Georgian Protesters Call For President Shevardnadze`s Resignation
Voice of America
Moscow, November 14: Georgian protesters have again taken to the streets in large numbers to call for President Eduard Shevardnadze`s resignation, after parliamentary elections they said were flawed. President Shevardnadze says the protests risk becoming dangerous for Georgia, and he has appealed for calm Tens of thousands of protesters marched toward President Shevardnadze`s office in the capital, Tbilisi, after he failed to meet them on the steps of parliament Friday, where they demanded he resign. Both the president and the opposition have said they are ready for dialogue, but other than one failed meeting last Sunday, they have yet to come together. Friday`s opposition rally aims to increase pressure on President Shevardnadze, who earlier appeared on national television to urge Georgians to avoid civil confrontation. He said the days of street unrest could prove dangerous for Georgia`s stability, and he appealed for calm. At the same time, Georgia`s interior minister, Koba Narchemashvili, has warned the opposition that force will be used, if they try to break through police cordons around government buildings. So far, the police have just looked on, as protesters chant for President Shevardnadze to go away, calling him a traitor.
New Independent Printing House Opens In Bishkek
IRIN News
Bishkek, November 14: Friday marks the opening of the first independent printing house in the capital, Bishkek. Funded by Freedom House, a Washington-based advocacy group promoting the worldwide expansion of political and economic freedoms, the facility will strengthen press freedom in the former Soviet state. `The independent printing house will boost Kyrgyzstan`s independent media,` Rina Prizhivoyt, the editor of the MSN (formerly the Moya Stolitsa, which was closed down due to a lawsuit) independent newspaper, told IRIN in Bishkek. Under the scheme, publications unable to afford the prices and terms of Uchkun, the government-controlled printing house, could be forwarded to the new printing press for publication, she said. Ramis Ziyangaraev, the project`s manager, said that the facility, registered by the justice ministry as the Centre for Mass Media Support, could also process orders from neighbouring countries, including nearby Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, thereby having regional implications for the development of independent media as well. `It will be led a board of directors, comprising representatives of international organisations, the Kyrgyz and US administrations, members of parliament, and journalists as well,` Ziyangaraev explained. The chief editor of the independent Litsa newspaper, Bermet Bukasheva, believes that the facility will also enhance freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan.
Georgian Leader Appeals For Calm
Central Asia Daily
Tbilisi, November 14: An emotional President Eduard Shevardnadze has appealed to people to stay away from a mass opposition rally to call for his resignation, warning it is a short step from `civil confrontation to civil war`. Georgia`s main opposition has called on tens of thousands to take to the streets later on Friday to stage an even bigger demonstration to rival a week-long round-the-clock vigil outside parliament to protest against results of November 2 elections. `Dear citizens of Tbilisi, dear citizens of Georgia, I was told that thousands of people are going to arrive from the regions. There is not going to be anything to see and there will be no theatrical show. It might be the start of bad things to come,` Shevardnadze said in a television address. `Therefore I ask everyone to go about their own business, to return home, or to carry on studying...I still appeal to everyone to calm down and act peacefully for the sake of your motherland, of our motherland....From civil confrontation to civil war is a short step.`
U.S. Hopes For Democratic Presidential Election In Kyrgyzstan
Interfax
Bishkek, November 14: The U.S. administration hopes that the presidential election in Kyrgyzstan will be fair, free, equitable and transparent, Elizabeth Jones, assistant secretary of state for Europe and Asia, told the press in Bishkek on Friday. Since a presidential election is scheduled in Kyrgyzstan for 2005, the United States is giving special attention to the development of a civil society in that country, she said. Effective electoral legislation must be passed in Kyrgyzstan and observers need to be trained, Jones said. These factors will be especially important in counting votes and determining the transparency and fairness of the future election, she said. President Askar Akayev has said that in compliance with the constitution, he will not seek reelection, Jones recalled.
Georgian Opposition Presents Demands To Authorities
Interfax
Tbilisi, November 14: Georgian parliamentary member Georgy Baramidze, a leader of the Burjanadze Democrats bloc, has announced the opposition`s four basic demands to the authorities which will be presented at a rally on November 14. Speaking live on the Mze (Sun) television channel on Thursday night, Baramidze said the first demand was `that the November 2 parliamentary elections be recognized as a failure and new ones be scheduled.` Second, `the Georgian president must be recognized as a usurper and new elections for the head of state must be held.` Third, `the presidential and parliamentary elections must be held simultaneously and as soon as possible,` Baramidze said. `And, finally, the Georgian opposition`s struggle must be peaceful and nonviolent, despite its radical, principled, irreconcilable, and uncompromising nature,` he said. The parliamentarian stressed that protesters are not planning to destabilize the situation.
New Law On Religion Goes Into Effect In Turkmenistan
Radio Free Europe
Ashgabat, November 12: A new, more restrictive law on religious activities went into effect in Turkmenistan on 10 November, turkmenistan.ru, Russian news agencies, and the website of Forum 18 (http://www.forum18.org), a Norwegian-based NGO monitoring freedom of religion in the former USSR, reported on 10 and 11 November. The new law formally criminalizes religious activities by any confession that is not registered by the Justice Ministry -- in effect, any confession other than Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodoxy. Violators may be sentenced to one year of corrective labor. Previously, unregistered religious groups were subject to administrative sanctions. The new law also requires that any religious group seeking to register must prove that it has 500 members in Turkmenistan, and only clergymen with Turkmen citizenship and a higher education in theology may lead a congregation. Formation of political parties or movements on a religious basis is prohibited, along with private teaching of religion, which is also criminalized.
Kazakh Opposition Leader Welcomes Creation Of New Party
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 12: Bolat Abilov, one of the five co-chairmen of the opposition Ak Zhol Party, told correspondents in Almaty on 12 November that his party`s leadership welcomes the creation of Dariga Nazarbaeva`s new political party, Asar, so long as it adheres to democratic principles, gazeta.kz reported the same day. Nazarbaeva is the daughter of Kazakh President Nazarbaev. Abilov said Ak Zhol interprets the founding of Asar as Nazarbaeva`s signal that she intends to become a strong player on the political scene prior to parliamentary elections in the fall of 2004. He predicted that some pro-government parties will not survive that balloting.
Russian Senator: Georgia Is On The Brink Of Civil War
Pravda
Moscow, November 11: What is going on in Georgia after the parliamentary elections suggests that the country is on the brink of civil war, opined Mikhail Margelov, head of the international affairs committee of the Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament. `The powers that be and the opposition adopted a high profile on which of them had won the elections. They engage in skirmishes and use other means to prove their point. Eduard Shevardnadze has gone too far while trying to gain from Georgia`s geopolitical location and manoeuvring between Russia and the USA. He seems to be loosing power completely,` said the Russian senator. `This is not a dispute over the election outcomes. What has taken place in Georgia recently can hardly be described as elections. Indeed, lawsuits keep to be filed, European observers are shocked by the number of violations, even those they themselves registered,` said Mr Margelov.
Georgian Court Rescinds Results Of Parliamentary Elections In One Constituency
Pravda
Moscow, November 11: A Georgian court has rescinded the results of the parliamentary elections in the Bolnissky district. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, this was announced by Nino Burdjanadze, speaker of the Georgian parliament and leader of the opposition party Burdjanadze-Democrats. The Bolnissky district is considered one of the most disputed areas: many Azerbaijanis live here who traditionally prefer to vote for the government and not the opposition. A fight broke out on the eve of the elections when local people tried to stop the pre-election campaign of radical opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili. Until this decision was taken the ruling party For a New Georgia under Eduard Shevardnadze had the most votes in the Bolnissky district. However, according to Ms Burdjanadze, this is just a small part of the oppositionists` demands to the government.
Two Tajik Parties Set Up Election Coalition
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 11: Tajikistan`s Democratic and Social Democratic parties have agreed on setting up a coalition called `For Fair, Transparent, and Democratic Elections,` Asia-Plus reported on 11 November, quoting Rahmatullo Valiev, the general secretary of the Democratic Party. Valiev added that other registered political parties are welcome to join the coalition, which has as its main goal encouraging the national parliament to adopt a new law on elections that will guarantee that future elections are free, fair, and democratic. Parliamentary elections are scheduled in Tajikistan for 2005. Although each party would have its own list of candidates, the coalition intends to help all member parties overcome the problems of insufficient financing that have restricted their activities in previous election campaigns. Officials of the Communist and Islamic Renaissance parties were cautious in predicting the willingness of their parties to join the coalition.
Georgian Opposition Leader Urges Shevardnadze To Resign
Interfax
Tbilisi, November 11: Zurab Zhvania, a leader of the Georgian opposition alliance Burjanadze Democrats and a former parliamentary speaker, has called on President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. `Reasoning logically, Eduard Shevardnadze must make a decision to resign, as he failed to ensure the main constitutional right for his citizens in the November 2 parliamentary elections - the right to vote,` Zhvania said on Mze (Sun) television on Tuesday. At the same time, he spoke against `upheavals and coups,` saying `this must be absolutely ruled out.` The president, whose tenure expires in 2005, `must decide himself to resign now,` Zhvania said.
Georgian President Ready To Meet Opposition As Much As Necessary To End Protests
Voice of America
Tbilisi, November 10: Georgia`s President Eduard Shevardnadze says he is ready to meet the political opposition as many times as necessary to end demonstrations that have extended into a second week. The demonstrators allege fraud in recent parliamentary elections and call for the president`s ouster. AP President Eduard Shevardnadze, center, listens to demonstrators during a rally in Tbilisi Nearly 3,000 demonstrators have converged outside Georgia`s parliament in Tbilisi to continue protests that began after last week`s parliamentary elections. Political opposition and Western rights groups allege the elections were tarnished by fraud and vote rigging. Opposition leaders say they will continue their protest until their demands for the president`s resignation or the annulment of the results of the parliamentary elections. Mr. Shevardnadze refuses to resign, and says only a court can annul the results of the elections. Before leaving on a one-day visit to Batumi in Western Georgia, Mr. Shevardnadze again expressed his readiness to meet with the opposition to reach a peaceful outcome to the standoff. In Batumi, President Shevardnadze met the head of the opposition Revival Union party, which is running a close second to Mr. Shevardnadze`s For a New Georgia bloc. Head of the Revival Union, Aslan Abashidze, agrees with the president on many law-and-order issues, and both are seen as possible allies against other opposition parties.
Former Kazakhstan Ambassador Becomes Opposition Party Leader
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 10: The third congress of the Kazakh opposition party Ak Zhol (Bright Path) on 9 November elected Altynbek Sarsenbaev, the recently recalled Kazakh ambassador to Russia, to the post of party co-chairman, along with four others, centrasia.ru reported on 10 November. Before he represented Kazakhstan in Moscow, Sarsenbaev served as secretary of the Kazakh Security Council. He has reportedly described his return to Kazakhstan as the return of a `heavyweight` to the domestic political scene. Ak Zhol was formed in early 2002 by members of the opposition coalition Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. It is legally registered as a political party, while its parent organization is not.
Burdzhanadze: Opposition Was Ready For Compromise
Interfax
Tbilisi, November 9: The Georgian opposition was ready for compromise and the termination of protests during negotiations with President Eduard Shevardnadze, said Georgian parliamentary speaker and opposition leader Nino Burdzhanadze, who attended the Sunday meeting with the president. `We wished to solve the conflict together with the president and stop the action yesterday, but we have to continue the action because the president did not offer us anything specific,` Burdzhanadze told the press on Monday. `We will act adequately if the president meets a number of the opposition`s demands,` she said. The opposition will continue fighting `with peaceful methods against what we call the burial of democracy in Georgia,` Burdzhanadze said.
Georgia: President To Meet Opposition Leaders
Radio Free Europe
Tbilisi, November 9: Georgia`s embattled President Eduard Shevardnadze is to hold crisis talks with the opposition amid continuing street protests following the 2 November parliamentary election. A spokesman for the presidential press service said Shevardnadze will meet the opposition figures tonight. Earlier, the president talked with some of the protesters outside the parliament building, but they jeered, whistled, and called for his resignation. Tonight`s talks are expected to try to defuse the stand-off between the opposition and the authorities over the disputed parliamentary election. Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze said today that the situation in Tbilisi is `practically out of control.`
Georgian Situation Out Of Control: Defense Minister
People`s Daily
Tbilisi, November 9: Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze said on Sunday that situation in the former Soviet republic has practically run out of control, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. `I think things are not good, the situation has practically runout of control, and it has really turned uncontrollable,` the Georgian official said, while an angry crowd was protesting overalleged fraud in last weekend`s parliamentary elections and demanding Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. Asked what the troops would do if the political confrontationexacerbates, the minister said, `everyone knows that our functionsare strictly defined by the constitution. The armed forces are onregular duty in line with their plan of action,` according to Itar-Tass.
Georgia: Mass Demonstration Planned Again In Tbilisi
Radio Free Europe
Tbilisi, November 8: Georgian opposition leaders say they plan to hold a mass rally in the capital Tbilisi today to demand the cancellation of parliamentary elections they say have been marred by falsification by the government of President Eduard Shevardnadze (pictured). Thousands of opposition supporters marched peacefully in Tbilisi on Saturday to demand a new vote and the resignation of President Shevardnadze. Large numbers of police monitored the protest but did not intervene. A small group of protesters briefly blocked the road to Shevardnadze`s presidential office, but later dispersed. With one week passed since the election was held, authorities have still not released final results. Electoral commission chief Nana Devdariani, noting complaints of irregularities, said the final results would be announced by 20 November. Partial official results have put the pro-Shevardnadze For A New Georgia bloc and the opposition Revival party vying for the lead, with the opposition National Movement in third.
General Hasanov Of Azerbaijan Due In Turkey
Kazakhstan News
Ankara, November 14: General Zakir Hasanov, the commander of the military troops of Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs, will come to Turkey as the guest of Gendarme Forces Commander General Sener Eruygur to review bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan about internal security. Releasing a statement, Gendarme Forces Command said on Friday that General Hasanov would pay a visit to Turkey between November 17 and 20, 2003. General Hasanov and accompanying delegation will visit General Eruygur on November 17. Following the meeting, talks will be held between Turkish and Azerbaijani delegations. During the meeting, bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan about internal security will be reviewed. The sides will exchange views on development of bilateral relations and formation of new cooperation fields. General Hasanov is expected to depart from Turkey on November 20.
UN Landmine Experts Arrive In Tajikistan To Map Uzbek Minefields
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 13: A group of UN land-mine experts has arrived in Tajikistan to identify areas on the Tajik-Uzbek border where the Uzbek military has planted land mines, Asia-Plus Blitz reported on 12 November. According to the Tajik Center for Land-Mine Problems, the UN group will also investigate the 4 November incident in Sughd Oblast in which two Tajik citizens were killed and three others injured by one or more suspected Uzbek land mines while gathering wood on the Uzbek side of the poorly marked border.
Indian Base Set Up In Tajikistan
The Moscow Times
New Delhi, November 13: India has set up its first permanent overseas military base in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan to safeguard its strategic interests in the region -- a move that has upset Pakistan, defense ministry officials said Thursday. Indian military engineers have renovated the former Tajik military base at a cost of 500 million rupees ($10 million), a senior defense ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The base has not been used since 1985. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in Moscow on Thursday, was scheduled to travel to Tajikistan later in the day. The air base in Ayni, 10 kilometers northeast of the capital Dushanbe, will have a runway for fighter and transport aircraft, the official said. He did not specify how many troops will be posted there nor when they will arrive. The base has been set up to ensure the security of India`s energy and strategic interests in the region, the official said without giving details. India is trying to pipe gas from Central Asia and increase cooperation in the field of energy. The region is also of strategic importance for India because of its proximity to arch rival Pakistan. India is the third country to post military personnel in Tajikistan. More than 10,000 border guards under Russian command work alongside Tajik forces to help patrol Tajikistan`s 1,200-kilometer border with Afghanistan. But the border troops` presence does not have the status of a military base. The snaking, mountainous boundary is favored by drug smugglers taking heroin to Russia and Europe. French troops also have some staff, primarily engineers, deployed in Dushanbe, primarily to support their operations in Afghanistan. Tajik Defense Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Zarubiddin Sirojev denied an agreement to set up an Indian base. He said India only provided information, technical assistance and training to the Tajik military.
Armenia, Russia Sign Further Military Cooperation Agreements
Radio Free Europe
Yerevan, November 13: Visiting Yerevan on 10-12 November, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met with President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, and with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian, Noyan Tapan and ITAR-TASS reported. On 11 November, the two ministers signed agreements under which the 3,000-man Russian military facilities at Giumri in northern Armenia will be merged into one base in keeping with Russian Defense Ministry requirements. Armenia will make available additional territory for the combined base. They also signed a cooperation agreement between their respective ministries for 2004. Ivanov told journalists the same day that Russia will continue to supply Armenia with weaponry and military hardware of `a purely defensive nature,` stressing that such materiel does not serve, as some Azerbaijani politicians have claimed, to destabilize the situation in the South Caucasus.
Poor Visibility Hampers Search For Missing Russian Jet
Interfax
Yerevan, November 13: Poor visibility has forced Armenian rescue workers to suspend their search for a Russian fighter aircraft that went missing early on Wednesday afternoon. Russian rescue parties are still looking for the plane, the Armenian Defense Ministry reports. It is unclear what happened to the pilot of the MiG-29, which is believed to have crashed. Armenian rescue workers will resume their search at dawn on Thursday. Russian military officials say it is unclear whether the Russian teams will continue their search throughout the night. The jet had been making a training flight near Erebuni airfield in Armenia. `The airplane disappeared from radar at 12:53 p.m. Moscow time. The fighter did not return to the airfield at the set time,` Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told Interfax. An unconfirmed report said the fighter had fallen 30 kilometers from Gyumri in Armenia.
Russia To Re-equip Military Base In Armenia
Pravda
Moscow, November 12: Russia intends to begin re-equipping the 102nd Military Base in Armenia, said Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov in a press conference yesterday. At the same time, he said that a serious build-up will not take place. `The supplying of weapons to the base will have an exclusively defensive character and will not destabilize the situation in the region,` said Ivanov. He also said that Russia will supply weapons at the relatively lower prices of the Russian domestic market as part of a collective security agreement beginning in January 2004. In regard to the agreements signed yesterday by the Russian and Armenian defense ministers, Ivanov said that they permit personnel of the Russian military base to feel more comfortably on the territory of their ally.
New Russian Commander To Tajikistan
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 12: Contrary to information in the `Nezavisimaya gazeta` report cited in `RFE/RL Newsline` item `New Commander Predicts 10-15 Years Of Russian Border Troops In Tajikistan` on 12 November, Lieutenant General Aleksandr Markin is no longer the commander of Russian border troops in Tajikistan. The outgoing Markin presented his successor in that post, Major General Aleksandr Baranov, to Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov on 12 November.
