Tag Archives: society

Azerbaijan and Turkey in talks on Nagorno-Karabakh film

MARCH 2 2021 (The Bulletin) — Looking to squeeze more propaganda out of its victory in a war last year for control of the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials said that they are already in talks with Turkey to produce a film on the war. In an interview with a Turkish TV channel, Azerbaijani culture minister Anar Kerimov said that it was important to “celebrate the courage of the soldiers”.

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— This story was published in issue 474 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 5 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Kazakhstan is nearly free of coronavirus, say authorities

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MARCH 2 2021 (The Bulletin) — The authorities in Kazakhstan said that the country was effectively in a self-declared coronavirus infection green zone with no cities reporting data that placed them in the red zone and only five cities or regions — Nur-Sultan, Akmola, West Kazakhstan, Kostanay and Pavlodar — in the yellow zone. Kazakhstan has reported 2,800 deaths linked Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

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— This story was published in issue 474 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 5 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Uzbekistan approves Covid-19 vaccine

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MARCH 1 2021 (The Bulletin) — Uzbekistan approved a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Chinese Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co ltd for use under the label ZF-UZ-VAC2001. The Chinese company had been trialling its vaccine in Uzbekistan for several months.

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— This story was published in issue 474 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 5 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Armenian president returns to Yerevan after coronavirus treatment in London

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FEB. 9 2021 (The Bulletin) — Armenian President Armen Sargsyan, who caught the coronavirus on a trip to London over the Christmas period, returned to Yerevan. Mr Sargsyan was hospitalised for a brief period when he was ill with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

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— This story was first published in issue 471 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Foundations laid for new Orthodox church in Uzbekistan

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FEB. 5 2021 (The Bulletin) — Metropolitan Vladyka Vikenty, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Uzbekistan, consecrated a new church in Nukus, the first in Uzbekistan’s western region of Karakalpakstan. Russia has been keen to push its cultural influences in Central Asia over the past few years and the Orthodox Church is known to be close to the Kremlin. Media reported that there are 37 Russian Orthodox Churches in Central Asia.

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— This story was first published in issue 471 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Major Tbilis park closed for renovations

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FEB. 3 2021 (The Bulletin) — The Tbilisi city authorities closed Vake Park, one of the city’s favourite and largest parks, for renovation. Residents are worried that the park will be given a heavy-handed makeover and have said that they like the dilapidated feel of the park and space that it gives them. City officials have said they will retain the park’s character.

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— This story was first published in issue 471 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Aliyev says the West’s vaccine drive is “neo-colonalism”

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FEB. 2 2021 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticised the West for what he said was the “unequal distribution” of vaccinations for the Covid-19 disease. Mr Aliyev said that the prioritisation of vaccines for populations in Western countries showed that a “neo-colonial” mindset was predominant. Azerbaijan has ordered vaccines from Western pharmaceuticals companies, from China and from Russia. It has just started its own trials of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine.

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— This story was first published in issue 471 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Tajikistan says it has beaten the coronavirus

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FEB. 1 2021 (The Bulletin) — Tajikistan’s government said that it has defeated the coronavirus as there hadn’t been any recorded cases of the virus for three weeks. It immediately ordered the reopening of mosques which had been closed since April as a lockdown precaution. Tajikistan has recorded 90 Covid-19-linked deaths. Analysts said that the real figure was likely to be far higher.

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— This story was first published in issue 471 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Georgia to reopen shops from Feb. 1

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JAN. 22 2021 (The Bulletin) –Georgia’s government said that after a compulsory coronavirus lockdown, shops will be allowed to reopen from Feb. 1 and that a month later, on March 1, schools and public transport will restart operations. Georgia had been praised for its tough initial lockdown but had to redouble efforts in the autumn after a far worse-than-expected second wave.

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— This story was first published in issue 469 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Two Azerbaijani sailors held in Libya return home

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JAN. 21 2021 (The Bulletin) — Two Azerbaijani sailors, imprisoned in Libya after the ship that they were working on was detained on smuggling charges in 2016, were released. Elmihan Bagirov, captain of the ship that was owned by a Turkish company and was sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone, and Aliaga Babayev, a sailor, spent five years in a prison in Libya, convicted of smuggling oil products. Another Azerbaijani sailor died in custody.

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— This story was first published in issue 468 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin