APRIL 24 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — High winds ripped the Tajik national flag from the world’s tallest flag-pole in central Dushanbe, media reported. Tajikistan erected the 165m high flag in August 2011 to mark the 20th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan had previously held the record with a flag-pole measuring 162m.
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(News report from Issue No. 133, published on April 29 2013)
APRIL 26 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkey signed up to become a so-called dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a group led by China and Russia that includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Belarus and Sri Lanka already hold the same status with the SCO but Turkey is a NATO member and that makes its partnership more important. Analysts have often described the SCO as a potential Chinese and Russian-led military rival to NATO.
This analysis of the SCO, though, is too simplistic. The SCO is more than just a security group. It is also a financing organisation and a forum for inter-governmental conversation and debate.
Turkey, too, has deep economic, historical, cultural and linguistic ties with Central Asia, the focus of the SCO’s activities. Turkish senior governments ministers often visit the Central Asia capitals and it is only natural that Turkey should look to become a member in the region’s main security grouping.
Turkey’s interest in the SCO and its promotion as a dialogue partner should be welcomed by all, including NATO.
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(News report from Issue No. 133, published on April 29 2013)
APRIL 19 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Unknown attackers punched and beat Mahmadali Hayit, head of the Tajik opposition group the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, outside his home, media quoted his family as saying. Photos from hospital showed a bruised and swollen Mr Hayit lying on his bed. Tajikistan is to hold a presidential election in November.
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(News report from Issue No. 132, published on April 22 2013)
MARCH 29 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — In comments made on a trip to Dushanbe, Kazakh foreign minister Yerlan Idrissov appeared to signal Kazakhstan’s intent to mediate in a long-running dispute between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan over water rights, media reported. With Iran’s help, Tajikistan is building a dam that will effect water flow to Uzbekistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 130, published on April 5 2013)
APRIL 5 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) — Ukraine snubbed Tajikistan by releasing, rather than extraditing, former PM Abdulmalik Abdullojonov who is wanted by the authorities in Dushanbe for an alleged assassination attempt on Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon in 1997. Ukrainian authorities detained Mr Abdullojonov, who has been granted refugee status by the US, in February.
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(News report from Issue No. 130, published on April 5 2013)
APRIL 11 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon reiterated his concern that NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan will destabilise Tajikistan and Central Asia, Reuters reported from a conference in Brussels. NATO plans to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Tajikistan shares a 1,200km porous border with Afghanistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 131, published on April 12 2013)
MARCH 20 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – The leaders of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan signed a deal in Ashgabat to build a 400km extension to link up their railway networks, media reported. The deal marks another step to integrating Afghanistan into the regional economy. Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov asked international lenders to help pay the $2b cost of the railway.
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(News report from Issue No. 128, published on March 22 2013)
MARCH 19 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Tajikistan wants Russia to guarantee funding for hydropower equipment in return for extending the lease on its military base. Last year Russia and Tajikistan agreed a 40 year extension to the Russian military base, an issue that had strained relations.
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(News report from Issue No. 128, published on March 22 2013)
MARCH 14 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – Anvar Azimov, a senior Russian diplomat, suggested that Central Asian nationals will need visas to enter Russia from 2015, media reported. Mr Azimov’s comments caused a stir because the economies of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and, to a lesser extent, Uzbekistan are heavily reliant on remittances from workers in Russia.
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(News report from Issue No. 127, published on March 15 2013)
MARCH 2 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – After a 12 year joining process Tajikistan officially became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO approved Tajikistan’s membership at the end of last year. Kyrgyzstan is the only other Central Asian WTO member although Kazakhstan will likely join by the end of the year.
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(News report from Issue No. 126, published on March 8 2013)