Turkish Delegation In Kyrgyzstan
Cihan News Agency
Bishkek, November 12: A Turkish Armed Forces delegation headed by Col. Erdinc Guney is in Kyrgyzstan today to consult with the Kyrgyz military. The delegation will visit Defense Ministry units, Border Security Forces and National Guardians for an exchange of ideas. Kyrgyzstan and Turkey are expected to sign the Logistics Implementation Protocol of 2003. Turkey will continue providing technical aid and equipment to Kyrgyzstan based on a military cooperation agreement signed in 1993. Turkey trains Kyrgyz soldiers in anti-terrorism tactics. Kyrgyz students educated in Turkish military schools and Turkish training teams train Kyrgyz students in Kyrgyzstan. Some 700 Kyrgyz students have graduated from the training program so far.
India Gets Foothold In Central Asia With A Military Airbase
newindpress.com
New Delhi, November 12: When Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee lands at Dushanbe on Thursday evening, a contingent of the Indian Defence Ministry`s military engineering services (MES) workers will be packing up after a gruelling day of building a runway at an air base that lies 10 km north-east of the Tajikistan capital. Welcome to Ayni, India`s first ever military base in a foreign country post Sri Lanka. A Defence Ministry spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that New Delhi is involved in upgrading infrastructure at the Ayni air base and `has plans to station its troops` and air platforms in the near future to support its energy security interests in Central Asia. Replying to a detailed questionnaire from this website`s newspaper, officials confirmed that New Delhi is revamping the Ayni air base as part of the `deepening India-Tajik defence cooperation.` This Tajik base has been lying in a dilapidated condition since 1985 and India is overhauling it at the cost of over Rs 50 crore. The work involves building a runway that can handle fighter and heavy lift transport aircraft and steeling up existing hangars to house them. The MES will also build accommodation within the base in order to station troops, who will train Tajik forces and keep an eye on Indian interests in Central Asia. Indian oil major ONGC Videsh Limited has tied up with Kazakhstan government for oil exploration in Alibekmola and Kurmangazi fields. OVL currently has 15 per cent stake in Alibekmola and 10 per cent in Kurmangazi oil fields that straddles the Kazakh-Russia border. Significantly, India and Tajik special forces held joint exercises in February this year. Although the upgradation of Ayni base was cleared at the highest levels of Indian government, the repair work has begun in the earnest only couple of months ago with Air Chief S. Krishnaswamy playing a key role. Vajpayee gave the green signal, but it was Defence Minister George Fernandes and External Affairs Ministry officials who pushed the project towards fruition. Last April, Fernandes, accompanied by then defence secretary Yogendra Narain and top MEA officials, quietly visited Dushanbe and signed the India-Tajik defence pact. Ministry officials say that Ayni is a symbol of mutual defence relationship between the two countries and sensitivities of Russia and China have been kept in mind. Moscow, on its part, is eyeing Kulyab air base near the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border and has established its military presence by setting up a base in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan last month. However, Tajikistan`s neighbour Pakistan is suspicious about the defence cooperation between Dushanbe and New Delhi and believes it is part of the Indian plans to `encircle` Islamabad. It is learnt that Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf raised the air base issue with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmanov before the CICA summit in Almatty last June. Vajpayee, who is meeting Rakhmanov on November 14, will push for expanding the bilateral relationship with Tajikistan that goes beyond defence and focuses on trade. Even though Ayni is a half-hour drive from Dushanbe, Vajpayee has no plans of visiting the base.
Armenian Parliament Approves Increase In Defence Spending
Radio Free Europe
Yerevan, November 11: The Armenian parliament`s Finance and Economy Committee approved on 11 November the government`s proposal to increase defense spending by almost 12 percent in 2004 to 49.6 billion drams ($87 million), RFE/RL`s Yerevan bureau reported. Committee Chairman Gagik Minasian (Republican Party of Armenia) told RFE/RL the increase `will raise our defense to a new level.` Defense spending is the largest single item of the draft budget, accounting for over 13 percent of all planned expenditures.
Inhabitants Of Uzbek Enclave Demand Removal Of Kyrgyz Border Post
Radio Free Europe
Tashkent, November 11: About 100 inhabitants of the Uzbek exclave of Sokh, located in Kyrgyzstan`s Batken Oblast, gathered at the Kyrgyz border post on the road from Sokh to Uzbekistan on 11 November and demanded that the post be removed, RFE/RL`s Kyrgyz Service reported the same day. The protesters were met by the deputy governors of Batken Oblast and Uzbekistan`s Ferghana Oblast, who explained that the post is legal and persuaded the crowd to disperse. In recent years, Uzbekistan has tried to persuade Kyrgyzstan to cede land for the creation of corridors linking the Uzbek exclaves to Uzbekistan, but the Kyrgyz side has refused.
New Commander Predicts 10-15 Years Of Russian Border Troops In Tajikistan
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 10: The new head of the Russian border troops in Tajikistan, Lieutenant General Aleksandr Markin, said in an article in the 10 November issue of `Nezavisimaya gazeta` that the main destabilizing factor on the Tajik-Afghan border at present is the trafficking of contraband drugs. He added that he expects that Russian forces will have to remain in Tajikistan in order to counter the threat for a minimum of 10 to 15 years. Markin said that 7 percent of the officers and 71 percent of the contract servicemen in the Russian border troops in Tajikistan are Tajik citizens. A report of Asia-Plus Blitz on 11 November noted that of 515 recruits sworn in on 9 November for service in the Russian border troops, 34 were citizens of the Russian Federation and the rest were Tajik citizens.
Uzbekistan Key State In Central Asian - NATO Official
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 9: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation considers Uzbekistan as a key country in Central Asia and highly evaluates its efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the region, NATO Deputy Secretary General Munito Rizzo told Uzbek TV`s Akhborot news programme. He added that the cooperation was more important now, when NATO was implementing a peacemaking mission in Afghanistan. According to the report, the NATO headquarters in Belgium hosted Days of Uzbekistan. The photo exhibition `Uzbek makhalla: people, traditions and customs` was organised within the framework of the Days. During one week, representative of NATO member states had the opportunity to get acquainted with the history, culture and art of Uzbekistan through presentations. Jean Fournet, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, noted that organisation of meetings with Uzbek partners at NATO headquarters was a very important dialogue, which allowed the sides to know each other better and determine the most perspective directions of cooperation.
Abiyev: Dual Standards Make Azerbaijan To Use Force
Baku Today
Baku, November 8: `We consider the United States of America as a strategic partner and pay great attention to cooperation,` said Safar Abiyev, the Minister of Defense. He said it in his meeting with Zbiegnev Brzezinski, the former advisor to U.S. President on security. The minister said Azerbaijani lands are occupied by Armenia and it is wrong to discuss peace and stability in South Caucasus. Íe said it`s strange that international community applies dual standards instead of recognition of Armenia as aggressor and elimination of aggressive separatism. It brings mis-trust to peaceful resolution of conflict and makes Azerbaijan to use force. The long-term peace and stability in the region can be ensured as soon as Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity is restored and refugees return to motherland. `Azerbaijan won`t keep its lands under occupation,` said Abiyev. The parties also exchanged views on military-political situation in the region, relations between Azerbaijan and neighbors as well as ties with USA and NATO. According to Brzezinski, Azerbaijan-American relationship may be characterized as real and alliance.
Tajik Foreign Minister Raises Latest Landmine Incident With Uzbekistan
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 8: The Tajik Foreign Ministry has sent a note to the Uzbek Embassy in Dushanbe expressing concern over the latest incident of Tajik citizens being killed and wounded by land mines planted on the Tajik-Uzbek border by the Uzbek military, khovar.tojikiston.com reported on 8 November. Two Tajik citizens were killed by Uzbek land mines on 4 November and three others were wounded (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 6 November 2003). In its note, the Tajik ministry pointed out that since Uzbekistan mined the border with Tajikistan`s Sughd Oblast in 2000, more than 80 Tajik citizens have been killed or injured, and appealed to the Uzbek authorities to take the necessary measures to prevent further incidents. Tajikistan has previously made it clear that it wants the land mines removed.
State Department Official Thanks Kazakhstan For Support Against Terrorism
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 12: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Lorne Craner told a press conference in Astana on 12 November that U.S. President George Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have sent special thanks to Kazakhstan for that country`s support in the effort to combat international terrorism and in the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, gazeta.kz reported the same day. Jones, who is a former ambassador to Kazakhstan, said talks with Kazakh officials, human rights groups, and NGOs included discussions of draft laws on countering narcotics and human trafficking, on the media, and on elections.
Participants In 1998 Uprisings Sentenced In Tajikistan
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, November 11: Two men who participated in the 1998 uprising against the Tajik government have been sentenced to 18 and 15 years in prison, respectively, by a Sughd Oblast court, centran.ru reported on 11 November. The uprising, described by Tajik government authorities as a coup attempt, was led by Colonel Mahmud Khudoiberdiev, an ethnic Uzbek, who reportedly fled to Uzbekistan when the uprising was put down (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 4, 5, 6, and 9 November 1998). The two men convicted in Khujand were accused of having had connections with the Uzbek National Security Service.
Kazakh Banking Sector Growth Stronger Than Russia`s - S&P
Interfax
Almaty, November 14: Kazakhstan`s banking sector is growing more strongly than that of Russia, an analyst at Standard & Poor`s said. `The situation in Kazakhstan`s banking sector is in my view a little better than in Russia, and is approaching the level seen in Eastern European countries,` Magar Kouyoumdjian, the international rating agency`s leading banking analyst, told a press conference in Almaty. Kouyoumdjian said the National Bank of Kazakhstan was largely to thank for this success. Its policy is to implement international standards in the banking sector, and it is `not only saying this, it is doing it.` The analyst also said he thought Kazakh banks were financially healthier than their Russian counterparts. This is because Kazakh banks have taken advantage of good trends on the financial market, where liquidity is high thanks to the introduction of a deposit insurance fund, and thanks to the government`s capital amnesty.
