministry says that at least five supporters of former opposition commander Mirzokhuja Ahmadov were killed during an counterterrorist operation in the Rasht district, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.

Economic/Energy Front

Social Front

• Tajik capital hosts international song festival

DUSHANBE, September 18, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- An international two-day song festival, entitled “The Sky of Commonwealth,” kicked off in Dushanbe on September 17.

• Tajik pressure said to be growing over Islamic dress

DUSHANBE, September 18, 2010, Asia-Plus – A branch of the Islamic Revival (IRP) in the city of Kulob has complained that authorities are pressuring women who wear the hijab, the Islamic head scarf, Radio Liberty reported on September 17.

Turkmenistan

Political Front

Geo strategic Front

• Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Angela Merkel discuss cooperation

Issues of cooperation in the energy sector, industry, transport and communications, agriculture and culture were on top of the agenda of the meeting between President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel. As the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat quoting the press service of the head of state, the meeting took place at the UN building on September 21.

• Turkmenistan puts forward five initiatives on Afghan settlement in UN

In his speech at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has elaborated on the issues of resolving the situation in Afghanistan and proposed his approaches to this problem to the international community.

• Turkmenistan to stay loyal to its neutral status

Turkmenistan's neutral status marking its fifteenth anniversary this year and recognized by the international community prevented the country from being drawn into any forms of regional rivalry and did not let anyone use the Turkmen military and economic potential on its side in potential conflicts.

• Turkmenistan calls for active Afghan engagement in major regional projects

"Today, there is a need for more active engagement of Afghanistan in promising transport, communication and energy projects in the region. It will give the Afghans confidence in their future, help them and their country feel full and equal participants of regional and global processes", said Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in an interview for the national mass media.

• Turkmenistan stands against politicization of outstanding issues on the Caspian Sea

"Turkmenistan's position on the legal status of the Caspian Sea is very balanced and responsible. We are committed to continued engagement with partners in different formats in terms of constructive dialogue, respect and equality,"said President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in an interview with the Turkmen mass media on the eve of his departure for New York.

Economic/Energy Front

• Chevron ready to participate in joint investment projects in Turkmenistan

The U.S. business circles fully support the Turkmen initiatives including those relating to ensuring global energy security aimed at facilitating the creation of necessary conditions for reliable energy supplies.

• Framework agreement on trans-Afghan gas pipeline construction signed

In the framework of the 11th meeting of the Steering Committee for Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project the heads of line ministries of the participating countries signed a framework agreement on construction of the pipeline. Representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also attended the meeting.

• Turkmenistan proposes to establish UN Energy Council

In his speech at the 65th UN General Assembly session in New York on 20 September, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed to consider the issue of establishing the United Nations Energy Council that would provide a political framework and organizational modalities for a systematic, professional discussion of the entire complex of energy issues.

• Gas supply schedule via Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline for 2011 adopted

China and Central Asian countries have adopted a strategic plan on conditions of monthly gas supplies in winter 2010 and during 2011 as well as a schedule of regular maintenance of Turkmenistan-China trans-border gas pipeline, ChinaPRO business magazine reported referring to the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

• American businessmen invited to visit Ashgabat more often

The program of visit of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to New York included a business lunch meeting with members of the Business Council "Turkmenistan - USA".

• U.S. intends to build up contacts with Turkmenistan in oil and gas sphere

The U.S businesses intend to build up productive contacts with Turkmenistan in the oil and gas industry, Special Envoy of U.S. Department of State for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar said yesterday during the meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Social Front

    Uzbekistan

Political Front

• Uzbekistan's President -- The Osh Mayor's Friend?

You might think the president of a country called Uzbekistan -- literally, the land of the Uzbek -- wouldn't be well disposed to the mayor of a city in a neighboring country where scores of Uzbeks were killed last June. But you'd be wrong, at least according to the mayor of Kyrgyzstan's second city, Osh.

Geo strategic Front

• Islam Karimov visits USA while the correspondent of Voice of America is being prosecuted

At the behest of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 19 the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov took off to New York with the purpose to attend the plenary session of UN General Assembly, dedicated to the Millennium development goals, Uzbek mass media report.

Economic/Energy Front

• Uzbekistan nationalizes business from Russia's WBD

Uzbekistan has de facto nationalized the local branch of Russia's largest dairy manufacturer, Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD), "in profit of state," Kommersant business daily said on Tuesday, following the company's conflict with the powerful Uzbek National Security Service, RIA Novosti reports.

Social Front

• OSCE Criticizes Uzbek Treatment Of Journalists

One of the persecuted Uzbek journalists, Dilmurod Sayyid, whose wife and 6-year-old daughter died in an auto accident while traveling to visit him in prison in November 2009

September 24, 2010