Kazakh Parliamentarians Say Government Favours Russian Media
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 6: A group of Kazakh parliamentarians has complained to Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov that the Kazakh government is favoring Russian over domestic media, gazeta.kz reported on 6 November. The complaint was motivated by the government`s support for plans of a media concern owned by the state oil firm KazMunaiGaz to rebroadcast Russian television programs. The lower-house members who raised the issue said the funds that are to be spent on the retransmissions should go to Kazakh media for new programs and the training of journalists. The parliamentarians also approved of a point in a controversial draft law on media that calls for the broadcast media to play a role in developing Kazakh, the official state language.
Kyrgyz Media Council Appeals To President On Criminal Libel Issue
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 6: The recently created Media Council of Kyrgyzstan issued an appeal to President Akaev and the country`s journalists on 6 November, focusing on the charge of criminal libel as one of the main hindrances to journalistic activity in Kyrgyzstan, according to Akipress.org, which published the text of the appeal. The appeal stated that this conclusion is the result of a poll of journalists taken as the council`s first action after its creation (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 16 September 2003), and asked the president to try again to persuade the parliament to drop imprisonment as a punishment for libel and to introduce a fee for filing lawsuits against the media.
13th Session Of Oliy Majlis To Gather On 11 December
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 6: 13th session of Oliy Majlis of second convocation will convene on 11 December 2003. The session will be held in Tashkent. Parliament speaker Erkin Khalilov signed the corresponding resolution on 6 November. The deputies will consider a number of issues, including: 1. The Bill `On State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2004` 2. The Bill `On protective measures, anti-damping and compensational duties` (second reading) 3. The Bill `On currency regulation` (new edition) 4. The Bill `On private enterprises` (second reading) 5. The Bill `On informatisation` (second reading) 6. The Bill `On electronic signature` (second reading) 7. The Bill `On electronic document turn over` (first reading) 8. The Bill `On electronic commerce` (first reading) 9. The Bill `On use and protection of emblems of Red Cross and Red Crescent` (first reading) 10. Making changes and additions in some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 11. Ratification of international agreements Along with these issues, the Oliy Majlis will consider other questions within its competence.
Kazakh Supreme Court Rejects Imprisoned Journalist`s Appeal
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 5: The Kazakh Supreme Court turned down an appeal by imprisoned independent journalist Sergei Duvanov for a review of his case, one of Duvanov`s defense lawyers told Interfax-Kazakhstan on 5 November. Duvanov was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison in January 2003 after being convicted of raping a minor (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 29 January 2003). Duvanov`s supporters say the case was fabricated by the authorities to discredit Duvanov`s critical articles.
Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister`s Party Takes Control Of Osh City Council
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 5: Moya Strana, the political party of Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Dzhoomart Otorbaev, has taken control of the Osh City Council as a result of a 4 November local election, Kyrgyzinfo reported on 5 November. Party member Tukhtasin Latibzhanov was elected council chairman, and both deputy chairmen, Dosaaly Imanberdiev and Rabiyakhan Karimova, are also Moya Strana members, as are six other council members. Osh, officially designated as Kyrgyzstan`s southern capital, is the second most important city in the country after Bishkek. The 5-year-old Moya Strana party has more than 5,000 members throughout Kyrgyzstan and five deputies in the national parliament. Political observers in Kyrgyzstan see Otorbaev as a possible successor to President Askar Akaev, who has said he will step down in 2005.
Azerbaijani Parliament Approves Artur Rasizade As PM
Interfax
Baku, November 5: The parliament of Azerbaijan approved the candidacy of Artur Rasizade for prime minister on Tuesday. In accordance with the constitution, his candidacy had been proposed by President Ilham Aliyev and was subject to parliamentary approval. The prime minister is the second official in the country, and the constitution states that if the president is unable to perform his duties, the prime minister steps up to his post. After approval, the president must publish a decree appointing the prime minister, after which he officially takes up the post.
Kazakh President Signs Law On Monitoring Property Ownership
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 4: Nursultan Nazarbaev signed a law on 4 November that provides for government monitoring of property ownership in strategic spheres of the country`s economy, khabar.kz reported. The law defines as these strategic spheres the extraction and processing of coal, oil, gas, uranium, and other metal ores, as well as the machine-building, transport, telecommunications, power-engineering, chemical, and defense sectors. The objective of the law is to generate information for a database on Kazakhstan`s major enterprises that will be used by state agencies to make economic forecasts.
Thousands In Protest At Georgia Poll Result
The Moscow Times
Tbilisi, November 4: Thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Georgian capital on Tuesday to protest against initial results of a parliamentary poll putting veteran President Eduard Shevardnadze`s bloc in the lead. The crowd of up to 10,000 people, many shouting `Down with Shevardnadze!` and waving national flags, accused the government of rigging the election through the use of inaccurate voter lists, ballot-stuffing and intimidation. `I appeal to you to defend your own votes, the dignity of your country and the future of our children,` parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, leader of one opposition bloc, told the crowd made up mainly of her supporters. With results from only about half of the country`s polling stations counted by Tuesday, two days after the election, the pro-government bloc For a New Georgia was leading narrowly with about 25 percent of the vote. Opposition parties won more votes in total and may cause the government more trouble in the new parliament, but are still too splintered to unite and form a majority. The opposition National Movement bloc led by Mikhail Saakashvili was coming in a close second with about 22 percent, and the leftist Labor Party was third with about 14 percent. The Democrats, led by Burdzhanadze, trailed behind with about 9 percent, while the Revival party of Aslan Abashidze, the powerful leader of Georgia`s autonomous region of Adzharia, and the New Right party each had some 8 percent, the Central Elections Commission said. It was not clear late Tuesday when final results from the Commission could be expected.
Kyrgyz Women`s Party Changes Name And Orientation
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 4: The Democratic Party of the Women of Kyrgyzstan, one of the older and more active political groups in the country, has changed its name and charter and reregistered with the Justice Ministry, KyrgyzInfo reported on 4 November, quoting party Chairwoman Tokon Shailieva. The party is now called the New Force and accepts for membership any citizen regardless of sex who has reached the age of 18. According to Shailieva, the party presently has 5,000 members.
Parliamentary Speaker Points To Violations During Recent Elections
Interfax
Moscow, November 4: Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, leader of one of Georgia`s election blocs, agrees with foreign observers that the November 2 parliamentary elections did not meet international standards. Burdzhanadze told NTV television on Monday evening that she was in Kutaisi in western Georgia on election day. She planned to spend two hours there, but ended up staying until 3:00 a.m. `What I saw was outrageous. Polling stations remained closed until 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. Some people`s names were not included in registration lists, while some registration lists contained the names of people who did not exist,` Burdzhanadze said.
10,000 Immigrants Gain Kazakh Citizenship
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 3: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed a decree on 3 November granting Kazakh citizenship to more than 10,000 immigrants, Kazinform and Interfax-Kazakhstan reported the same day. Most were ethnic Kazakhs who moved to Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Mongolia, many of whom had arrived in the country outside the annual quota for ethnic Kazakh `returnees.` They were unable to obtain the state benefits received by those who entered under the quota, according to reports appearing in the Kazakh media earlier in 2003, and it was difficult for them to obtain citizenship.
Georgia: Early Results Give Government Lead In Elections
Radio Free Europe
Tbilisi, November 2: Partial preliminary results released by Georgian electoral authorities say the pro-President Eduard Shevardnadze bloc `For A New Georgia` has taken the lead with nearly 28 percent of the vote in yesterday`s parliamentary elections. Opposition parties have already charged the government with widespread irregularities and vote-rigging. The problems during the voting included complaints that some polling stations opened late or not at all, and that some eligible voters` names were not on registration lists. Electoral officials said that according to the early results, the opposition National Movement was in second place with about 23 percent, followed by the Labor Party with 16 percent, and the bloc of parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze with 9.5 percent. National Movement leader Mikhail Saakashvili, the mayor of Tbilisi, earlier declared that his party had finished first in the voting and has called on the government to accept an opposition victory. He warned of public protests if the opposition believes the official results have been falsified.