Kazakhstan Ups Steel Production 4 per cent
Interfax
Almaty, November 14: Kazakhstan increased crude steel production 4 per cent year-on-year to 4.186 million tonnes in January-October. Flat roll production grew 3 per cent to 3.42 million tonnes, the national statistical agency told Interfax. Figures grew 11 per cent to 51,260 tonnes of large- and small-diameter pipes, 14 per cent to 1.162 million tonnes of ferroalloys and 4 per cent to 3.44 million tonnes of pig iron.
Turkmenistan Ups Gas Production, Exports
Interfax
Ashgabat, November 13: Turkmenistan produced 47.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in the first ten months of 2003, 8 per cent more than in the same period of last year. The country exported 34.7 bcm of gas, up 6 per cent year-on-year, the National Institute of Statistics and Information said. Turkmenistan produced 8.145 million tonnes of oil, up 10 per cent year-on- year, and refined 5.6 million tonnes, up 19 per cent. The country produced 1.679 million tonnes of gasoline, up 22 per cent; 1.591 million tonnes of diesel, up 30 per cent; 62.8 million tonnes of polypropylene, up 39 per cent; and 20,300 tonnes of lubricants, an increase of 220 per cent. Turkmenistan plans to raise production of natural and associated gas a substantial 26 per cent this year as a whole compared with 2002, to 67.582 bcm. The country plans a 50 per cent-increase in oil production, to 13.5 million tonnes.
Turkmen Foreign Trade Balance Climbs 29 per cent In Jan-Sept
Interfax
Ashgabat, November 13: Turkmenistan`s foreign trade surplus jumped 28 per cent year-on-year to $722.5 million in January-September. Foreign trade during this period came to $4.419 billion, an 18.9 per cent year-on-year increase, the country`s national statistics and information agency has told Interfax. Turkmenistan traded with 81 countries. The country exported 20.4 per cent more goods for $2.571 billion in January-September, importing 17 per cent more products for $1.849 billion.
ADB President Asks Central Asia To Step Up Economic Cooperation
Interfax
Tashkent, November 13: Asian Development Bank President Tadao Chino has called on Central Asian governments to step up regional economic cooperation. Economic cooperation is not only a powerful instrument for development and for speeding up economic growth, but also a bare necessity, Chino said in Tashkent Wednesday. Cooperation in the region will provide strategic opportunities for achieving stability and economic growth in Central Asia countries, the location, relatively small markets and need for mutually beneficial use natural resources of which make these countries dependent on each other.
Tashkent Hosts Seminar On Globalisation In Central Asia
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 13: The Centre of political researches hosted a seminar entitles `Globalisation and Central Asia`. According to UzA, the participants noted increasing impact of globalisation to political and socio-economic processes in Central Asia. Attendees discussed new challenges and opportunities regarding this process. German Ambassador to Uzbekistan Martin Hekker, Japanese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Akio Kawato and professor of University names after Jawaharlal Neru Chakravarty, students and teachers of different universities and scientific-research establishment of Uzbekista, staff of foreign embassies and international organisations delivered speeches.
Uzbek President, IMF Official Discuss Cooperation
Interfax
Tashkent, November 13: Uzbekistan`s cooperation with the International Monetary Fund has been especially fruitful over the past 18 months, Uzbek President Islam Karimov said at a meeting with IMF deputy managing director Shigemitsu Sugisaki on Thursday, an official in the presidential press service told Interfax. Uzbekistan puts a great deal of emphasis on expanding cooperation with the IMF and highly values the support provided by the international financial organization to the country`s reforms, Karimov said. The 2002-03 plan to make the Uzbek national currency convertible in current international transactions has been fulfilled, Karimov said. `As a consequence, the sum has been convertible since October 15 in terms of Clause VIII of the Articles of the IMF Agreement,` he said. The two men exchanged views on expanding Uzbekistan`s cooperation with international financial organizations, in particular the IMF, in an effort to continue economic reform in Uzbekistan.
Economic Review Issues Rating Of Regions` Development
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 12: The main trends on economic systems development in Uzbekistan regions are reflected in the rating determined by the CER`s `Economic Review` magazine compiled for the third year in a row. The 2002 rating results were published in September`s issue. According to the rating the first place is shared by Tashkent, Navoiy and Fergana regions. Fergana region got the leading position (as compared with 2001 rating) while Navoiy region rose from the 6th place to the second. Tashkent region - the leader of 2001 rating - is at the fourth place now. The most significant changes were observed at the bottom of the rating where Jizzakh region went up from the 13th position to the 10th. Khorezm region also jumped up over three points - from the 10th place to the 7th. By indices of the output of economic sectors and branches, economic systems of Tashkent city, Navoiy and Tashkent regions are in the leading ones. The highest volume of communication services, chargeable services rendered to population and best productivity of SME enterprises were noted in Tashkent. As for the productivity of industrial enterprises Kashkadarya, Bukhara and Navoiy regions having large enterprises of petrochemical and metallurgical complexes are the leading ones. Jizzakh and Andijan regions as well as Tashkent city showed the highest growth of industrial productivity and took the leading position. Kashkadarya region was at the top by the ratio of capital investments to GDP, Republic of Karakalpakistan is the second in this group whilst Navoiy region left the group of leaders. The volume of investments and credits in dollars reduced almost everywhere except Khorezm and Bukhara regions. In the rating of entrepreneurship development Jizzakh region was the first, Navoiy region moved from the last to the fourth place. By the complex of social indices, included in the rating, the best results were achieved by Tashkent city, Navoiy and Fergana regions.
Turkmenistan Plans Seyidi Refinery Upgrades
Central Asia Daily
Houston, November 12: Turkmenistan currently is planning a major upgrade of its Seyidi refinery to bring it into conformance with new ecological standards, according to a report Tuesday in nCa Watch (News Central Asia). A $300 million upgrade to a total capacity of 120,000 b/d of oil, including hydrorefining capacity is planned along with an $800 million gas processing and petrochemical production complex at Seyidi. A $1.2 billion modernization of the Turkmenbashy refinery 2 years ago has enabled the country to produce high-octane gasoline for the last 2 years, nCa reported. After renovations at the Seidi refinery, the two facilities together will be capable of processing 15 million tonnes/year of oil by 2010 (OGJ, Oct. 7, 2002, p. 20).
Gazprom, Partners To Rehabilitate CAC Pipeline; Study Awarded
Kazakhstan News
Houston, November 12: A consortium led by Russia`s state-controlled gas group OAO Gazprom plans to rehabilitate and upgrade the Central Asia-Center (CAC) natural gas pipeline system from Turkmenistan to Russia and Ukraine. The Russian company Zaburzhneftgazstroi and the Ukrainian company Frunze Alliance comprise the other partners in the consortium. The 10-year upgrade program will cost an estimated $1.3 billion, with $500 million to be expended before 2005. The group also is assessing the feasibility of building a new, $1.2 billion pipeline along the Caspian coast through Kazakhstan that would provide additional capacity. Kazakhstan would also be a partner in that new pipeline. The CAC system and associated pipelines form a network of gas transmission lines built 20-30 years ago to deliver gas from Turkmenistan to central areas of the USSR and Europe. It is the only route for the growing export of Central Asian natural gas in the region east of the Caspian Sea to Russia, Ukraine, and European countries. The system is composed of numerous pipelines feeding into two main export trunklines, one of which traverses western Kazakhstan and a larger mainline through Uzbekistan. Although the system`s design capacity was 90 billion cu m/year, it currently transports only 45 billion cu m/year because of its present condition. Russia recently signed a long-term contract to purchase 60-80 billion cu m/year of gas from Turkmenistan during 2004-28, and Ukraine is negotiating for the purchase of at least 45 billion cu m/year during 2007-32. Together the volumes represent about 25 per cent of Turkmenistan`s proven gas reserves.
Kazakhstan Ups Industrial Output 8 per cent In Jan-Oct
Interfax
Almaty, November 12: Kazakhstan posted industrial output of 2.25 trillion tenge in January-October 2003, up 8 per cent year-on-year, the national statistic agency reported. Output increased 7.7 per cent rise in the mining industry and 8.5 per cent in the manufacturing industry. Gross agricultural output amounted to 539 billion tenge in current prices, up 3.1 per cent. The foreign trade surplus grew 78.4 per cent year-on-year in January- September to $3.6 billion. Foreign trade (without unorganized shuttle trade) reached $15.15 billion, up 31 per cent. Exports went up 38 per cent to $9.38 billion and imports rose 20 per cent to $5.77 billion. The official exchange rate on November 12 stood at 147.7 tenge/$1.
KazMunaiGaz Ups Oil Production 6.6 per cent In 10 Mths
Interfax
Astana, November 12: KazMunaiGaz, Kazakhstan`s national oil and gas company, raised oil and gas condensate production 6.6 per cent year-on- year to 6.582 million tonnes in January-October. The company said it produced 168,200 tonnes more oil than targeted. It shipped 6.475 million tonnes to consumers, 5.2 per cent more. KazMunaiGaz also produced 969.1 million cubic meters of natural gas. KazMunaiGaz subsidiary Ozenmunaigaz produced 4.407 million tonnes of oil and condensate and Embamunaigaz 2.176 million tonnes. The Atyrau oil refinery, in which KazMunaiGaz owns more than 80 per cent of the shares, processed 1.944 million tonnes of crude, 4.2 per cent more than in the first ten months of last year. This included 1.541 million tonnes of KazMunaiGaz`s own crude.
