BISHKEK, FEB. 20 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Feb. 27/28.

In Astana Mr Putin will bolster President Nursultan Nazarbayev who has taken an increasingly tough line on opposition figures and also against the media. In Dushanbe, Mr Putin is likely to discuss Tajikistan’s eventual membership of the Krem- lin-lead Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) with President Emomali Rakhmon.

But Bishkek will be the most complicated stopover for My Putin. There he will discuss a presidential election in November and the EEU.

“Possibly, the Kyrgyz authorities’ candidate will be chosen with the Kremlin, as loyalty to the President of Russia is important,” Bishkek based political analyst Mars Sariyev told media.

And then there is the issue of the EEU which Kyrgyzstan grudgingly joined in 2015. It’s popularity has waned as an economic downturn has bitten. Businessmen said import tariffs and sanitary certificates needed to export to EEU members had become a barrier for exports of clothes, meat, vegetables, and dairy products.

At Bishkek’s Dordoi bazaar, one of the biggest in Central Asia, opinion was mixed. Most complained but one trader saw it differently. He said that the EEU was also positive for some aspects of business.

“The only benefit is the fast growth of local textile manufacturers,” he said.

ENDS