Seventy CIS Observers Monitor Georgia Election
Kabar Agency
Tbilisi, November 2: A total of 70 observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) monitored the parliamentary election in Georgia on Sunday, sources from the mission of CIS observers told Itar-Tass. They visited 34 out of 75 election constituencies in the country. The observers have declined to give any assessment of the course of the election, noting that `an official statement by the mission on that issue will be made public at noon on Monday`. There were 24 representatives from Russia among the CIS observers. The mission was led by the CIS executive secretary, Yuri Yarov.
Georgia Opposition `leads` Poll
BBC
Tbilisi, November 2: Exit polls from the parliamentary election in Georgia suggest the opposition has won the majority of votes. The exit poll suggests the National Movement, led by the former Justice Minister, Mikhail Saakashvili, stands to gain 7 per cent more than the government block. Preliminary official results are expected by Monday morning. The election has been marred by allegations of irregularities. Many people were not registered to vote in areas where the opposition was likely to do well, says the BBC`s Chloe Arnold in the capital, Tbilisi. This includes Tbilisi and the city of Kutaisi where several polling stations did not open at all because voter lists were incorrect. Voting in the two cities had to be extended. The exit poll indicates voters have become disillusioned with the current regime led by President Eduard Shevardnadze, says our correspondent . If confirmed, the poll will be a blow to President Shevardnadze Most Georgians say they are fed up with the current regime, blaming it for widespread poverty in the once affluent former Soviet republic, where corruption is rife.
Kazakh President Orders Doubling Of Ethnic Kazakh Immigration Quota
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 1: Nursultan Nazarbaev has signed a decree doubling the annual immigration quota for ethnic Kazakhs wanting to move to their historic homeland, khabar.kz reported on 1 November. Next year, the quota will be raised to 10,000 families per year. Officials have suggested raising the number of ethnic Kazakhs allowed to move to Kazakhstan as a means to counter the country`s population decline since independence. The population has fallen from about 16 million to under 15 million in 2002. Nazarbaev and others have warned that Kazakhstan does not have the manpower to carry out the country`s modernization plans (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 22 August 2003). According to the Kazakh Agency for Migration and Demography, the country has accepted 270,000 ethnic Kazakh immigrants since independence, many more than the official quota, but those who came in beyond the quota did not receive government benefits.
India To Help Kyrgyz Military Learn English
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 6: Indian Defense Minister George Fernandez met with his Kyrgyz counterpart Colonel General Esen Topoev in Bishkek on 6 November to discuss Indian assistance to the Kyrgyz military, particularly in teaching the English language, akipress.org, RFE/RL`s Kyrgyz Service, and other Kyrgyz media reported. English teaching is to be provided at a special language laboratory in the town of Tokmok near Bishkek and in several locations in India. The ministers also agreed that Indian specialists in mountain fighting would provide theoretical and practical training in Kyrgyzstan. Fernandez also met with President Askar Akaev, who called for closer Indian-Kyrgyz military cooperation. The proposed areas of cooperation are covered by a 1997 bilateral agreement.
Russia, Kazakhstan To Form Joint Venture On Production Of Air Planes
Pravda
Moscow, November 6: Kazakh State Enterprise Infrakos and Russian Khrunitchev State Space scientific and production centre agreed to form joint venture on production of T-411 `Aist` single-engine air planes. Multifunctional, single-engine air plane `Aist` (Stork) was designed at the Khrunitchev Centre, Infrakos General Director Rzakul Nurtayev disclosed on Thursday. `Aist` air planes are planned to be constructed at the one of the construction and testing facilities of the Baikonur launching site. The facility was previously used for the preparation of Soyuz and Progress space carriers before the flights. According to specialists, the new model of the plane has a high quality of safety and needs simple maintenance.
Tajik Youth And Father Are Killed By Landmines On Uzbek Border
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 6: A 15-year-old Tajik boy was killed and three others were injured when they stepped on a land mine on the Uzbek side of the Tajik-Uzbek border on 4 November, Kyrgyzinfo reported on 6 November, quoting the northern Tajik news agency Varorud. When the father of the dead youth learned what had happened, he rushed to the spot and was also killed by a land mine. A police official in the Isfara Raion of Sughd Oblast, where the tragedy occurred, said it was difficult to retrieve the bodies because of the minefield.
International Landmine Conference Looks At Kyrgyzstan`s Mine Problems
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 5: An international conference in Bishkek on 5 November examined Kyrgyzstan`s problems with antipersonnel mines planted along its border by the Uzbek armed forces, Kyrgyzinfo and RIA-Novosti reported. However, a representative of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said Kyrgyzstan does not intend to sign the Ottawa Convention on antipersonnel land mines. Since 2000, five Kyrgyz citizens have been killed by Uzbek mines. The conference on land mines in Central Asia and the CIS was organized by the international NGO Doctors Against Nuclear War, and was attended by NGO activists from several CIS states, the United States, France, and Australia and by representatives of the UN Development Program, the OSCE, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, all of which are supporting land-mine-removal activity in Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan Foils Attack On U.S.-Led Coalition Base, AFP Says
Central Asia Daily
Bishkek, November 5: Security forces in Kyrgyzstan foiled a plot to attack an air base used by the U.S.-led coalition fighting in Afghanistan, Agence France-Presse said, citing an unidentified national security service official. Three Kyrgyz citizens were detained after weapons, grenades, ammunition and bomb-making equipment were found in an apartment in the capital, Bishkek, AFP cited the official as saying yesterday. They planned to attack the Manas air base, which houses about 1,000 Western personnel, half of them from the U.S., AFP said. The arrests came after the U.S. State Department warned Oct. 31 that Islamic groups may be planning attacks against U.S. citizens or interests in Kyrgyzstan, AFP said. The official described the three as members of Hizbut Tahrir, a group that has previously rejected the use of violence for achieving its aim of establishing Islamic rule in Central Asia. The detainees admitted to having attended terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the security official said. Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Afghanistan, allowed the U.S. to base troops on its territory as part of the war on terrorism.
Kyrgyz Border Post Attack From Uzbek Side
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 4: A Kyrgyz border post on the Osh Oblast frontier with Uzbekistan was assaulted on 3 November with by unidentified persons on the Uzbek side throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, KyrgyzInfo, MSN, and RIA-Novosti reported on 4 November. Kyrgyzstan`s Interior Ministry said the incident occurred late at night, adding that the Kyrgyz border guards did not attempt to fire on the attackers. There have been sharp exchanges between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities over the use of firearms by border guards since an Uzbek guard shot and killed a Kyrgyz citizen in July.
47 New Peace Corps Volunteers Swear-in In Tashkent
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: Ceremony of swearing-in of the 47 new US Peace Corps volunteers took place in Tashkent last week. The Interim Charge d`Affaires of the United States in Uzbekistan, David Appleton, representatives of ministries and international organisations, as well as members of host families the volunteers have participated in the ceremony, UzA reported.
Kyrgyz Military Official Denies Russian Arms Supplies Are Payment For Air Base
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 3: Kyrgyz Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Chechel denied on 3 November that arms supplied by the Russian Defense Ministry to certain units of the Kyrgyz Army are payment for special conditions at the newly opened Russian air base in the town of Kant, kabar.kg reported the same day. Chechel said that the conditions provided at Kant were covered by a Kyrgyz-Russian agreement on military and technical cooperation that was signed in 1993, as well as by agreements among the member states of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). He added that the Russian military has provided arms and equipment to Kyrgyzstan free of charge because of the country`s financial problems, noting that it is in the interests of all CSTO members to strengthen the Kyrgyz armed forces.
