APRIL 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to the Georgian rebel region of Abkhazia to attend the opening of Russia’s new diplomatic mission, triggering an angry note from Georgia (April 18). Russia is one of the few countries that recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008 after a war with Georgia.
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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)
APRIL 18 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymkuhamedov travelled to Astana to meet with Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev and sign a deal which they said marked the end of any border disputes between the two neighbours. Both sides said that the deal meant that the borders would now be fixed.
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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)
BISHKEK, APRIL 16 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Tbilisi, Ashgabat and Bishkek in a three day charm offensive designed to bolster support and trade across a pliant Central Asia and South Caucasus region.
In Ashgabat Mr Zarif met with President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in Tbilisi he met PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili and President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and in Bishkek he met with Pres. Almazbek Atambayev.
Of all the meetings, perhaps talks with Mr Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat were the most important. Turkmenistan and Iran had been developing trade intensively until Turkmen officials accused their Iranian counterparts of not paying a $1.8b gas bill. They have said that they will take the case to an international arbitration court unless it is resolved.
Although no mention of the disputed gas bill was made after the meeting in Ashgabat, media did quote Turkmen foreign minister Rasit Meredow as saying that Mr Zarif’s trip was a “big step in political and diplomaticrelations”.
Since some Western sanctions were lifted on Iran last year, the Iranian government has been working to promote its interests in its near abroad. Major inroads have been made in promoting relations in Central Asia/South Caucasus, such as easing visa rules and bilateral investment deals.
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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)
APRIL 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said that it is working with Iran, Russia and Turkey to persuade Syrian rebels to attend peace talks scheduled for next month in Astana. Talks last month were stunted because the rebel faction pulled out at the last minute. The fourth round of Syria peace talks in Astana comes as tension between the opposing sides hits new highs. Rebels have accused the Syrian government of dropping chemical bombs on a town, killing dozens of civilians. The Syrian government and its Russian allies deny the charges.
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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)f
APRIL 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — On a trip to Tashkent, French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault discussed improving security relations with Uzbekistan. Mr Ayrault is the most senior Western government official to visit Uzbekistan since Shavkat Mirziyoyev took over as president in September 2016. He has opened up the country to the West, including persuading the EBRD to start investing in Uzbekistan once again.
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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)
DUSHANBE, APRIL 11 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — After three aborted attempts blamed on a variety of different issues, Uzbekistan Airways made its first flight between Tashkent and Dushanbe for 25 years.
A spokesman at Dushanbe Airport said that the Uzbekistan Airways flight had landed at 8.03am local time. Earlier in the year a flight by the privately-owned Somon Air landed at Tashkent airport from Dushanbe.
The resumption of flights between the two capitals was considered a vital sign of improved relations between the neighbours. Uzbekistan Airways has said that it now intends to fly between Tashkent and Dushanbe twice a week.
Under Uzbek president Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan perused an isolationist policy, especially with regards to Tajikistan which he viewed virtually as a pariah state.
Karimov was particularly incensed by plans drawn up by his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rakhmon, to build a dam across rivers that feed Uzbekistan’s cotton fields. His successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been more avuncular and has patched up damaged relations.
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(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)
APRIL 13 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan, currently a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the host of talks on the Syrian civil war attended by Russia, Iran, Turkey and various Syrian factions called for an independent investigation into allegations that Syrian forces dropped chemical bombs onto a town in the south of the country at the start of the month. Syria, backed by its ally Russia, has denied the accusations.
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(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)
APRIL 12 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Visa liberalisation with the EU is the next obvious step for EU-Armenia relations, Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said at a meeting with his European counterparts. Last month an enhanced partnership agreement came into play between the EU and Armenia. Georgia won visa-free access to the EU at the end of March, but Armenia is a member of the Russia-centric Eurasia Economic Union and a visa- liberalisation process has not been discussed.
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(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)
APRIL 13 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will visit Uzbekistan on April 14, the Uzbek foreign ministry announced. Uzbekistan is still considered a controversial country to visit because of concerns about its human rights record, although President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said that he wants to attract more foreign investment.
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(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)
MARCH 28 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan flew to Ashgabat for a meeting with Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, his first visit to Turkmenistan since taking on the premiership in September last year. According to reports from the meeting, he pledged to boost bilateral cooperation.
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(News report from Issue No. 323, published on April 6 2017)