Category Archives: Uncategorised

Azerbaijani court jails youth activists

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan’s strong-handed approach to opposition activists may have reached a tipping point after rare scuffles between young anti-government campaigners and police.

The trigger was a judge’s decision to jail eight leaders of the NIDA anti-government youth movement to between six and eight years on charges of hooliganism, possessing drugs and explosives and intent to spread public disorder.

If the charges sound draconian and Soviet that’s because they are, say human rights activists. The authorities say that they are simply doing their job and protecting the state.

Over the past few years, the authorities in Azerbaijan have been steadily ramping up their campaign against anti-government activists.

Barely a month passes without an opposition figure appearing in a court on charges of hooliganism. These court appearances invariably end up with a jail sentence.

Police arrested all eight NIDA activists during demonstrations in Baku in March 2013 against the death of an army conscript in mysterious circumstances.

The verdict, although predictable, triggered scuffles outside the courthouse in Baku and more detentions. The violence was not particularly serious but it is still important. Although street demonstrations in Azerbaijan are sometimes tolerated, there is very little history of violence against the police.

There may, though, be more to come.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Construction work damages Uzbek heritage site

APRIL 30 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Construction work at the turquoise domed Registan in Samarkand, listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, has damaged a couple of the towers, media reported. Two of the madrassa’s 18th century towers have developed a lean of 8cm since work began on building an amphitheatre in the complex.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Armenian President appoints new government

MAY 3 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan officially appointed a new government which analysts said would be better placed to propel the country into the Russia-led Customs Union. The previous government resigned over its unpopular pension plans, a scheme the new government has watered down.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Tension builds in Kyrgyzstan’s second city

MAY 3 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Gunmen shot a relative of Osh’s popular but controversial former mayor, Melis Myrzakmatov, at his home near the southern capital, sparking fears that a turf war may be brewing.

Jenish Sadiev, 39, to whom the Kyrgyz National Opposition Movement refer to as Mr Myrzakmatov’s nephew, died in hospital on May 2.

Once considered the most powerful politician in the country’s ethnically fragmented South, Mr Myrzakmatov’s whereabouts has been unknown since he failed to win a mayoral election in January.

The former Mayor, accused of stirring ethnic tension in 2010 that triggered violence which killed hundreds, nevertheless retains strong networks in and around the city especially among ethnic Kyrgyz. He is considered a potential opposition figurehead to the central government in Bishkek.

But a mix of politics, organised crime, ethnic division and family loyalties mean that few things are simple in Kyrgyzstan.

Suyin Omurzakov is the chief of police for Osh city. He also happens to be a political rival of Mr Myrzakmatov. He denied that Sadiev, the dead man, was related to the Mr Myrzakmatov and also rejected any government role in the shooting.

Whatever the truth tension is rising in Osh, already a tinderbox of divided loyalties and discontent.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Georgians still favour the West

MAY 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a poll for the US-funded National Democratic Institute, Georgians favoured joining the EU and NATO over Russia, although the gap had
narrowed. Of the 4,000 poll respondents, 77% agreed with the government’s aim of joining the EU (85% in November) and 72% agreed with joining NATO (down from 72%).

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Kazakhstan plans tax breaks for investors

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Looking to woo foreign investors, Kazakhstan plans to introduce various tax breaks and other benefits, economy minister Yerbolat Dossayev said. These new measures are likely to include 10-year tax breaks and visa free entry for 90 days for investors from developed countries.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

World Bank pledges $2.5b for Kazakhstan

MAY 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The World Bank signed a framework agreement with Astana to invest a further $2.5b into small and medium sized businesses and to help reform the banking sector.

This is a strong statement of intent from the World Bank.

“We are ready to start the first project on easing the access to financing for SMEs. We are glad that our collaboration with the government has been renewed,” said a spokesperson at the World Bank’s office in Astana.

In the same week, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also signed an agreement to join its proposed $1.6b investment with a $5.5b cash injection from Kazakhstan’s own national funds.

ADB top management described the investment as “groundbreaking” as they gathered at a summit with the government in Astana.

Their investments will be primarily focused on the development of small and medium enterprises and strengthening the non-oil sector of the economy.

Both deals are important for propelling Kazakhstan further towards its stated aim of becoming one of the world’s top 30 economies by 2050.

The world’s main financial institutions appear to believe that the Kazakh economy can achieve this, or at least can punch further above its weight.

One experienced financial professional in Almaty was more candid, however. “If the money is directed towards the development of infrastructure and the private sector, then it’s a good thing. Otherwise, it can be a waste,” he said.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Uzbekistan strives to improve diplomatic ties

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Diplomatically, at least, Uzbekistan appears in high demand.

At the end of a trade mission to Bangladesh, Uzbekistan signed deals worth $100m, cementing the growing cotton-fuelled Tashkent-Dhaka axis (April 30). Since then, too, nations from across the world have been lining up to increase ties with Uzbekistan.

Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso visited Tashkent and held talks with president Islam Karimov on boosting trade relations (May 6) and Malaysia’s deputy PM also visited on a similar mission, carrying a similar message (May 4).

From the EU, Latvian officials started to arrive in Tashkent for the start of the next round of bi-lateral talks (May 5) and from South America Chile’s ambassador to Uzbekistan, officially seated in Moscow, said the country wanted to open up a permanent trade office in Tashkent (May 1).

To round off a busy week, the US’ second most senior diplomat, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns included Uzbekistan on a whirlwind tour of Central Asia (May 5).

Strategically located next to Afghanistan and with plenty of cotton, energy and gold resources, Uzbekistan has become a state that others now want to do business with.

It wasn’t long ago that Uzbekistan, with its distinctly dubious human rights record and unilateral foreign policies, was considered a pariah state.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

University corruption grows in Kazakhstan

APRIL 30 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Corruption at universities in Kazakhstan is now so endemic that it has become an industry worth $100m a year, media reported quoting the ministry of education. Buying a decent grade in an exam costs about $300. Corruption is still rampant in Kazakhstan despite the government’s attempts to stamp it out.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Iran and Turkmenistan renegotiate gas deal

MAY 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Iran and Turkmenistan are set to re-negotiate their goods-for-gas deal, Iranian media reported quoting Iran’s energy minister Bijan Namdar Zanganesh. Turkmenistan has been supplying gas to Iran for years in return for goods such as home appliances and other electrical products that Iran manufactures.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)