US Army Trains Kyrgyz Troops In Mountain Fighting
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 3: U.S. Army trainers have just completed a weeklong course for Kyrgyz servicemen on military operations in mountainous terrain and on providing medical assistance in the mountains, kabar.kg and akipress.org reported on 3 November. The course, which was part of the Military Cooperation Plan for 2003 between the United States and Kyrgyzstan, began on 27 October. Since having to fight armed intruders belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the remote mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan in 1999 and 2000, the Kyrgyz armed forces have sought to improve their ability to operate in alpine conditions, assuming that further terrorist incursions would likely come from the same direction.
CIS Special Services Consider Threats, Cooperation
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 2: Fifteenth session of heads of security and special services of the CIS member states ended in Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan on 31 October with signing of a final document. During the four-day meeting heads of special services considered issues of fighting drug trafficking, money laundering, cooperation in export control, identification and suppression of smuggling and violations of customs laws. The sides signed an agreement on joint actions against international terrorism. The session participants said the threat in the southern borders of the CIS remained and the special forces of the Commonwealth had to boost cooperation. Heads of security and special services of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan participated in the session, while Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan sent their observers.
USA Grants No-string Aid Worth US$58,000 To Uzbekistan
Kabar Agency
Tashkent, November 2: The United States have handed over to the Uzbek Emergency Ministry means of chemical protection worth US$58,000. The aid has been provided within the framework of the international programme of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to a treaty signed between the governments of Uzbekistan and the USA on 5 June 2001 on collaboration in defence and prevention of WMD proliferation, in July 2002 the US Department of Defence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided the Uzbek Armed Forces with equipment for working with the WMD and toxic agents.
Kazakh Security Head Says International Terrorism Threatens CIS
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 5: Lieutenant General Nartai Dutbaev, chairman of Kazakhstan`s National Security Committee, told a session of the CIS Council of Border Guard Commanders in Almaty on 5 November that international terrorist organizations are planning to become active in CIS countries, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. He asserted that illegal migrants are entering CIS states -- particularly the Central Asian countries -- from areas where international terrorist groups are operating, and religious extremists are expanding their influence under the pretext of engaging in charitable work. Dutbaev used these examples to support his call for the CIS states to consolidate their border-protection activities.
Uzbekistan`s Macroeconomic Indicators For Jan-Sep 2003
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 7: Gross domestic product of Uzbekistan in January-September 2003 comprised of 6.46 trillion soums in actual prices, which is 4 per cent more compared to the same period of 2002.
ADB President Welcomes Introduction Of Currency Convertibility
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 6: ADB President Tadao Chino commended Uzbekistan on the achievement of currency convertibility and reiterated ADBīs continuing support for economic reform efforts, including trade liberalisation, during a meeting with Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov on 6 November. `This achievement will open opportunities for wider structural reforms,` Chino said. `Difficult decisions with possible adverse short-term effects are sometimes needed. In this context I would like to assure you that ADB stands ready to assist in the reform process.` In a wide-ranging discussion, Chino thanked Karimov for Uzbekistanīs close cooperation with ADBīs Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Programme, and for arrangements for the upcoming Second Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Economic Cooperation to be held in Tashkent on 11-12 November. Karimov thanked ADB for promoting regional cooperation and expressed Uzbekistanīs support for it.
Kazakh-Italian Venture To Build Plant In 2004
Interfax
Astana, November 6: Kazakh Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov met with Giuseppe Cazelli, general director of the Kazakh Italian venture Er Sai, and venture Chairman Nurlan Kapparov on Wednesday to discuss a plan to build a plant to produce metal constructions for the oil and gas industry. It is planned that the plant, with total investment of $40 million and a capacity of 14,000 tonnes of metal constructions per annum, would be launched at the end of 2004, near Kuryk on the Caspian shore in Mangistau region. At the meeting Akhmetov noted the importance of the project.
Asian Development Bank Urges More Reforms In Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan News
Tashkent, November 6: Asian Development Bank President Tadao Chino commended Uzbekistan on the achievement of currency convertibility and reiterated ADB`s continuing support for economic reform efforts, including trade liberalization, during a meeting with Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov yesterday. `This achievement will open opportunities for wider structural reforms,` Mr. Chino said. `Difficult decisions with possible adverse short-term effects are sometimes needed. In this context I would like to assure you that ADB stands ready to assist in the reform process.` I
Kazakhstan Forecasts 6.1 per cent Inflation In 2003
Interfax
Astana, November 6: Inflation in Kazakhstan will reach 6.1 per cent in 2003, National Bank of Kazakhstan Chairman Grigory Marchenko said at a Lower House session on Wednesday. `Weighted annual inflation for 2003 will be 6.5 per cent and by the end of 2003 it will reach 6.1 per cent,` he said, adding that inflation might be 5 per cent in 2004.
Armenia Has Largest Industrial Growth In CIS In 2003
Interfax
Moscow, November 6: Armenia showed the largest year-on-year industrial production growth in the CIS in January-September 2003, 20.5 per cent, the CIS International Statistics Committee reports. The rate was 19.3 per cent in Moldova, 15.2 per cent in Ukraine, 14.0 per cent in Kyrgyzstan, 10.3 per cent in Georgia, 8.4 per cent in Tajikistan, and 7.8 per cent in Kazakhstan. Industrial production growth in Russia reached 6.8 per cent. Smaller rates were registered only in Belarus (6.6 per cent) and Azerbaijan (5.8 per cent). The CIS International Statistics Committee has no information from Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. The CIS average year-on-year industrial production growth reached 8 per cent, and average GDP was up 7 per cent in January-September 2003. GDP growth was 15.2 per cent in Armenia, 10.5 per cent in Azerbaijan, 9.2 per cent in Kazakhstan, 8.3 per cent in Georgia, 7.9 per cent in Tajikistan, 6.7 per cent in Russia, 6.5 per cent in Moldova, 6.5 per cent in Ukraine, 6.0 per cent in Belarus, and 5.1 per cent in Kyrgyzstan.
Uzbekistan, Ukraine Agree To Introduce Free Trade Zone
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 5: Uzbekistan and Ukraine are planning to introduce free trade between the two countries for all goods, Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyk Safaev and his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishenko told journalists in Tashkent.
IMF Executive Director To Visit Kazakhstan
Interfax
Almaty, November 5: An International Monetary Fund mission headed by director Horst Keller will visit Kazakhstan on November 14-15, a staff member in the IMF`s Kazakh office told Interfax on Tuesday. The first visit by the IMF chief will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the tenge, the Kazakh national currency. The IMF did not appoint a new permanent representative in Kazakhstan in 2000, because the country had not repaid IMF loans totaling $400 million. As a consequence, the IMF office has only local personnel on its payroll. In spring 2003, the decision not to appoint a new permanent representative was made possible by the country`s achievements in stabilizing the economy and very favorable mid- and long-term forecasts for its developments. The IMF office in Kazakhstan was opened in 1995.