Kazakhstan`s Economy Expands 9.1 per cent In 9 Mths
Interfax
Astana, November 12: Kazakhstan`s economy expanded by 9.1 per cent to 3.2702 trillion tenge (147.7 tenge/$1 on November 12) in January- September, the National Statistical Agency said, quoting adjusted figures. The Ministry of Economics and Budget Planning earlier said nine- month GDP growth was 8.6 per cent. Goods and services accounted for respectively 41.8 per cent and 52.8 per cent of GDP, according to the adjusted figures.
Banking Reform Key Task For Kyrgyzstan - PM
Interfax
Bishkek, November 12: Banking reform is one of the most important tasks of Kyrgyzstan`s government, Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev said during a meeting in Bishkek on Wednesday with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler. `It is necessary to restore the population`s confidence in banks, which has been shaken after a series of major bankruptcies. It is also our goal that banks should take a more active part in financing the real sector of the economy,` Tanayev said. `Unfortunately, so far the level of loans that are issued is low,` he said.
Lalo To Acquire Two Major Gold Projects In Kyrgyzstan
Central Asia Daily
Vancouver, November 11: Lalo Ventures Ltd. today announces agreements to acquire up to 70 per cent interests in two major gold projects located in the prime Tien Shan Gold Belt in Kyrgyzstan. An agreement with CJCS Z-Explorer enables Lalo to earn up to a 70 per cent interest in the Savoyardy Gold Project, while a second agreement with Afminex Limited enables Lalo to earn up to a 70 per cent interest in the Kyldoo Gold Project. The Tien Shan Gold Belt has proven to be one of the most richly mineralized regions in the world and hosts a number of major gold deposits, including the multi million ounce Makmal and Kumtor mines, and the Muruntau Mine - the world`s largest open pit gold mine and second largest gold producer.
IMF Chief Hails Tajikistan`s Strong Economic Growth
Kazakhstan News
Dushanbe, November 11: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Horst Koehler hailed Tajikistan`s strong economic performance, including sustained growth, but said the impoverished former Soviet republic needed to make more efforts. `The growth of real GDP has been impressive. Since 1996, we estimate that the average annual growth of GDP has been 7 percent,` Koehler said after meeting Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, on the second leg of his tour of the former Soviet Union, which he began Monday in Armenia. Tajikistan`s economy should grow by 6 percent this year, according to IMF estimates. `An important element in the strong growth of output in recent years has been a strong financial performance. The authorities have maintained an impressive degree of expenditure discipline and at the same time have been able to strengthen the collection of tax revenues,` Koehler said. `The good growth performance is making an important contribution to poverty reduction,` he added.
Kazakhstan Ups Oil Production 8.8 per cent In 10 Mths
Interfax
Astana, November 11: Production of oil and gas condensate in Kazakhstan grew 8.8 per cent year-on-year to 42.155 million tonnes in January-October. This included 4.79 million tonnes of gas condensate (up 14.6 per cent year- on-year), a Kazakh government official told Interfax. Subsidiaries of Kazakh national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz produced 6.559 million tonnes of oil and gas condensate (up 6.4 per cent year- on-year). They include Ozenmunaigaz, which produced 4.383 million tonnes of oil (up 7.8 per cent) of which 23,220 tonnes of condensate (down 16 per cent), and Embamunaigaz with 2.176 million tonnes of oil (up 3.8 per cent). Companies with KazMunaiGaz participation produced 16.755 million tonnes of oil in the reporting period (up 3.6 per cent year-on-year). Tengizchevroil produced 10.602 million tonnes (2.8 per cent less year-on-year) and Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Co. (KPO) 4.767 million tonnes (up 14.9 per cent). Other oil companies produced 18.84 million tonnes of oil (up 14.8 per cent year-on-year), including Mangistaumunaigaz - 4.635 million tonnes (4.6 per cent more), Aktobemunaigaz - 3.782 million tonnes (up 6.2 per cent), and Hurricane Kumkol Limited - 4.769 million tonnes (up 5.6 per cent). Oil and condensate production in Kazakhstan in October alone amounted to 4.631 million tonnes (1.3 per cent over target), including 518,048 tonnes of gas condensate. KazMunaiGaz subsidiaries produced 684,070 tonnes of oil and condensate, including Ozenmunaigaz - 452,000 tonnes of crude and 2,300 tonnes of condensate, and Embamunaigaz - 232,070 tonnes of crude. Companies with KazMunaiGaz participation produced 1.852 million tonnes of oil last month, including Tengizchevroil - 1.173 million tonnes and KPO - 515,698 tonnes. Other companies produced 2.77 million tonnes of oil in October, including Mangistaumunaigaz - 418,050 tonnes, Aktobemunaigaz - 378,310 tonnes and Hurricane Kumkol Ltd. - 452,071 tonnes.
Kyrgyzstan Expands Economy 6 per cent
Interfax
Bishkek, November 11: Kyrgyzstan expanded its economy 6 per cent year-on-year in January-October 2003, according to early figures, to 68.31 billion som, the national statistics committee told Interfax. Inflation was 2.6 per cent in this period. Industrial production grew 15.1 per cent to 40.78 billion som, including growth of 8.8 per cent in the mining industry and 16.1 per cent in the manufacturing industry. Early figures from the statistics committee put the foreign trade deficit at $112.8 million. The official exchange rate on November 11 stood at 41.8672 som/$1.
Turkmenistan Sees Economy Grow 22.7 per cent In Jan-Oct
Interfax
Ashgabat, November 11: Turkmenistan increased its economy 22.7 per cent year-on-year to 64.47 trillion manat in January-October 2003, the national statistics institute told Interfax. Industrial production grew 21.4 per cent to 24.19 trillion manat. The official exchange rate on November 11 stood at 5,200 manat/$1.
Dagris To Invest $5 Mln In Uzbekistan Agriculture
Interfax
Tashkent, November 11: Dagris of France plans to invest about $5 million in seed production in Uzbekistan, the company`s general director, Gilly Peltier, told the press. The money is to be spent on diversifying the activities of two cottonseed joint ventures in Bukhar and Namangan. Production is to expand to wheat, soy, sunflower and other seeds. Dagris is also considering expanding into processing oil-bearing crops and producing sunflower and soy oil, as well as nut, grapeseed and apricot oil, to provide new export opportunities, Peltier said.
EBRD Board Approves BTC Pipeline Financing
Interfax
Baku, November 11: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Board of Directors has approved financing of $125 million for the $3.6 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline from Azerbaijan through Georgia to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. A further $125 million of financing is to be raised through syndication to commercial banks. The Board also approved financing of up to $30 million for the $3.2 billion Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) Phase 1 oilfield in the Caspian Sea offshore from Azerbaijan, with the equivalent sum to be syndicated to commercial banks. The 1,760-km BTC pipeline, with a capacity of 1 million barrels a day, will deliver ACG oil to Ceyhan for export mainly to European markets. The EBRD and BP, the main sponsor of the two projects, have agreed to launch a Regional Development Initiative to create long-term jobs and sustainable economic development after pipeline construction is complete. The initiative will foster private sector growth through a broad range of grassroots initiatives such as loans and grants to micro- businesses, training programmes and infrastructure. The EBRD and BP have each earmarked up to $25 million in grants and loans for the initiative; other members of the BTC consortium are expected to join with target funding overall of around $100 million. The first investments are anticipated for mid-2005.
Customs Facility Opens On Uzbek-Afghan Border
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 10: The new customs facility was opened at Hairatan, Uzbekistan, on the border with Afghanistan. ADB President Tadao Chino underlined the important role of transport and trade links in strengthening regional cooperation in Central Asia. `Increased trade volumes will be a major step in bringing countries of the region closer to each other and to a global market,` said Mr. Chino in a speech at the opening of customs facility. The ceremony was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Rustam Azimov, and attended by a senior representative of the Interim Government of Afghanistan, senior government officials, representatives of international agencies and members of the diplomatic corps. `Trade facilitation and easier flows of goods and services across borders, which is what this facility will achieve, will be key in the achievement of this goal,` Chino said. The customs facility is located a few kilometers from the city of Termez, which has efficient transport links with much of Central Asia. The bridge at Hairatan has long been closed to civilian traffic due to concerns over the transport of weapons and drugs to and from Afghanistan. The new, modern customs facility will allow closer inspection of vehicles and cargo, thereby enabling increased traffic across the border.
World Bank Vice President Visits Kazakhstan
Interfax
Almaty, November 10: World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Shigeo Katsu arrived in Kazakhstan for a two-day visit on Monday. He will also visit Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the World Bank Central Asia office reported. Katsu will discuss World Bank projects in the region, economic conditions and development potential. In Kazakhstan, he will meet First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pavlov, Agriculture Minister Akhmetzhan Yesimov, and National Bank of Kazakhstan Chairman Grigory Marchenko. Regional World Bank Director for Central Asia Dennis de Tray and World Bank Country Manager for Kazakhstan Loup Brefort will be accompanying Katsu.
Refining Plant Launched In Southern Kazakhstan
Interfax
Almaty, November 10: The Kazakh national atomic company Kazatomprom launched a refining plant in its Central Mine Directorate in the South Kazakhstan region on Friday. `Adjustment and alignment will be done on the plant for a month and the first batch of products will be manufactured by the end of the year. The new facility has been commissioned ahead of schedule. Initially, its commissioning was scheduled for the first quarter of 2004,` a Kazatomprom release obtained by Interfax says. The refining plant will produce uranous-uranic oxide (U3O8). The plant`s initial capacity is projected at 1,700 tonnes of uranium per year and will be brought to 2,000 tonnes in the future. The company has invested $4.5 million from its own funds in this project. The plant will process half of the uranium produced by the company and the rest will be sent to the Ulbinsky Metallurgical Plant (located in Western Kazakhstan), in which Kazatomprom owns 90 per cent of shares.
