Category Archives: Uncategorised

Georgia questions Saakashvili ally

APRIL 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt summed up the reaction of the West when he said it smacked of “the politics of revenge”. He was talking about the questioning by prosecutors of Giga Bokeria, regarded as the brains behind the government of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Mr Bokeria is the latest in a line of officials from the Saakashvili era to be questioned about alleged crimes committed during their time in office.

The case is believed to relate to several articles in the international press last year that criticised billionaire ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili. Mr Ivanishvili, who unseated Mr Saakashvili, has accused Mr Bokeria of using state funds to spread false information.”

Although questioned as a witness, sources believe Mr Bokeria could face criminal charges.

ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

Massimov returns as Kazakhstan’s PM

APRIL 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev re-shuffled his government, bringing back Karim Massimov as PM.

Nurlan Nigmatulin, formerly the Nur Otan head in parliament, was promoted to replace Mr Massimov as head of the presidential administration.

Mr Nazarbayev also gave his eldest daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva a boost by promoting her to head Nur Otan in parliament. Nur Otan is Mr Nazarbayev’s political party.

The re-emergence of Mr Massimov, who had been PM between 2007 and 2012, and the promotion of Ms Nazarbayeva set off speculation over who would eventually succeed Mr Nazarbayev.

Ms Nazarbayeva, 50, has enjoyed a resurgence back into public life after winning a seat in parliament in 2012. Until 2007 she had been prominent but fell from grace when her then husband, Rakhat Aliyev, argued with her father and then fled abroad.

Both Ms Nazarbayeva and Mr Massimov are among the favourites to succeed Mr Nazarbayev when he finally steps aside.

ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

Gas production soars in Turkmenistan

APRIL 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — More statistics from Turkmenistan’s state statistics figures underline just how quickly the economy is growing.

Turkmenistan’s economy is apparently growing at 10% per year. This is an energy-powered growth and as well as showing overall economic growth in Turkmenistan, the state’s statistics committee also said that gas production had increased by 6.9% in the 12 months to the end of March.

Most of Turkmenistan’s gas production is now flowing to China although it has other clients, including the Middle East and Russia.

One area of real growth is electricity production. Turkmenistan has increased electricity production by over 16% in the past 12 months, the statistics agency said.

This is not only for domestic consumption, although increased electricity use is an indicator of general economic growth, but also for export. Turkmenistan is ideally situated to supply its more troubled neighbours with electricity. These clients, current and future, include Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

NATO boosts Georgia and Armenia’s aspirations

APRIL 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Less than a week after US President Barack Obama said NATO would not invite Georgia to join, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described Georgia as a “special partner”. Georgia is desperate to join NATO and Mr Rasmussen’s comments will have given its leaders hope that one day it will be a NATO member.

ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

Armenian court says pension reform is illegal

APRIL 3 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the government’s flagship pension reforms were illegal, triggering a fresh crisis at the top of the Armenian political spectrum.

The ruling was a major blow to the government which has stubbornly stuck to its pension reform agenda despite increasing levels of public discontent. It also appeared to come as a surprise.

The following day Tigran Sargsyan resign as Armenia’s PM, although he did not link his resignation explicitly with the Court’s ruling. There have been perpetual rumours about his health and other job offers.

Later this month, the government also faces a vote of no confidence in parliament. Opinion polls have shown that its popularity has sunk to fresh lows.

And most of this unpopularity stems from the pension reforms.

Thousands have marched against changes which were introduced at the start of the year. The reforms stated that everybody born after Jan. 1 1974 would have to pay 5% of their salary into a state pension fund. The state has promised to match private contributions to the pension fund up to a maximum of $61 per month.

But now the Constitutional Court has ruled that the pension reforms introduced by the government restrict the rights of its citizens.

The problem for Armenia is, similarly to other countries in the former Soviet Union, it simply has to reform its state pension system to pay for its aging population and to compensate for the large grey economy.

ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

Azerbaijan and Armenia’s foreign ministers meet

APRIL 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov, met in Moscow under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss setting up talks between their presidents on the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. All incremental moves towards high-level talks over Nagorno-Karabakh are important.

(News report from Issue No. 179, published on April 9 2014)

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan open border checkpoints

MARCH 31 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Checkpoints along the disputed Kyrgyz-Tajik border have re-opened for the first time since a shootout between border-guards in January, media reported. The border is disputed between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, one of a number or territorial flashpoints across Central Asia.

(News report from Issue No. 178, published on April 2 2014)

Uzbekistan screens Hollywood film early

MARCH 28 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Several cinemas in Tashkent reportedly screened the new Hollywood film Noah on March 27, the day before its official release in the United States.

(News report from Issue No. 178, published on April 2 2014)

Russia to Georgia remittances drop

MARCH 31 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Remittances from Ukraine and Russia to Georgia fell during the first two months of the year, media reported, quoting Central Bank statistics. Cash from Russia is still the largest proportion of remittances to Georgia, nearly half, but the statistics said it was down by around 6% from a year earlier.

(News report from Issue No. 178, published on April 2 2014)

Car bomb kills Kyrgyz kick-boxer

MARCH 27 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — A car bomb in Tokmok, northern Kyrgyzstan, killed champion Kyrgyz kick-boxer Ruslan Abasov and injured his wife and child. Media reported that police are investigating links to organised crime gangs. Abasov has won the Eurasian and European kick-boxing championships.

(News report from Issue No. 178, published on April 2 2014)