Kyrgyzstan Plans To Pay Its Debt To IMF By 2004
Interfax
Bishkek, November 5: Kyrgyzstan plans to pay off its debt to the IMF and petition for part of its external debt to be written off. Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev said that, `In 2004, we have to finish the joint program with the IMF and get the Paris Club to write off part of the country`s external debt in the amount of $450 million.` Kyrgyz Finance Minister Bolot Abildayev said that `since the beginning of the year, to clear the domestic and foreign debt of Kyrgyzstan, 1.8 million som have been allocated.` There are 41.40 som/$1. He also said that 11.4 billion som have come into the budget in the first nine months of 2003. Tax revenue reached 8.4 billion som, and in comparison with 2002, has grown by 967.9 million som. The minister said the general expenses of the central budget, with account taken of state debt, reached 6 billion som. At the same time, Abildayev said the general debt of local budgets on salary payments has increased. After nine months, it has reached 124.5 million som, while last year, this debt equaled 92.7 million som for the same period. `With the goal of relieving national tension in the regions, the Finance Ministry has allocated 22.7 million som to local administrations since the beginning of 2003. These means were sent for the cancellation of the debts on salaries,` the finance minister said.
IFC Approves $250-mln Funding For BTC Pipeline
Interfax
Baku, November 5: The Board of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, Tuesday approved investments totaling $250 million in the Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline project. The IFC said on its Web-site that its investment in the BTC pipeline consists of a loan up to $125 million for its own account and a loan of up to $125 million in commercial syndication. The IFC said Azerbaijan is expected to generate $29 billion in oil revenue over the next 20 years, when the full phases of the Azeri- Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) fields are developed. From the two proposed projects, pipeline transit revenues to Georgia are expected to be approximately $500 million. Turkey is expected to earn $1.5 billion from pipeline and terminal operations, transit fees, and upstream investments.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Says Pipeline Is A Top Priority In Relations With Ukraine
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 4: Qasymzhomart Toqaev told his Ukrainian counterpart Konstyantyn Hryshchenko in Astana on 4 November that the completion of the Ukrainian Odessa-Brody oil pipeline and its extension to the Polish port of Gdansk is a top priority in Kazakh-Ukrainian relations, Kazinform and khabar.kz reported. Hryshchenko heard a similar message from Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev the same day. Both Toqaev and Nazarbaev assessed the current state of bilateral relations in the oil-and-gas sphere positively. Kazakhstan is hoping to use the Odessa-Brody pipeline to export oil to Europe (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 5 August 2003 and 10 October 2003). Toqaev noted that the extension of the pipeline to Poland is also in the European Union`s development plans.
Uzbekistan, Ukraine Agree To Introduce Free Trade Zone
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: Uzbekistan and Ukraine are planning to introduce free trade between the two countries for all goods, Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyk Safaev and his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishenko told journalists in Tashkent.
Caspian Pipeline Finance Approved
The Australian
Washington DC, November 4: THE World Bank today agreed to provide $US250 million ($359.69 million) in financing for building a $US3.6 billion ($5.18 billion) pipeline that would bring oil from the Caspian Sea region through Turkey to Western markets. While the loan is only a small fraction of the cost of the planned Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, the financing by the World`s Bank`s private investment arm has been viewed as crucial for the project to attract private financial support. The executive board of the International Finance Corp, the World Banks private investment arm, approved the financing despite requests by some environmentalists and human rights groups that a decision be postponed until some issues, including the pipeline route, can be further examined. The pipeline and a separate deep-water oil field project off Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, which also was approved, `are sound projects` that have extensive environmental and social safeguards and community involvement, said Rashad Kaldany, director of the World Bank`s oil, gas, mining and chemical department.
President: Caspian Sea In Pressing Need Of Environment Convention
IRNA
Tehran, November 4: President Mohammad Khatami said on Tuesday that the Caspian Sea was in pressing need of a legal framework to protect its environment. In his message to the signing ceremony of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea read by Vice President and the Head of the Department of Environment (DoE) Masoumeh Ebtekar, the president pointed to the modern advancement of science and technology and said that man is further appreciating the real significance and prominence of the seas for the reason that they bring about vast riches and invaluable benefits to mankind. He expressed sorrow at the fact that through the years, over-exploitation, pollution and degradation of the environment have put the Caspian Sea under severe strain. Noting that these burdens have reduced the ability for replenishment and self-purification, he said it has also encouraged the international community to provide legal framework for exploitation and management of the seas in the context of drafting scientific regulations and environment standards.
BP Starts Building Sangachaly Terminal
Interfax
Baku, November 4: British Petroleum has started construction work on a terminal at Sangachaly, 45 km south of Baku, BP- Azerbaijan said in a press release. The company`s press service said that during the first stage it is planned to carry out general civil construction work - roads and drainage systems. At this stage it is also planned to build warehouses to store 20,000 tonnes of equipment to be delivered to the terminal in 2004. This equipment will be used to expand the terminal`s capacity. The company Tekfen-Azfen will carry out the construction work. The BP-Azerbaijan press service told Interfax that the construction of the main facilities (a unit to process gas and transport it into the export pipeline, and condensate storage tanks) would begin in January 2004 and be completed in December 2005.
WBīs New Country Manager For Uzbekistan Arrives In Tashkent
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 3: The World Bank appointed new Country Manager for Uzbekistan. Martin Raiser arrived in Tashkent to take up this position on 3 November, the World Bank Country Office in Tashkent told UzReport. A German national, Raiser recently joined the World Bank from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he was Director for Country Analysis and Strategy. His responsibilities at EBRD comprised macro-economic surveillance, country strategies, and other country-specific policy analysis, including for Central Asia and especially during the past year for Uzbekistan.
Tajikistan Wages Lowest In CIS
Kabar Agency
Dushanbe, November 3: An average wage in Tajikistan is 1.3 dollars and is the lowest in the CIS, professor at the Institute of Economic Reforms, Khodzhimakhmat Umarov said. He said in his article in the governmental Narodnaya Gazeta publishe don Sunday that the situation is `alarming`, considering that the Central Asian republic with a population of 6.3 million has 556,000 pensioners. Incomes in Tajikistan are 13 dollars, Umarov said. The situation is `dramatic` in the mountain Gorno-Badakhsan district and in the Khatlon region, where `81.5 and 69.9 percent of workers respectively are unable to buy even a sack of flour for their wages`. Bread accounts for 36 percent of the `food basket` in Tajikistan. Umarov said a `threat to human physical and mental development will emerge` unless the republic`s economy speeds up.
Nelson Resources Announces Daily Production Rate Of 15,000 Barrels Of Oil Per Day
Kazakhstan News
Toronto, November 3: Nelson Resources Limited (TSX: NLG) announced today that daily production from its 50 per cent-owned Alibekmola oilfield has reached 15,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). There are now 10 producing wells at the field with two more wells expected to be completed in early November. Nelson CEO Nick Zana said, `The application of modern Western drilling, completion and stimulation techniques, together with effective reservoir management is a key part of Nelson`s strategy for the development of Alibekmola and other fields.`
Uzbekistan Introduces Advance Payments For Natural Gas
Interfax
Tashkent, November 3: Uzbekistan started charging obligatory advance payments on natural gas starting from November 1 on all categories of consumers, excluding the population, the Uzbekneftegaz national holding company told Interfax. The government resolution aimed at improving management of the country`s gas supplies system has set advance payment at 15 per cent of the monthly volume of natural gas consumption. Deliveries will be stopped to wholesale natural gas consumers who fail to make advance payments before gas supplies start to arrive or do not make final settlements in due time.
Kazakhstan To Increase Electricity Exports In 2003
Interfax
Almaty, November 3: Kazakhstan plans to export 4.5 billion kWh of electricity in 2003, according to preliminary figures, which is 80 per cent more than in 2002, Kanat Bozumbayev, president of Kazakh grid management company KEGOC, said at a press conference in Almaty. He said that electricity consumption in the first 9 months of this year in the republic increased 7.6 per cent year-on-year, while production was up 10 per cent. However, he noted that due to the wear out of equipment the capacity of many energy companies may drop significantly by 2010 if steps are not take to prevent this.