Zarit To Sign PSA On Turkmen Shelf Of Caspian On December 12
Interfax
Moscow, November 10: Zarit, a joint company formed by Itera, Zarubezhneft and Rosneft, plans to sign a production sharing agreement with the Turkmen government on December 12 to develop blocks 28, 29, 30, and 31 on the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian Sea, Itera spokesman Yevgeny Ostapov told Interfax. The Zarit board held its first meeting on Thursday in Moscow to discuss the results of work in 2003 and the company`s business plan. Members from Itera, Zarubezhneft and Rosneft management attended the meeting. After the PSA is signed, Zarit plans to start work at the fields where it holds exploration and development licenses.
Mitsubishi, Byrsel To Set Up Textiles Plant In Uzbekistan
Interfax
Tashkent, November 10: Japan`s Mitsubishi Corporation and Byrsel Textile of Turkey plan to implement a $47 million textiles plant in Uzbekistan, a source from Uzbeklegprom, the Uzbek light industry association, told Interfax. Mitsubishi, Byrsel and Uzbeklegprom set up the joint venture Byrsel-Bagat Textiles to build a cotton plant in Khorezm. It will have the capacity to turn out 5,070 tonnes of cotton yarn, 6,000 tonnes of knitted fabric, and 4.21 million bed sheets. Byrsel will invest $7 million in the joint venture and Japan Bank for International Cooperation will provide a $39 million loan. The final cost of the project will become clear after a feasibility report is completed. For Mitsubishi and Byrsel this is the third joint textiles project in Uzbekistan.
World Bank Hails Currency Conversion In Uzbekistan
Interfax
Tashkent, November 10: The World Bank welcomes national currency conversion in Uzbekistan, but insists structural reforms must be carried out to continue improving the economic situation. David Pearce, resident representative of the World Bank in Uzbekistan, told this to a press conference in Tashkent on Thursday. Pearce said the World Bank hails the strategic decision of the Uzbek government to begin this conversion. But he added that Uzbekistan will need to carry out some structural reforms so that the conversion has a positive effect on the economy. In the first place, there is a need for reforms in the agricultural sector to boost production, as well as in the trade and financial sectors, he said.
IMF To Allocate $14 Mln To Armenia In 2004
Interfax
Yerevan, November 10: The International Monetary Fund will allocate about $14 million to Armenia in 2004, making up the fifth tranche of its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program in the country, James McHugh, the permanent IMF representative in Armenia, said. The Fund has already reached an agreement with the Armenian government about the loan and it is to be officially approved at an IMF board meeting on November 24. McHugh said the tranche will be allocated, if nothing unexpected occurs.
India Extends $40 Mn Economic Aid To Tajikistan
Central Asia Daily
Dushanbe, November 14: Injecting economic content to their relations, India on Friday decided to extend to Tajikistan a new package of economic assistance of $40 million including a $25 million line of credit and make a beginning to tap the vast hydro-electric potential of this Central Asian Republic. It was also decided to encourage joint ventures and investment in Tajikistan, a Joint Declaration issued after wide-ranging discussions between visiting Prime Minister Vajpayee and Tajik President Enomali Rakhmanov, said. Noting the progress being made by the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) as a regional body, the Tajik side said India`s membership would add to the strength of this body. The Tajik side referred to India`s geographical proximity and historical links with Central Asia and its active participation on regional and global matters of cooperation.
Vajpayee Unveils Statue Of Mahatma Gandhi In Tajikistan
Central Asia Daily
Dushanbe, November 14: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the heart of Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. Speaking on the occasion he announced that India would gift 10 buses to Tajikistan.
Shevardnadze Emphasizes Need To Develop Friendly Relations With Russia
Interfax
Tbilisi, November 14: Georgian President Eduard Sh
vardnadze has said that Georgia needs to develop friendly relations with Russia. `The U.S. did everything possible to make Georgia a democratic country, however, relations with Russia are obligatory. Our American friends always told us that if you want to regulate the Abkhaz and the Georgian-Osetian problems, you have to find a common language with Russia. We will help you, but Russia has the deciding voice, [they said],` Shevardnadze said in a television address on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Meets With Adzharia`s Abashidze
Interfax
Moscow, November 14: Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov met with the leader of the Georgian internal autonomous republic of Adzharia Aslan Abashidze in Moscow on Friday. The meeting took place behind closed doors and for now there is no information available about the subject of the meeting. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told the press at about 11 a.m. that the first round of consultations between Ivanov and Abashidze had ended and `consultations will be continued after a recess.` He said the talks were suspended because Ivanov had a scheduled meeting with High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown. Abashidze came to Moscow for a blitz visit on Thursday evening. The visit was not planned in advance. It is expected that Abashidze`s meetings in Moscow are focused on the political crisis in Georgia and ways to overcome it.
UK Envoy Back At Work In Tashkent
BBC
Tashkent, November 14: The British ambassador at the centre of a storm of controversy, Craig Murray, is expected to return to his post in Uzbekistan on Saturday. Mr Murray, a vocal champion of human rights, left in September for London provoking speculation that he had been removed for political reasons. The British Government has said only that he was unwell and went to London for medical treatment.
Uzbek Head Receives WB ECA Vice President Shigeo Katsu
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, Novembe 13: Uzbek President Islam Karimov received the World Bank`s Regional Vice President for Europe & Central Asia Shigeo Katsu at the presidential residence Oqsaroy on 13 November. Islam Karimov noted that the participation of high rank representative of the World Bank at the Second Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Economic Cooperation increased prestige of the event. Uzbek leader underlined that he pays high tribute to the World Bank`s efforts on assistance in deepening economic reforms in Uzbekistan and expressed hope that strengthening macroeconomic stability, introduction of currency convertibility on current transitions will open new opportunities in this direction, UzA reported.
Uzbekistan Call Donors To Coordinate Actions In Region
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 13: Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov stated Uzbekistan`s strategy on provision of regional cooperation in Central Asia during the Second Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Economic Cooperation, held in Tashkent on 11-12 November. Azimov said that Uzbekistan supports efforts of the Asian Development Bank on solving transport problems of the Central Asian region. He added that all offered transport corridors must pass rigid expertise and groundless customs barriers shall be removed. Uzbek official noted that all works shall be realised in accordance with standards of the World Trade Organisation. The principle of complementary of natural resources in Central Asia must be key in energy and water use, according to Azimov.
Indian PM Arrives In Tajikistan Amid Base Confusion
Kazakhstan News
Dushanbe, November 13: Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee arrived late Thursday in Tajikistan amid conflicting reports about whether India is establishing a military base in this former Soviet republic. Prospects of the base reportedly have angered Pakistan, raising prospects of a new escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Vajpayee made no comment to reporters upon arrival. A senior Indian Defense Ministry official told The Associated Press Thursday India was building a military base at Ayni, 10 kilometers northeast of the Tajik capital Dushanbe. The air base has been renovated by India at a cost of $10 million and will have troops and a runway where fighter and transport aircraft can land, the official said. He said the base has been set up to ensure the security of India`s strategic interests in the region. However, Tajik Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Zarubiddin Sirojev called that information `groundless.` He said military cooperation between India and Tajikistan only included exchange of information and experience, with India providing technical assistance and helping train Tajik military. The Indian Defense Ministry official said the move has angered Pakistan. The two nations have fought three wars since becoming independent from the U.K. in 1947, but have recently taken tentative steps to improve often tense relations. Tajikistan already has foreign troops on its soil. More than 10,000 Russian border guards help patrol Tajikistan`s 1,206- kilometer border with northern Afghanistan. French troops have deployed cargo aircraft at Dushanbe`s civilian airport to support their operations in Afghanistan. India is trying to pipe gas from Central Asia and increase cooperation in the field of energy. The region is also of strategic importance for India because of its proximity to archrival Pakistan. Vajpayee is expected to meet top Tajik officials Friday and sign documents aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation.
UNDP Resident Representative For Kazakhstan, Fikret Akcura
Kazakhstan News
Ankara, November 13: A regional meeting on promoting stability and growth in Central Asia through expanded business opportunities, partnered by the United Nations Global Compact and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and sponsored by the German government, opened in the Kazakh commercial capital, Almaty, on Thursday. `This meeting is a part and next step in our continuing efforts to emphasise the importance of development challenges facing the Central Asian region,` Fikret Akcura, the UNDP resident representative in Kazakhstan, told IRIN from Almaty. In an address to The World Economic Forum on 31 January 1999, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan challenged business leaders to join an international initiative - the Global Compact - that would bring companies together with UN agencies, labour and civil society to support nine principles in the areas of human rights, labour and the environment.
Kazakhstan Still Hoping For OSCE Chairmanship
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 13: Kazakh Security Council Secretary Bulat Utemuratov visited the Vienna headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on 10-12 November to assure the organization that Kazakhstan is still interested in holding that organization`s annual chairmanship in 2009, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on 12 November, quoting a press release from the presidential press service. Questions arose in the Russian media regarding Kazakhstan`s intentions, since the country`s delegation to the OSCE joined the delegations of three other CIS states in criticizing OSCE missions in their countries. Utemuratov met with the current chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Dutch delegation head Justus de Visser; the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Freimut Duve; and the U.S., Italian, German, Russian, and Norwegian delegations, with whom he discussed economic and social developments in Kazakhstan, the election system, the media, and the role of civil society. Utemuratov`s visit was presumably intended to pave the way for President Nazarbaev`s appearance at the OSCE Permanent Council later this month.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister To Visit Moscow In Late November
Interfax
Baku, November 13: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev will arrive in Moscow on November 26 to prepare for President Ilham Aliyev`s first visit to Russia. Interfax obtained this information from Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolai Ryabov on Thursday. `It is too early to talk about the dates of Aliyev`s visit to Russia because the new Azerbaijani president still has a lot to do in his country,` the diplomat said.
