Category Archives: Uncategorised

Pneumonia rates in Kyrgyzstan are 25% higher than normal

JULY 21 2021 (The Bulletin) — Pneumonia rates in Kyrgyzstan in the first six months of the year were 25% higher than normal, media reported. Kyrgyzstan has been criticised for not being accurate enough with its coronavirus data. Officially, Kyrgyzstan has recorded 2,217 deaths from coronavirus since the pandemic started last year.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Turkmen police kidnap doctor, says HRW

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JULY 21 2021 (The Bulletin) — Human Rights Watch, the New York-based lobby group, accused the Turkmen government of the illegal abduction of Kursanai Ismatullayeva, a doctor, a few days after the European Parliament discussed her case for wrongful dismissal from a clinic near Ashgabat in 2017. Philippe Dam, the HRW Central Asia director, said that Turkmenistan had a “horrific” record of abducting people who tried to expose government corruption.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

US court says Kyrgyzstan was in contempt of court over Kumtor

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JULY 21 2021 (The Bulletin) — A court in the US has ruled that the Kyrgyz government was in contempt of court for continuing to prosecute the Toronto-based company Centerra Gold for environmental damage at the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, Centerra Gold said. The Kyrgyz government has expropriated the mine, although Centerra Gold said it will challenge this expropriation in US courts.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Power cut strikes Yerevan

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JULY 21 2021 (The Bulletin) — A power cut hit a large part of Yerevan, a blackout that analysts linked to a heatwave that has triggered heavy use of air conditioning units and fans. Analysts have said that Armenia needs to do more to increase its electricity production to meet a surge in demand linked to a rise in living standards. It is over-reliant on the Soviet-era Metsamor nuclear power station to generate power. The 45-year-old power plant was supposed to be decommissioned in 2017/18. Instead, its lifespan has now been extended until 2027.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

US court rules against Kyrgyz government over Kumtor

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 21 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Skirmishes intensify between Azerbaijan and Armenia

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JULY 20 2021 (The Bulletin) — Militaries of both Azerbaijan and Armenia reported that skirmishes along their shared borders had intensified. Some reports even said that heavy weapons had been brought up from the rear. Analysts said that the visit to Moscow by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev may have sparked off the intensified skirmishes. With the help of Turkey, Azerbaijan defeated Armenia in a war last year for control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Turkmenistan plans to change status of cotton processing plants

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JULY 20 2021 (The Bulletin) — Turkmenistan is planning to change the status of its cotton processing plants in Mary, one of its bigger cities, and elsewhere in the country to open joint-stock companies, media reported. It is not clear why the Turkmen government wants to make the change, although the Trend news agency said that it was an important step towards modernising the plants and attracting investment.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Putin wants more aviation cooperation with Central Asia

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JULY 20 2021 (The Bulletin) — In a clear pitch for Russia’s aviation business, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin said that he wanted to deepen Russia’s cooperation in the aviation sector with other member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Mr Putin was speaking at the opening of the MAKS 2021, air show in Zhukovsky, Russia. The EAEU includes Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Uzbek MMA fighter dies in car crash

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JULY 19 2021 (The Bulletin) — Murad Hanturayev, Uzbekistan’s most successful mixed martial arts (MAA) fighter and one of the best-known people in the country, died in a car crash aged 34. Known on the MMA circuit as the Asian Bear, Hanturayev had reportedly fought 12 times since he started his career in 2013, losing only twice. Reports said Hanturayev was driving his BMW X5 on a motorway outside Tashkent when he lost control and crashed.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Armenian opposition MPs to take up seats in parliament

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JULY 19 2021 (The Bulletin) — Armenia’s opposition MPs, with the exception of former president Robert Kocharyan, said that they would take their seats in parliament, diverting a potential constitutional crisis. Opposition groups in Georgia declined to take their seats after an election last year which they said was fraudulent. Analysts had worried that the opposition in Armenia would do the same. Nikol Pashinyan won a majority in the election last month. Mr Kocharyan, whose party now holds 29 of 107 seats in parliament, said that his status as a former President precluded him from taking up an MPs position.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021