Central Asian Energy Market Has Huge Potential - Putin
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 2: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Central Asia was a perspective market for Russian energy companies. `There is a real, serious, large market,` Russian leader said at the session on engine production in Perm. Highlighting the cooperation of Gazprom with Russian partners in Central Asia, Putin expressed his confidence that this cooperation would be demanded. President noted that Russian and Central Asian partners, for instance Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, understand that working together in this direction will benefit all sides, RIA Novosti reported.
Turkmenistan Introduces New Currency Note
Kabar Agency
Ashgabat, November 2: Turkmenistan has introduced a new currency note with face value of 10000 Manats. The earlier note of the same denomination would also stay in circulation. The new note was launched on 1 November to mark the tenth anniversary of introduction of the national currency - Manat. The new currency note depicts the presidential standard and national emblem in the newly introduced octagonal frame. Obverse side of the note shows portrait of President Niyazov and also carries his signatures. Central Bank of Turkmenistan has informed that a number of security features have been incorporated in the new currency note. This would help prevent unhampered circulation of counterfeit currency. There have been persistent but unconfirmed rumours that some elements in Uzbekistan were flooding counterfeit bank notes, mostly of 10000 Manats denomination - into Turkmenistan to destabilize the Turkmen economy. The new currency note has been printed on a more durable paper to ensure longer circulation life.
Opportunities Abound In Kazakhstan Construction
Kazakhstan News
Almaty, November 2: KAZAKHSTAN`S construction and infrastructure development sectors provide opportunities for further investment by Malaysian companies. Kazakhstan Investment Promotion Centre (Kazinvest) head of information and consulting services Zulfira Sadykjanova said Kazakhstan is planning to build a new administrative centre in Astana, similar to Malaysia`s Putrajaya. Astana is the new capital city and new economic zones of Kazakhstan. The previous capital city was Almaty. In a recent interview, Zulfira said the Government is also developing infrastructure facilities to attract more foreign investments, especially from Asia.
October Inflation 1.3 per cent In Kazakhstan
Interfax
Almaty, November 2: Consumer prices in Kazakhstan grew 1.3 per cent in October, after edging up 0.4 per cent in September. Inflation was 4.2 per cent in the first ten months of 2003, the national statistics agency told Interfax. In October, prices ghrew 1.7 per cent for food and drink, 0.7 per cent for non- food goods and 1.3 per cent for services. In the ten months, prices grew 3.5 per cent for food and drink, 5.4 per cent for nonfood goods and 4.3 per cent for services. The government and national bank are targeting annualized inflation of 5.3 per cent-6 per cent this year. The 2004 target is 5.4 per cent.
IMF To Give Tajikistan $21 Mln To Reduce Poverty In 2004
Interfax
Dushanbe, November 2: The International Monetary Fund plans to grant Tajikistan the next tranche of a credit in a poverty reduction program amounting to $21 million in 2004, Robert Christiansen, head of an IMF mission to Tajikistan, told journalists. The IMF mission worked in Dushanbe from October 23 to 31. The IMF will pay out $90 million for the three-year program, which began in December 2002. The funds will be provided for 10 years with a grace period of 5.5 years, at 0.5 per cent per annum. The fund already paid out $21 million as part of this program in 2003.
Uzpromstroybank Reports Growth Of Capital By 33.1bn Soums
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 1: Uzpromstroybank (Uzbek Industrial Construction Bank) has said its total capital comprised 33.1 billion soums and authorised capital 9.8 billion soums as of 1 October 2003.
Azerbaijan Ambassador Calls On Deputy Speaker NA
Central Asia Daily
Islamabad, November 7: The ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Dr. Eynullah Madatli called on Deputy Speaker, National Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqub here Friday. The ambassador and the Deputy Speaker exchanged views on various bi-lateral issues including the expansion of trade, cultural and parliamentary interaction and co-operation. They agreed to exchange delegations of women parliamentarians and promote the activities of Parliamentary friendship groups. They also discussed the possibility of visits of heads of both parliaments to each other`s country.
Uzbek Envoy Hands Over Credentials To French President
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 7: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the French Republic, Khamidulla Karomatov, has handed over credentials to French President Jacques Shirak. During the meeting after the ceremony the sides discussed bilateral relations and prospects of cooperation in various spheres. Shirak has said the cultural and scientific potential of Uzbekistan was commonly recognised and attracted his and French people`s keen interest.
India-Central Asia Regional Conference Opens In Tashkent
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 7: A three-day India-Central Asia Regional conference opened in Tashkent on 6 November. It is being co-sponsored by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) of Uzbekistan. Participants from 20 countries are attending the conference, including representatives of ADB, World Bank, European Union, EBRD, OSCE and NATO. The conference will cover non-military aspects of security because these are of high contemporary importance as much as classical security matters. They will also discuss issue like international security, situation in Afghanistan and its impact to stability of the region, economic cooperation in the region, effectives use of water-energy resources and development of transport-communication systems. On the first day of the event, Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyk Safaev and his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha delivered speeches. The event will end on 8 November.
Calls For Ambassador To Return To Tashkent
Central Asia Daily
Tashkent, November 7: There were calls today for Britain`s ambassador to Uzbekistan to be returned to his post, amid claims that he has been the victim of a smear campaign by the Tashkent government. Craig Murray was an outspoken critic of the human rights record of the central Asian state, a key regional ally of the US in its war against terrorism. He was called back to the UK two months ago for medical treatment. While the Foreign Office says he remains the UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, no date has been announced for his return. Today, Conservative MEP John Bowis said that Mr Murray had been cleared as fit by his doctors and should be allowed to go back to work. Mr Bowis has raised Mr Murray`s case at the European Parliament and asked the European Commission to challenge the Foreign Office on the reasons behind his extended absence from his post.
S`pore And Kazakhstan Ink Landmark Deal
Central Asia Daily
Almaty, November 7: Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo and Kazakhstan`s Minister for Industry and Trade Adilbek Dzhaksybekov signed a landmark agreement to broaden economic cooperation in areas such as civil aviation, marine engineering, the defence industry, finance and insurance, and infocommunications. The deal, signed at the Istana, was one of the high points of a five-day state visit by Kazakhstan`s President, Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, who arrived here on Thursday night. President S R Nathan, speaking at an Istana state banquet last night, described the visit as significant for Singapore as it signals Kazakhstan`s growing interest in the region.
Kyrgyz Premier Says Increased Cooperation With Russia Already Bringing Results
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 6: Kyrgyz Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev told journalists in Bishkek on 6 November that Kyrgyzstan`s recently increased economic cooperation with Russia is already bringing positive results, Interfax reported. He cited as specific examples the signing of $100 million worth of contracts at the Kyrgyz-Russian Investment Forum on 23-24 October and the purchase by Russians of large blocks of shares in some key Kyrgyz industries. Tanaev attributed the new level of economic ties between Kyrgyzstan and Russia to a program adopted by the presidents of the two countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin`s October visit to Kyrgyzstan to open the Russian air base at Kant.
Indian Foreign Minister Meets Senior Uzbek Officials
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 6: Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha met senior Uzbek officials in Tashkent on 6 November. Sinha held negotiations with Prime Minister Utkir Sultonov, Foreign Minister Sadyk Safaev and Defence Minister Kadyr Gulyamov. The sides discussed development of trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation, as well as perspectives of military-technical collaboration between Uzbekistan and India. Sinha and Safaev signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Uzbek University of World Economy and Diplomacy and Diplomatic Service Institute under the Indian Foreign Ministry. Indian minister also visited Tashkent Aircraft Construction Plant named after Chkalov and familiarised with production capacities of the plant, as well as aircrafts.