Kazakh President Invites Korean Investment In Caspian Oil
Radio Free Europe
Astana, November 13: Visiting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has invited South Korean firms to participate in developing the oil and gas resources of Kazakhstan`s share of the Caspian Sea, KazInform reported on 13 November. Speaking with his South Korean counterpart, Nazarbaev also called for small and mid-sized Korean businesses to come to Kazakhstan and share their experience in innovative development. Nazarbaev`s Korean interlocutors suggested that Kazakhstan could provide a base for Korean investment in other CIS economies.
Uzbek Leader Receives IMF Deputy Managing Director
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 12: Uzbek President Islam Karimov received Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Shigemitsu Sugisaki on 12 November. Erik De Vrijer, advisor at IMF European II Department, accompanied Shigemitsu Sugisaki. `Uzbekistan pays great attention to expanding cooperation with the IMF and highly evaluates support of this international financial organisation for reforms, undertaken in Uzbekistan,` the Uzbek leader said. The sides exchanged opinions on further development of cooperation with international financial organisations, including with the IMF, to continue economic reforms in Uzbekistan, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
Central Asian Countries Committed To Regional Co-operation
Kazakhstan News
Tashkent, November 12: Ministers from Azerbaijan, People`s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan expressed their strong commitment this week to work together to deepen regional cooperation in energy, transportation and trade. In a Ministerial Statement, issued at the end of the Second Ministerial Conference on Central Asia Economic Cooperation in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Ministers `expressed strong commitment to working together, to pursue a shared vision of a region, where people live in harmony and prosperity, with free movement of goods, people and ideas.` `The Ministers reiterated the critical and urgent importance of regional economic cooperation as a means to realizing this vision, especially given close historic, ethnic, cultural and economic ties among the people in the region,` the Statement said. More than 100 delegates attended the Conference, which was organized by ADB and the Government of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with multilateral institutions comprising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. Senior representatives from each multilateral institution and other development partners participated in the Conference. Representatives of Afghanistan, India, Iran, Japan, and Russia attended as observers.
Central Asian Ministers Gather In Tashkent To Discuss Ties
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 11: Ministers and senior officials of the seven countries participating in the two-day Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Programme opened in Tashkent on 11 November to discuss ways to expand cooperation and deepen economic ties.
Kyrgyz Ombudsman Criticises Kazakh Treatment Of Kyrgyz Job Seekers
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 11: During a review of the work of his office in the first 11 months of its existence, Kyrgyzstan`s Ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir-uulu drew particular attention to the plight of Kyrgyz job seekers in neighboring Kazakhstan, `Obshchestvennyi reiting` reported on 11 November. According to Bakir-uulu, more than 4,000 Kyrgyz citizens have officially found work in Kazakhstan, mostly on tobacco plantations, while the actual number is much higher. A recent inspection by Bakir-uulu`s staff found that Kazakh employers were forcing Kyrgyz workers to live in substandard conditions. The Kyrgyz had no recourse because they had no contracts, many were in Kazakhstan illegally, and they lacked the money to return home.
RP, Kazakhstan In Talks Over Oil Development
Central Asia Daily
Manila, November 11: The Philippines and Kazakhstan are in talks for the development of the oil industries in both countries, Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez said yesterday. Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev is in the country for a three-day state visit. Perez said the visit will open up a new door for the country to source its energy requirements, further boosting the Philippines` energy security program. `Given its large oil and gas reserves, Kazakhstan plays a very crucial role in the energy markets. Establishing a strong relationship with Kazakhstan enhances our energy security initiative and at the same time offers us alternative sources of energy as we slowly diversify and lessen our dependence on the Middle East,` Perez said. Perez said one of the highlights of the expanded bilateral talks between President Arroyo and President Nazarbayev focused on possible cooperation in the energy sector, wherein the Philippines can import oil from Kazakhstan.
Arroyo, Kazakh Leader Boost Ties
The Philippine Star
Manila, November 11: President Arroyo and her Kazakhstan counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev agreed yesterday to forge closer business links. Nazarbayev arrived in Manila for a brief state visit late Monday, the first by a Kazakhstan president since diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Agreements signed between both countries included a general framework on bilateral cooperation, visa exemption for diplomats and closer cooperation on tourism. `This is the very first contact and it`s very heavy on business exchanges,` Mrs. Arroyo said. The two heads of states witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on Friendship and Cooperation and the Agreement on Visa Exemption for Citizens and Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports by Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople and Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Kassymzhomart Tokayev. The third bilateral pact was a tourism agreement signed by Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and Tokayev. `His Excellency is inviting our national airlines to land in Kazakhstan on the way to other areas so that we can have more Filipinos seeing that landlocked but very progressive and modernizing country,` Mrs. Arroyo told Palace reporters. `And on our part, Central Asia can become very cold in winter time, so we can offer our beaches in what we call as warm in winter tourism in the Philippines,` she added. Mrs. Arroyo disclosed that Kazakhstan needed some 100,000 foreign workers mainly for oil and building projects and said she hoped many could come from the Philippines. Kazakhstan was `very happy` with the performance of the 5,000 Filipinos already working there, she said. Kazakhstan is the country`s 17th largest trade partner, with two-way trade totaling $129,106 dollars in 2002. Mrs. Arroyo and Nazarbayev also discussed Kazakhstan`s emerging role as a major world energy supplier and both countries` support for the global fight against terrorism. Mrs. Arroyo thanked Kazakhstan for its support to the Philippines` successful bid to gain a seat on the UN Security Council and for backing Manila`s pending bid for observer status in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Karimov Says Good Relations With U.S. Crucial
Interfax
Tashkent, November 11: Uzbek President Islam Karimov said that good relations with the United States are vital to building a democratic society in his country and carrying out economic reforms. Karimov made this statement at a late Monday meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner, the presidential press service told Interfax on Tuesday. The meeting`s agenda included discussions of the future of Uzbek- U.S. relations, regional security and human rights. `Uzbekistan has set the task of building a democratic society, raising the people`s welfare, successfully continuing economic reforms, developing market relations and strengthening stability and security. Uzbekistan is ready for closer cooperation with the United States to meet these goals,` Karimov said.
Envoy To Resume Uzbekistan Post
BBC
London, November 11: The UK ambassador to Uzbekistan is to return to work, following claims he was being pushed out of his job. Craig Murray, 44, returned to the UK two months ago to receive medical treatment for an unspecified condition. Uzbek authorities had indicated he was unlikely to return, after he spoke out against the human rights record in the country - a new strategic US ally. But the Foreign Office said Mr Murray would head back at the weekend, and backed his criticisms of the regime. The Foreign Office has never given details of the condition for which Mr Murray needed treatment. But campaigners said he had been suffering depression after being urged to resign in the wake of his comments, for annoying his host and, therefore, Uzbekistan`s new ally the US.
Armenian, Georgian Presidents Discuss Situation In Tbilisi
Interfax
Yerevan, November 11: Armenian President Robert Kocharian held a telephone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevardnadze, the Armenian presidential press service told Interfax. The two presidents discussed the aftermath of the November 2 parliamentary elections in Georgia, the press service said. Kocharian said he hopes tensions will be relieved soon. He admitted that Armenia and the entire Caucasus region needs political stability in Georgia. The Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakhetia contains a large and influential Armenian community. Some of the Georgian opposition has demanded that the parliamentary elections be invalidated and that President Shevardnadze resign.
Uzbek Leader Receives US Assistant Secretary Of State
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 10: Uzbek President Islam Karimov received US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs Elizabeth Jones and Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Lorne Craner at presidential residence Oqsaroy on 1o November. Islam Karimov expressed satisfaction on development of wide range cooperation and he noted that the present meeting created opportunity for review actual issues of the Uzbek-American relations. The guests expressed gratitude to the Uzbek leader for frank meeting and underlined that the US side will support reforms undertaken in Uzbekistan and cooperation will develop further based on bilateral interests. At the meeting the sides also considered issues of the Uzbek-American ties, regional security, human rights and others. The US delegation also met the Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyq Safaev at the same day.
US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman Visits Samarakand
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 10: On 10 November, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced that the US Department of Agriculture will continue to help Uzbekistan meet its food needs during a visit to Samarkand with government officials.
Uzbek-Czech Trade Relations Growing Steadily
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 10: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Uzbekistan Dana Denkova held a press conference dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the creation of Czech Republic. She spoke to journalists about the country´s and other Central European states´ preparation to join the European Union. Within the preparation to accession to the European Union, the Czech Republic has reviewed the national legislation, undertook full or partial reforms in internal and foreign policy, standards and other statistics norms, economy, customs, social sphere and others, the ambassador said. Dana Denkova noted that the Czech Republic had proven its capability to ensure sustainable development in all spheres of social life with perspectives for decades.
Ataturk Commemorated In Turkmenistan And Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan News
Ashgabat, November 10: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern and secular Turkish Republic, was commemorated in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan upon his 65th death anniversary on Monday. Addressing the ceremony in Ataturk Park which was opposite to the Turkish Embassy in Ashkabat, Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan Mehmet Bahattin Gursoz said that `we come together on Ataturk`s death anniversary to stress the importance of his principles and revolutions once again.` Turkmen Culture Minister Orazgeldi Aydogdiyev, Ashkabat`s Mayor Amangeldi Recepov, Turkmen Foreign Ministry officials, Turkish Embassy personnel, teachers, and many Turkish businessmen and workers in Turkmenistan attended the ceremony. A commemoration ceremony also took place in Turkish Embassy in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Turkish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Cýnar Aldemir, embassy personnel, representatives of Turkish institutions in Almaty attended the ceremony.
