MAY 13 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Georgia and China formally signed a free-trade agreement that Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili described as a vital step towards boosting relations. Under the agreement, almost all goods will be exempt from import duties. The deal was agreed at the end of last year and should be operational by the end of this year.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 19 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled to Turkmenistan for the second time in 10 weeks, an indication of just how important he regards bilateral relations. Mr Mirziyoyev’s interest in Turkmenistan lies in stark contrast to his predecessor, Islam Karimov, who preferred an isolationist stance. Mr Mirziyoyev’s first overseas trip as president was made to Ashgabat in March.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 18 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Valery Permyakov, the former Russian soldier convicted of stabbing to death a family of seven in 2015 in Gyumri, Armenia’s second city, was transferred to Russia to see out the rest of his life sentence. Permyakov had been serving at the Russian military base in Gyumri when he murdered the family.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 10/11 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, finished a tour of Uzbekistan by saying that in general he was confident that the country, often derided as one of the worst in the world for human rights, had started to mend its ways.
Mr Zeid’s visit was the first by a UN Human Rights Commissioner to Uzbekistan since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It has been viewed as a turning point in Uzbek relations with international institutions and a major PR victory for Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev who has been looking to woo global institutions.
In a statement at the end of his two night trip to Uzbekistan, Mr Zeid said that he had been impressed by the new Uzbek administration’s endeavor setting up a series of units to improve human rights.
“Uzbekistan is, in my view, at a crossroads. The volume of constructive human rights related proposals, plans and new legislation that has emerged since President Mirziyoyev took up the office is remarkable,” he said.
“It is going to be a long and difficult road to get near that point [improved human rights], with obstructions and setbacks, but I do believe the journey has begun.”
The New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement afterwards saying that Uzbekistan’s rhetoric now needed to be turned into action.
Mr Mirziyoyev, inviting Mr Zeid to tour Uzbekistan was a risk. In the end, though, he appears to have impressed Mr Zeid. He wants to improve Uzbekistan’s image to give it access to finance, which is increasingly linked to human rights, and gain more acceptance.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 11-14 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — A slew of Central Asian officials flew to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for bilateral talks and also regional development. Visitors included Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on his first visit to China since becoming Uzbek leader in September last year. China has become an important driver of economic development in the region with its ‘One Belt, One Road’ policy that envisions Central Asia as a stagepost for Asia-Europe trade. The Central Asian leaders returned home with billions of dollars worth of deals.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 20 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan agreed to give $100m to Kyrgyzstan to help its integration with the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union. The funds have been earmarked for help to improve customs procedures and veterinary checks. The two issues have caused friction between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan over the past few years. Kyrgyz have become increasingly sceptical about the Eurasian Economic Union.
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(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)
MAY 11 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — At the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) AGM in Cyprus, Uzbek representative Sodiq Safoyev, a deputy speaker of Uzbekistan’s Senate, asked for the bank to speed up cooperation. The EBRD has promised to engage more with Uzbekistan now that Islam Karimov has died. New Uzbek president has tried to mend broken relations with Uzbekistan’s neighbours and partners, including the EBRD. The EBRD withdrew funding for projects in Uzbekistan in the mid- 2000s after a row over human rights.
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(News report from Issue No. 328, published on May 12 2017)
MAY 9 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan restored Victory Day celebrations in a nod to improving ties with Russia. The celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 is one of the biggest holidays in Russia but under former President Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan had downgraded the event to a simple wreath laying ceremony. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president since September last year, is trying to boost relations with Russia and move away from his predecessor’s isolationist stance. He has been to Moscow to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pointedly, this year he attended a theatrical performance that included Soviet- era vehicles, songs and performers dressed as soldiers.
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(News report from Issue No. 328, published on May 12 2017)
MAY 11 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled to China for his first visit to the country as Uzbekistan’s leader. During the three-day visit, Mr Mirziyoyev is expected to sign various headline deals with his Chinese counterparts. China has become perhaps the biggest driver of economic growth in Central Asia over the past few years.
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(News report from Issue No. 328, published on May 12 2017)
MAY 8 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Iranian officials said they were ready to sue Turkmenistan in an international arbitration court for cutting gas supplies this winter, ramping up tension between the neighbours.
The announcement highlights just how far relations between Iran and Turkmenistan have splintered since Turkmen officials said last year that Iran hadn’t paid a $1.8b bill for gas delivered in 2007 and 2008.
In a statement quoted by Iranian media, Hamid Reza Araqi, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), said Turkmenistan had failed its commitments.
“The price of gas, the damage they inflicted on Iran in winter by cutting off gas supplies, and the quality of gas delivered to Iran are three cases claimed by Iran,” he was quoted as saying. “Iran’s documents are ready to be submitted to the International Court of Arbitration.”
To some extent the row shows the strain an economic downturn has put countries and their leaders under. Before Turkmen officials accused Iran of reneging on bills, relations had been improving every month. As well as gas supplies Turkmen electricity was being imported, political links had been strengthened and there was talk of Iran providing Turkmenistan with access to the Persian Gulf through a swap system.
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(News report from Issue No. 328, published on May 12 2017)