Islam Karimov Receives ADB President Tadao Chino
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 6: President Islam Karimov received the visiting President of the Asian Development Bank Tadao Chino on 6 November. Welcoming the guest, Islam Karimov said the country respects ADB`s president not only as a head of the authorised financial institution, but also as a specialist in banking sector and political activist, who has contributed to the development of Uzbek-Japanese relations. In his turn, Tadao Chino thanked President Karimov for hospitability and expressed confidence that the cooperation between the ADB and Uzbekistan would develop further.
Kazakh President Visits Singapore
Interfax
Astana, November 6: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev left on a state visit to Singapore and the Philippines on Thursday, the presidential press service reports. A press release says that Nazarbayev will also pay an official visit to South Korea. `The busy program of visits includes his meetings with chiefs of state and governments, parliamentary speakers, politicians, public figures and businessmen, and the signing of bilateral documents,` reads the press release. The Kazakh president will familiarize himself with the activities of leading national companies, attend business forums and a presentation of his book `Critical Decade` in Singapore. His visit to Southeast Asia will end on November 14.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Starts Visit To Uzbekistan
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 5: Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha will start his visit to Uzbekistan on 6 November 2003. The aim of the visit is to discuss current affairs and perspectives of Uzbek-Indian relations with the Uzbek officials, problems of regional security, fight against international terrorism and extremism, situation in Central and Southern Asia, as well as problems of Afghan settlement. Sinha will meet with his Uzbek counterpart Sadyk Safaev, Prime Minister Utkir Sultonov and Defence Minister Kadyr Gulyamov. He will also attend a three-day India-Central Asia Regional conference, co-sponsored by Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) in Tashkent. The event will be held on 6-8 November. It is expected that Indian minister will hold negotiations with representatives of Tashkent Aircraft Production Plant named after Chkalov. On 7-8 November he will visit Samarkand and Bukhara.
Turkmenistan Backs Away From Landmark Caspian Agreement
IRIN News
Tehran, November 5: Turkmenistan has failed to sign a landmark treaty designed to protect the fragile environment of the Caspian Sea, which means that the ground-breaking agreement is not legally binding. Ministers from Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation all signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea at a ceremony in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Tuesday. In the case of Turkmenistan, however, its vice minister of nature protection, Makhtumkulu Akmuradov, after giving a short speech on the importance of the environmental stability of the Caspian Sea, simply returned to his seat. It appeared Turkmenistan`s reluctance to sign had more to do with bureaucratic procedures rather than issues on which it was at odds with the Convention. Delegates and members of international organisations present were quick to point out that Turkmenistan`s non-signing would not stall the Convention.
ADB President To Start Central Asian Tour On 6 November
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: ADB President Tadao Chino will begin a seven-day tour of Central Asia on 6 November that will include visits to Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Mr Chino will meet the leaders of each country and senior government officials to discuss ADBīs assistance programmes and underpin the importance of regional cooperation in Central Asia. `Improved transport links, strengthened trade relations and closer communication and cooperation among the nations of Central Asia and their close neighbours is the surest and quickest way to reduce poverty and build strong economies in the region,` Mr Chino said before leaving Manila.
Armenian And Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers Do Not Plan To Meet In Berlin
Baku Today
Baku, November 4: Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers do not plan to hold a bilateral meeting in Berlin, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said today at a press conference. The two countries` Foreign Ministers will attend the conference entitled `South Caucasus: Political Challenges and Perspectives of Development` in the German capital on November 12-13. Yesterday some Azerbaijani media reported that Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers plan to meet within the framework of the forthcoming conference. Oskanian said this information is not true to the facts. `We both will attend the conference in Berlin, but bilateral meeting is not planned,` he said.
Ex-US Presidential Advisor Continues Uzbekistan Visit
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: Visiting advisor of the US Centre for Strategic and International Researches, former US presidential advisor on national security, Zbignev Bzijinskiy, delivered a speech at the Academy of State and Social Constriction on 4 November. Bzijinskiy highly evaluated contribution of Uzbekistan in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. On the same day Bzijinskiy visited the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Researches under the President of Uzbekistan, UzA reported.
More Than 100 Illegal Uzbek Job Seekers Said To Deported From Kazakhstan Weekly
Radio Free Europe
Tashkent, November 4: Some 20,000 illegal migrants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan reportedly seek jobs in South Kazakhstan Oblast each autumn, and oblast authorities have been deporting more than 100 undocumented Uzbek job seekers each week this season, the Kazakh national daily `Ekspress-K` reported on 4 November. The migrants, who find their way into Kazakhstan despite closed borders, take construction and cotton-picking jobs, accepting lower pay than Kazakhs will accept.
WB ECA Vice-president To Visit Uzbekistan On 11-15 Nov
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: The World Bank`s recently appointed Regional Vice President for Europe & Central Asia (ECA), Shigeo Katsu, is expected to visit Uzbekistan on 11-15 November. According to the World Bank Tashkent Office, Katsu will attend the Second Ministerial Conference on Central Asian Cooperation. The event is part of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Programme (CAREC), which focuses on expanding and strengthening regional economic ties.
Uzbekistan Wants To Work With Ukraine On Reconstruction In Afghanistan
Radio Free Europe
Tashkent, November 4: Uzbekistan wants to work jointly with Ukraine on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Uzbek Foreign Minister Sodyk Safaev told a news conference in Tashkent after a meeting with his visiting Ukrainian counterpart, Konstantyn Hryshchenko, Interfax-Ukraine reported the same day. Safaev said that Uzbekistan`s experience with working in Afghanistan, combined with Ukraine`s industrial and construction potential, could bring tangible results in the industrialization of Afghanistan. He suggested that Uzbekistan and Ukraine could work together on the restoration of irrigation facilities and building power plants, roads, and rail lines. The Uzbek foreign minister also said that Ukrainian firms should participate in the process of privatization in Uzbekistan.
Caspian Sea Pact Agreed
Kazakhstan News
Astana, November 4: The five Asian countries bordering the Caspian Sea have agreed a framework treaty in Iran aimed at halting further damage to the sea`s fragile environment. The United Nations-sponsored deal involving Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan seeks to reduce the amount of sewage and industrial waste pumped into the sea. It also ends nearly 10 years of quarrelling over its oil and gas reserves. In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the signing as `a significant step forward for the region`. `By signing this important new treaty the Caspian states are demonstrating their firm commitment to saving the beautiful and resource-rich Caspian Sea,` Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar said.
Uzbek President Meets With U.S. Political Scientist
Interfax
Tashkent, November 4: Uzbek President Islam Karimov has met with well-known political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski, a consultant for the U.S. Center of Strategic and International Studies, to discuss future contacts between Tashkent and Washington. `During the meeting, the two men discussed ways to further expand ties between Uzbekistan and the United States, steps to strengthen peace and security in the region, as well as the fight against international terrorism,` Karimov`s press service told Interfax on Tuesday. The Uzbek president expressed hope that his meeting with Brzezinski `will once again enable the discussion of a range of issues related to Uzbek-U.S. relations both from the scientific and political standpoint.`
Putin To Visit Kazakhstan In January
Interfax
Moscow, November 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Kazakhstan in January next year and open the Year of Russia in Kazakhstan, a high-ranking source with the presidential office told the press on Tuesday. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Vladimir Babichev discussed preparations for Putin`s visit and the organization of the Year of Russia in Kazakhstan in Astana on Tuesday. Babichev said at a news briefing following the meeting that Nazarbayev and he also discussed the implementation of agreements on setting up a single economic space between Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus and current aspects of bilateral cooperation in energy and transportation.