Kazakh Leader Arrives For State Visit
The Star
Astana, November 10: Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazabayev`s arrival in the country for a three-day state visit to the Philippines is expected to strengthen ties between the two countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. Nazabayev arrived on board a special Boeing 767-200 flight at 3:50 p.m. yesterday at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City along with 27 members of his delegation. The DFA said relations between the Philippines and Kazakhstan will get a boost with the signing of the protocol on bilateral political consultation and agreements on tourism cooperation and visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders. The agreements were earlier proposed by the Philippines but were placed under consideration by the government of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, a former republic of the Soviet Union in Central Asia, is the Philippines 174th trading partner. The Philippines exports fresh and preserved fruits, apparel and industrial manufactures to Kazakhstan in exchange for iron, steel and electronic components from the former Soviet republic. As part of the state visit, Kazakh officials will meet with their Filipino counterparts and conduct expanded bilateral meetings. The discussions will focus on proposals to improve bilateral trade, investments, energy, tourism and labor cooperation. President Arroyo is scheduled to meet with Nazabayev to finalize the Philippine government`s intent to purchase oil and coal from Kazakhstan, and to discuss possible infrastructure projects in that country.
Nazarbaev Signs Law On Checkpoints On Uzbek-Kazakh Border
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 9: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed a law on ratification of the intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on checkpoints on the Uzbek-Kazakh state border. The law envisages creation of checkpoints with simplified procedures for citizens of the two countries, Kazakhstan Today reported. The agreement envisages creation of the legal base for the activity of customs checkpoints on the Uzbek-Kazakh border in order to curb illegal migration, smuggling of weapons and drugs, as well as taking timely joint measures on prevention of spread of epidemics and epizootics.
European Diplomats Visit Karakalpakstan
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 8: Representatives of embassies of several European states in Uzbekistan visited Karakalpakstan to familiarise with the economic and ecological situation in the Aral Sea Basin. According to UzA, the chairman of Joqargy Kenes (Karakalpak Parliament) Musa Erniyazov acquainted diplomats from Germany, UK, Netherlands and France with the environmental situation in the region and works done in order to eliminate the drought consequences. In particular, he noted that the level of water in the Amudarya River had increased, and in the first seven months of 2003 the Aral Sea received 7 billion cubic metres of water. 3 billion cubic metres of water were delivered to internal lakes. The sides discussed cooperation with the European Union, as well as development of tourism in the region. The delegation also visited the Nukus Art Museum.
Turkmen Minister Terms As `positive` His Tehran Visit
IRNA
Tehran, November 8: Turkmen Minister of the Environment Matkarim Radzhapov who was in Tehran to sign a document on Caspian Sea expressed pleasure with his Tehran visit while terming it very positive. With the minister`s signing of the document, Turkmenistan has joined the framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea. The convention had been signed earlier by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Now the convention has become the first document signed by five Caspian states that underscores the need for joint efforts to prevent an ecological disaster in the Caspian. The Turkmen minister said much time is evidently needed to translate into action the clauses of the document. Iran`s Vice-President and Head of the Department of the Environment Ms Masoumeh Ebtekar thanked Turkmenistan for its support and adherence to the Caspian document.
Turkmenistan Belatedly Signs Caspian Environmental Convention
Radio Free Europe
Ashgabat, November 8: Turkmenistan signed the Convention on Protection of the Environment of the Caspian Sea at a ceremony in Tehran on 8 November, after having failed to do so when the other four Caspian littoral states signed it in Tehran last week (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 7 November 2003), ITAR-TASS and IRNA reported on 8 November. Turkmen Environment Minister Matkarim Rajapov signed the document, which is the first intergovernmental convention to be signed by the five Caspian states. It was reported that the Turkmen delegation at the earlier signing ceremony on 5 November was not authorized by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov to sign the document, which can only be implemented with the signatures of all five littoral states.
Kazakh Police Detains Uzbek Woman With 2.3 Kg Of Heroin
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 13: Officers of the Drug Control Department (DCD) at the South-Kazakh Region`s Central Internal Affairs Department (CIAD) in cooperation with the criminal police from the Linear Internal Affairs Department detained an Uzbek woman with 2.35 kg of heroin. According to Kazakhstan Today quoting the press service of Kazakh Internal Affairs Department, officers of the criminal police department at the South-Kazakh Region`s CIAD have also detained a citizen of Chimkent, who kept at his home a pistol of Makarov PM model with 59 shells and a small-calibre rifle of TOZ-32 model with 300 shells. In Ust-Kamenogorsk (East-Kazakh Region) CIAD`s DCD officers detained a woman, in whose car was found 466 grams of heroin. The criminal cases opened against all detainees.
Amount Of Drugs Passing Through Tajikistan Grows
Interfax
Dushanbe, November 12: The amount of drugs seized by Tajik special services has grown significantly this year compared to last year. `Over a ten month period in 2002, law enforcement agencies and Russian border patrols seized 4,533 kilos of drugs, however, during the same period for 2003, this amount has almost doubled to 8,408 kilos,` the chief of the press service for the presidential drug control agency Avaz Yuldashev told Interfax on Tuesday. He said that the amount of heroin seized has also grown significantly from 2,873 kilos last year to 5,138 kilos in 2003. The amount of raw opium seized increased as well. Over the ten month period in 2002, 898 kilos were discovered, while 1,179 kilos were seized over the same period in 2003. These figures illustrate the growing role that the republic`s law enforcement agencies and Russian border patrol guards need to play in Tajikistan in preventing narcotics from passing through Tajik territory into neighboring countries, Yuldashev said.
Uzbek Citizen Seized With 990 G Of Heroin In Russia
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, November 8: Saratov (Russia) customs officers detained an Uzbek citizen with 990 grams of heroin, according to Interfax. A woman was arrested at Ozinki customs point. The drug was confiscated and sent to expertise. An investigation of the administrative offence has been launched. The expertise will show whether criminal proceeding will be instituted or not, the report said.
Oblast Governor Denies Involvement In Attack On Kyrgyz Security Council Secretary
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, November 8: Naken Kasiev, governor of Osh Oblast in southern Kyrgyzstan, said in an interview with the newspaper `Agym` that he had nothing to do with an assassination attempt against Security Council Secretary Misir Ashyrkulov in 2002 (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 3 November 2003), RFE/RL`s Kyrgyz Service reported on 8 November, quoting that day`s issue of `Agym.` Kasiev said that the person who has been arrested for the attack on Ashyrkulov, in which the official was wounded, had asserted that Kaziev had ordered the assault. Kasiev described this assertion as having originated with his political opponents. Some law enforcement officials have tried to link the Ashyrkulov assassination attempt to extremist groups.
Special Focus
Central Asia: Girls Face Discrimination In Schooling
Gulnoz Ahmadova is one of the lucky women in Tajikistan. She is studying at a university in the capital, Dushanbe. But she says parents often refuse to invest money in the education of their daughters because they know they will only leave the family after marriage.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/pp110903.shtml Political Forces Pick Sides As Georgian Election Protests Continue
With street protests ongoing and the two most prominent opposition groups increasingly strident in their calls for his resignation, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has sought political backing both within and outside the country in a bid to maintain control of the volatile situation.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav111003.shtml International Lenders Assume Burden Of Proof On Pipeline Promise
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project gained a boost on November 11 when the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved $250 million in financing for pipeline development. Seven days earlier, the World Bank made a similar commitment through its International Finance Corporation.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/business/articles/eav111103.shtml The Georgian Election: One Voter`s Account Recent coverage after Georgia`s parliamentary elections has focused on pro-opposition rallies in Tbilisi and countervailing events in Batumi.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav111103.shtml Opposition In Tajikistan Lays Low After High Profile Arrest Tajikistan`s ruling party appears solidly in control. In June, voters passed a peaceful referendum on constitutional changes, and on November 12 International Monetary Fund director Horst Kohler gave an upbeat assessment of the government`s financial management. But a trial against the Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP) Shamsiddin Shamsiddinov shows the government wants to quiet the religious opposition.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav111203.shtml Disillusionment Defines Azerbaijan`s Opposition Recent headlines in Baku`s opposition newspapers have highlighted new international criticism of President Ilham Aliyev`s October 15 election. Despite the ongoing controversy, Aliyev has won recognition from the United States and the European Union, leaving many civil society leaders feeling betrayed.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav111303.shtml Kazakhstan Opposition Party Showing New Stridency As parliamentary elections in Georgia face mounting criticism, maneuvers in Kazakhstan suggest that elections there in 2004 will be more antagonistic than was originally thought. President Ursula Nazarbayev, known for negotiating with multinational players, has started appealing to small and midsize businesses in what analysts are calling a bid to attract the Ak Zhol party. The bid comes as a former Nazarbayev advisor joins Ak Zhol.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav111303a.shtml Touching Base
On October 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov spent seven crucial hours in Kyrgyzstan meeting Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and opening a Russian military base in Kant, described by the minister as `a deterrent to international terrorism`.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/EK15Ag01.html Deploying Abashidze, Georgia`s President Raises Stakes Western observers are alarmed to see Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze, an aging autocrat, making diplomatic trips to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia after helping Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze claim victory in recent disputed elections.
To read more, click on the link:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav111403.shtml
Report Dated 14 November 2003