Author Archives: Editor

Turkmenistan opens its first dog shelter

AUG. 20 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Officials in Turkmenistan opened the first cat and dog shelter in the country, government news agencies reported. The shelter, called the “Island of Hope” was opened less than a month before the start of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The government’s critics said that it has previously treated stray dogs and cats poorly and that the opening of the shelter is an attempt to generate positive headlines.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Kyrgyzstan appoints new PM

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AUG. 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan’s parliament confirmed Sapar Isakov, previously President Almazbek Atambayev’s chief of staff, as the new PM (Aug. 25). His predecessor, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, resigned to run for president in an election set for Oct. 15. Mr Atambayev is barred by the Kyrgyz constitution from running for a second term in office. He has backed Mr Jeenbekov.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Azerbaijan detains head of last independent news agency

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AUG. 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Turan news agency, described as the last independent news outlet in Azerbaijan, said it would close on Sept 1 after its director and owner was detained on tax evasion charges.

Human rights groups said that the charges levelled at Turan’s director, Mehman Aliyev, were false and should be dropped. He was detained and officially charged with tax evasion on Aug. 24.

“Who at this point can seriously believe that this is not a politically motivated case to silence a strong, independent voice in Azerbaijan’s deserted independent media landscape,” Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Turan and Aliyev, no relation to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, are accused of owing around $21,500 in unpaid taxes from 2014/16.

Azerbaijan has one of the worst records for independent media in the world. It has clashed with the European Union and the US, who accuse the Azerbaijani government of a systematic campaign to subvert the media, over the past few years.

And the US released a strongly worded statement describing the arrest of Aliyev, considered to be one of the post-Soviet pioneers of journalism in Azerbaijan, as an “Assault on media freedom”.

“These actions by the government of Azerbaijan to curtail freedom of press and to further restrict freedom of expression are the latest in a negative trend that includes the government’s May decision to block access to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other independent media websites,” the statement said.

“We urge the government of Azerbaijan to immediately release Mehman Aliyev, and all those incarcerated for exercising their fundamental freedoms, in accordance with its international obligations and OSCE commitments.”

The Azerbaijani government has not commented.

There are dozens of Azerbaijani journalists in jail for various reasons including various financial crimes, drug smuggling and gun possession.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Weapons depot at military base in Azerbaijan explodes

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AUG. 27 (The Conway Bulletin) — At least six people were injured when a weapons depot at a military base around 70km north of Baku exploded, hospital sources in Azerbaijan told media (Aug. 27).

In 2016, a blast at an arms factory near Baku killed at least two people and injured 22 more.

Eyewitness reports described a series of massive explosions at the base. Emergency services closed off nearby roads and evacuated two villages.

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry declined to comment on reports that a number of people had been injured.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Kazakh Central Bank cuts interest rates

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ALMATY AUG. 21 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan’s Central Bank cut its key interest rate by a quarter of a percent to 10.25% because it said that inflationary pressures had slowed. It also said, though, that further rate cuts this year were unlikely. The Kazakh Central Bank had yanked up interest rates to 17% in 2016 because of a collapse in the value of the tenge and also inflationary pressure.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Papa John’s says to open in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

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ALMATY, AUG. 24 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — US pizza chain Papa John’s said it would expand its franchise stores into Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, building on what it said was a successful venture into Russia and Belarus (Aug. 24). Papa John said that it planned to open its first restaurant in Almaty by the end of the year and that it would open 15 more by 2022. In Bishkek, it said it planned to open six restaurants.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Turkey says it is interested in joining Eurasian Economic Union

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AUG. 19 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkey’s economy minister, Nihat Zeybekci, said that the country was interested in joining the Eurasian Customs Union, the customs-free zone that includes the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The comments underline Turkey’s drift away from Europe towards Russia and Central Asia. The Eurasian Economic Union is led by Russia and also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. Importantly, Turkey did not say it wanted to join the EEU.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

Radio Free Europe complains about Azerbaijan to European court

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SEPT. 13 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — The US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said it had filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against Azerbaijan for deliberately hampering its reporting. RFE/RL was evicted from its office in Baku in December 2014 after the Azerbaijani authorities accused it of various tax related offences. RFE/RL has complained that the Azerbaijani authorities are dragging out their investigation to hamper attempts by RFE/RL to clear its name in court.
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— This story was first published in issue 343 of The Conway Bulletin on Sept. 15 2017

Russian foreign minister Lavrov says that US labs are a threat

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DEC. 17 (The Conway Bulletin) – In an interview with Russian radio station Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov once again criticised US-funded laboratories in the Central Asia and South Caucasus region. The main target of his criticism was, once again, the Lugar Center in Tbilisi but he also said that there were US-funded laboratories in Armenia and Kazakhstan. Russian officials have said that these laboratories have military links although Georgian officials have denied this.

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>>This story was first published in issue 395 of The Conway Bulletin on Dec. 23 2018

Uzbekistan signs $2.6b of deals with US companies

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SEPT. 20 (The Bulletin) — Uzbek media reported that on the sidelines of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, a delegation had signed a series of deals with US businesses worth $2.6b. It said that the deals covered a range of potential investments and included companies such as Boeing and Visa. Uzbekistan has said it wants more foreign investment.

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— This story was first published in issue 344 of The Conway Bulletin, now called the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Sept. 24 2017.