Uzbek Head Receives Ukrainian FM, Ex-US President Advisor
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 3: Uzbek President Islam Karimov received the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishenko and Former advisor of the US president on national security and the advisor of the Centre on strategic and international researches of USA, Zbignev Bzijinskiy at his Oqsaroy residence on 3 November. Welcoming Ukrainian minister, Islam Karimov noted that Uzbekistan considers relations with Ukraine as one of the priority directions in the country`s foreign policy. He added that effective cooperation, established between two countries in all spheres, have huge perspectives. During the meeting, the sides considered issues on the Uzbek-Ukrainian relations, as well as issues on interaction of countries within international and regional organisations, current affairs in the region and international arena. Islam Karimov and Zbignev Bzijinskiy .
Kyrgyz President Meets With OSCE Minorities Official
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 3: Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev met with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities Rolf Ekeus on 3 November, kabar.kg reported the same day. Ekeus was in Bishkek to attend a conference on education as a means of integration in a multiethnic society that had been organized by his office jointly with the Kyrgyz Education Ministry and the Assembly of the Peoples of Kyrgyzstan. Akaev had spoken at the conference about the importance of interethnic harmony in strengthening Kyrgyzstan`s statehood and the need to create a national consciousness that includes citizens of all ethnic groups. In his talk with Ekeus, Akaev reportedly focused on the role of multilingual education in this process, as well as on Kyrgyzstan`s further cooperation with Ekeus`s office.
Ukraineīs Foreign Minister Starts Visit To Uzbekistan
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 3: Ukraineīs Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishenko has arrived in Tashkent on an official visit on the invitation of his Uzbek counterpart Sadyk Safaev. According to the Ukraine Ambassador to Uzbekistan Anatoliy Kasyanenko, the minister is accompanied by Ukrainian business circles. Kasyanenko said the aim of the visit was to prove Ukraineīs interest in broadening bilateral relations with its main trade partners in Central Asia. The visit schedule includes face-to-face meetings with senior officials in Uzbekistan, including President Islam Karimov, to analyse current affairs and determine perspectives of bilateral cooperation in different spheres. It is also planned to discuss a wide range of issues on trade and economic cooperation, situation in Central Asian region, cooperation within international and regional organisations and the CIS, as well as in humanitarian sphere. Grishenko will also visit the ancient Uzbek cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.
Caspian Sea Conference Kicks Off
IRNA
Tehran, November 3: Conference of Plenipotentiaries to adopt and sign the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea kicked off here Monday with the inaugural speech of Vice-President and Head of the Department of the Environment Ms Masoumeh Ebtekar. Ministers and senior officials from five littoral states of the Caspian Sea including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan are attending the two-day conference. This ground breaking convention, the first legally binding treaty on any subject to be adopted by the five neighbors, will coordinate regional efforts to reverse an environmental crisis brought about by habitat destruction, pollution and the over-exploitation of fish and other marine life.
Central Asian Parliamentarians To Meet In Kazakhstan
Kabar Agency
Almaty, November 2: A forum of parliamentarians of the Central Asian Cooperation Organisation (CAC) member states will be conducted in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 25-27 November. Among the main topics of discussions will be harmonisation of national legislations on fighting international terrorism. CAC includes Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Touring Central Asia
Kabar Agency
Ashgabat, November 2: A delegation of Pakistani pharmaceutical companies would arrive Ashgabat 5 November on the second leg of a whirlwind tour of central Asia. The 13- strong delegation, representing some of the major pharmaceutical firms of Pakistan, would hold meetings with the ministry of health, pharmacy owners and other high officials in Turkmenistan. On 6 November at 10 AM, the delegation would hold a daylong exhibition of Pakistani medicines at Nissa Hotel in Ashgabat. A senior representative from the Export Promotion Bureau is accompanying the delegation. After Ashgabat, the delegation is scheduled to visit Almaty and Tashkent. At present the delegation is visiting Baku.
Armenian Wants Economic Cooperation With Azerbaijan
Interfax
Baku, November 2: Armenia has suggested that developing economic cooperation with Azerbaijan would contribute to settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. `Stronger economic ties may prove helpful in establishing a constructive dialogue aimed at putting an end to all existing disputes between our countries,` Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Ruben Shugarian has said. `The BSEC [Black Sea Economic Cooperation] organization has not been set up to tackle regional conflicts, but the development of economic cooperation helps settle them,` he said.
Kyrgyz President Meets Special OSCE Representative
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 1: Askar Akaev met with former Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari, who is the personal representative of the OSCE`s chairman in office, on 1 November in Bishkek to assess the current state of cooperation between the OSCE and Kyrgyzstan, `Obshchestvennyi reiting` reported. This was Ahtisaari`s second trip to Kyrgyzstan since his appointment earlier this year. Akaev told Ahtisaari that Kyrgyzstan is one of the most active of the OSCE member states in terms of working with the organization, and he called particular attention to two of his favorite OSCE projects: the creation of an OSCE Academy in Kyrgyzstan to provide higher education in law, human rights, and other OSCE-relevant subjects and a project to help modernize the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry.
About 146 Kilos Of Raw Opium Confiscated In Tajikistan
Interfax
Dushanbe, November 5: The Tajik anti-drug force confiscated around 146 kilos of raw opium from districts on the Afghan border with northern Tajikistan and further into Russia. Servicemen of the Drug Control Agency affiliated to the Tajik president inspected a Kamaz truck on the Dushanbe-Khudzhan road, the agency`s press service told Interfax on Wednesday. A total of 146 packets of raw opium each weighing around one kilo were hid in the gasoline tank. A criminal case involving illegal possession and transportation of drugs in large quantities was launched. An investigation is underway.
Rights Groups Criticise Upcoming Amnesty
IRIN News
Ankara, November 5: Rights groups have strongly criticised a recent government decision to pardon thousands of convicts in Turkmen prisons this month, while ignoring the plight of scores of political dissidents still incarcerated in the county`s overcrowded penitentiary system. `It`s a great disappointment for us. It would have been an opportunity for the Turkmen authorities to show that they want to protect the human rights of all their citizens,` Amnesty International`s researcher for Central Asia, Anna Sunder-Plassman, told IRIN from London on Wednesday. Her comments follow a recent decree by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov approving an amnesty for more than 7,000 prisoners at the end of the holy month of Ramadan November, a move which has become an annual tradition in the reclusive Central Asian state.
Tajik Police Report Arrest Of Pair Reportedly Trafficking Women To UAE
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 2: Tajik law enforcement officials reported on 2 November that they have arrested a couple in northern Tajikistan`s Sughd Oblast who were allegedly attempting to traffic local young women to the United Arab Emirates, ITAR-TASS reported. The pair promised the women jobs as cleaning women or waitresses, but the women they recruited were actually intended for UAE brothels, according to the police. The Dushanbe office of the International Organization for Migration reported that, since the beginning of the year, more than 100 young women are known to have been trafficked from Tajikistan to various Arab countries and Russia, and about 10 recruitment firms such as the one in Sughd have been discovered.
US Warns About Travel To Kyrgyzstan
Voice of America
Washington DC, November 1: The U.S. State Department has warned American citizens to use caution before traveling to Kyrgyzstan, because of what it says is a heightened risk of terrorist activity in Central Asia. In a statement posted on its website Friday, the State Department warned that the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan may be planning attacks against Americans and U.S. interests in the Kyrgyz Republic. The United States says the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida, The State Department says the U.S. Embassy in Biushkek is operating under tightened security, and that U.S. government personnel have been forbidden to travel to areas of Kyrgyzstan south and west of the city of Osh. Travelers also were warned to avoid the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border region, due to a risk of land-mine explosions.
Russia, US To Assist Uzbekistan To Take Out Used Nuclear Fuel
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 4: Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russia and US Energy Department may start taking out used nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan Nuclear Centre situated in Ulugbek, near Tashkent. Russian and American ministries are starting a joint programme on taking out of the used nuclear fuel from research reactors on the territory of the former Soviet republics, Prime-Tass reported. Russian Minister of Atomic Energy, Alexander Rumyantsev said he was planning to sign a statement on this issue with his American colleague Spencer Abraham. The scheme, among other things, envisages taking out of the nuclear fuel from the Nuclear Centre of Uzbekistan. Earlier the US concluded an agreement with Uzbekistan on financial assistance in utilisation of used fuel, which will be delivered for processing to Mayak plant in Russia`s Chelyabinsk oblast. The American side will cover all transportation expenses and some other services provided by Russia.
Uzbekistan To Send Nuclear Waste From Research Reactor To Russia
Interfax
Tashkent, November 4: The first consignment of nuclear waste from a research rector will arrive in Russia from Uzbekistan, a source in the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry told Interfax on Tuesday. `This will be a consignment of a few kilograms of nuclear waste from a research reactor in Ulugbek,` he said. For security reasons, he could not specify the time when the consignment will be moved from Uzbekistan. `Russia used to take only fresh nuclear fuel from research reactors abroad,` the source said. Russia is implementing these projects under the IAEA`s auspices with U.S. financing.
Kazakhstan May Build Nuclear Power Plant After 2015 - Energy Ministry
Interfax
Almaty, November 3: A nuclear power plant can be built in Kazakhstan no earlier than 2015, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Berlik Orazbayev said at a press conference in Almaty on Monday. He said electricity production and consumption in Kazakhstan are balanced and `current forecasts say that a nuclear power plant can be built at the earliest in 2015.` `Our ministry and the government have not made any concrete steps to build a nuclear power plant,` the deputy minister said. The question of building a nuclear power plant near Balkhash Lake was raised at negotiations between Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2003. Russia estimates the cost of building one nuclear power unit at under $2 billion.
Ukraine Wants To Develop Satellite System With Turkmenistan
Radio Free Europe
Tashkent, November 5: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Konstyantyn Hryshchenko, on an official visit to Ashgabat, told his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov on 5 November that Ukraine would like to work with Turkmenistan on developing a satellite-communications and radio-broadcasting system, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Meredov replied that Ashgabat is interested in involving Ukrainian firms in large-scale projects in Turkmenistan. Ukraine is already involved in various natural-gas projects in Turkmenistan as partial payment for annual gas supplies to Turkmenistan.
Special Focus
Azerbaijan`s New President Expresses Belief In `Lucky Future`, As Crackdown On Opposition Continues
Ilham Aliyev has taken over from his father, Heidar, as Azerbaijan`s president, promising to keep current policies intact. Following his inauguration, Ilham expressed willingness to engage opposition leaders in a political dialogue.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110303a.shtmlQuiet Elections In Ajaria Prompts Worries Of Tampering
While allegations of misconduct and ineptitude marred Georgia`s November 2 parliamentary vote, the elections in the autonomous region of Ajaria proceeded with striking, almost suspicious, efficiency.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110303b.shtmlChaotic Election Day In Georgia Produces Contradictory Results
Long lines and short tempers characterized Georgia`s chaotic parliamentary elections on November 2. The results appear to be similarly muddled, with the official totals contrasting sharply with parallel vote tabulations conducted by an independent monitoring organization. Amid charges of fraud, both opposition and pro-government parties were claiming victory. The competing poll results were sowing uncertainty about Georgia`s immediate political future.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110303.shtmlBattlelines Being Drawn In Georgia Following Disputed Election
Political leaders are seeking to establish new rules of engagement following Georgia`s disputed parliamentary election. Opposition politicians convened November 4 to forge a unified strategy to protest what they insist was government vote-rigging. Meanwhile, President Eduard Shevardnadze sought to minimize the vote controversy, saying Georgia was about to enter a `new phase of democracy.`
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110403.shtmlGeorgia Election Chief Disputes Opposition Allegation Of Fraud
Georgia`s Central Election Commission sits at the center of political controversy over the results of the country`s November 2 parliamentary election. The official vote-counting process was continuing, with the CEC reporting that ballots from 1,477 of Georgia`s 2,870 precincts being counted. The official preliminary results differ markedly from a parallel vote-counting initiative conducted by Fair Elections, a local non-governmental organization.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110503.shtmlOpposition Leaders Embrace Confrontational Rhetoric In Georgia
Confrontation looms in Georgia over the disputed results of the country`s parliamentary election. An `opposition united front` maintains that the government engaged in widespread vote-rigging and is demanding that officials `give back to the people the votes they have cast.` At the same time, President Eduard Shevardnadze administration appears to be bracing for a fight, describing the opposition`s behavior as `unacceptable.`
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110503.shtmlUzbek Illegal Labourers Exposed To Abusive Practices In Neighbouring Kazakhstan
Each autumn in recent years, Kazakhstan experiences a surge of migrant laborers from neighboring Uzbekistan. This year is proving no different, with up to 20,000 illegal Uzbek migrants working in the South Kazakhstan region alone, according to media reports. Many migrants report that they suffer from abusive practices. Nevertheless, many feel driven to leave Uzbekistan in search of work because of a lack of economic opportunities at home.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav110503.shtmlKyrgyz Antiterrorist Forces: Challenges And Prospects
In October 2003, the Kyrgyz National Guard commander Lieutenant-General Abdygul Chotbayev hosted a meeting in Kyrgyzstan with his American counterpart, General John Prendergast, to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan. In spite of assistance, the gulf that persists between the National Guards from each state is staggering: the Kyrgyz National Guard is the same in name only, consisting of regular servicemen, rather than reservists. represent the finest of the antiterrorist forces in the Kyrgyz republic, and its problems seem reminiscent of those afflicting its armed forces during the antiterrorist campaigns in the Batken in 1999 and 2000.
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http://www.cacianalyst.org/view_article.php?articleid=1871Elections In Parliament Of Georgia - Test Of Democracy
On November 2, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia alongside a referendum on the reduction of the number of seats in Parliament to 150. The popular participation in the elections exceeded expectations. The results of the elections were according to all independent observers a serious loss for the party in power.
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http://www.cacianalyst.org/view_article.php?articleid=1870The ERK Protest Sets Out A Precedent For Karimov To Revise Relations With Political Opposition
On October 15, the Uzbek police in Tashkent terminated a demonstration of the banned Erk (`freedom`) political opposition party. The party was protesting against the government`s confiscation of its property, including documents and books. This was the first public protest in Uzbekistan by the party`s supporters in twelve years. This suggests an overall escalation of tensions between the country`s rigorous political regime and non-state actors. Being the US`s partner in the Afghan war, the Uzbek government is now confronted with a choice of tactics towards Erk`s growing activity.
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http://www.cacianalyst.org/view_article.php?articleid=1873Political Storm Clouds Build In Georgia
Relative calm prevailed in Georgia on November 6, as opposition leaders declared a pause in protest actions over disputed parliamentary election results. However, there are indications that many Georgians are uncomfortable with the confrontational tactics employed by the opposition united front.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110603.shtmlStakes High In Georgia As Electon Controversy Deepens
The lack of official results five days after parliamentary elections in Georgia leaves no doubts that the process has been problematic, but reports of widespread irregularities and ongoing accusations of fraud suggest that it may be illegitimate as well.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110703a.shtmlTampering In Ajaria Polls Widespread And Blatant
Despite protests throughout Georgia, the post-election situation in Ajaria has remained calm. The election process, however, was by no means free and fair. Indeed, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for whom I served as a monitor, reported on November 3 that `election day irregularities were particularly evident in Ajaria.`
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110703.shtmlIn Border Province, Election`s Impact Is Financial
In the poor province of Lagodekhi, Georgia`s parliamentary election had an immediate impact. There a trip to the polls meant a rare chance for income.
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http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/culture/eav110703.shtml
Report Dated 7 November 2003