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Iran to build Armenia hydro site

NOV. 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Iran is to build a hydro-electric plant in Armenia, one of the strongest signals yet that the two neighbours are developing ever closer relations.

The Iranian state-run news agency, Fars News quoted Iran’s energy minister Hamid Chitchian as saying that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the two sides and that construction of the hydro-electric plant will start shortly.

The two neighbours have been working on the deal for some time.

In many ways, both Armenia and Iran have been forced to work with each other because of their various geo- political scenarios.

Armenia borders Azerbaijan and Turkey, both enemies, and is short of friends in the region. Iran is looking for allies to bolster its position during the current US- imposed sanctions.

Over the past few years Armenia and Iran have widened their cooperation, particularly with energy swaps.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 209, published on Nov.19 2014)

Kumtor slowdown costs Kyrgyzstan

NOV. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan will lose $65m in revenue this year because of a delay in restructuring the Kumtor gold mining project, the country’s biggest industrial operation, media quoted Eldar Tadzhibayev, head of the Kyrgyz mining union, as saying. Kumtor has been the focus of a major row between Kyrgyzstan and its Canadian partners.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Fatal off-shore accident occurred in Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea

NOV. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – An oil rig partially collapsed in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, killing at least one worker. This was the second fatal accident on Azerbaijan’s off-shore energy sector in less than a month, throwing up general safety concerns.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Armenia remittances fall

NOV. 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Remittances to Armenia from Russia were 8.6% lower in September this year than in the same month in 2013, media reported quoting the Central Bank. Armenia’s economy is closely linked to Russia which is suffering from a severe downturn triggered by a falling oil price and Western imposed sanctions.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Russia and Kyrgyzstan to agree on defence deal

NOV. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan and Russia are close to agreeing an air defence deal, Russian news agency ITAR-Tass reported quoting officials after a meeting between the two countries’ defence ministries. Russia already has a similar agreement with Kazakhstan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Microsoft praised Armenia’s tech

NOV. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – On a trip to Yerevan, US software company Microsoft praised Armenia’s drive to boost its tech sector. Mark Day, a senior official at Microsoft, described Armenia’s tech sector as reaching a “world level”. Armenia has highlighted technology as an area it can attract foreign investment.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

No devaluation says Kazakh Central Bank

NOV. 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kairat Kelimbetov, head of the Kazakh Central Bank, said the tenge currency would not be devalued for at least three years. The comments, made at a conference in Almaty, were the strongest indicator yet that, despite a falling rouble, the tenge would not devalue for the second time this year.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Uzbek guards shoot Kyrgyz man

NOV. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Uzbek border guards shot and injured a Kyrgyz man along the Uzbekistan- Kyrgyzstan border, media reported. The Uzbekistan- Kyrgyzstan border is one of the most fragile border zones in the region. Analysts have said that any spark could destabilise Central Asia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

OSCE criticise Azerbaijan

NOV.10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Europe’s main democracy watchdog, the OSCE, accused Azerbaijan of crushing independent media. Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE media representative, said free media had been “purposefully persecuted under various, often unfounded and disturbing charges.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Turkmenistan signs gas deal with Turkey

NOV. 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan signed a deal with Turkey to provide gas for a new pipeline running from the Caspian Sea to Europe.

The deal means that Europe will take delivery of Turkmen gas directly, part of a major proposed new gas route that will avoid using Russian infrastructure.

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan singed the deal with his Turkmen counterpart Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov during a visit to Ashgabat.

“We attach great significance to deliveries of Turkmenistan’s natural gas to Europe via Turkey,” media quoted him as saying.

“Europe’s energy security is important for us.”

Over the past few years, Turkmenistan has boosted its exports of gas dramatically. China is its main client but it has also sorted out alternatives. Joining the so-called TANAP pipeline is a major boon for Mr Berdymukhamedov as well as for Europe.

The TANAP programme will pump gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz 2, which is under construction, to Central Europe by 2019 although it was always envisaged that other countries would also use the pipeline.

Turkmenistan has previously expressed some interest in sending its gas to Europe but had not unveiled any specific plans. Now that a deal with Turkey has been struck, it seems that Turkmenistan is committed to sending its gas to Europe.

Importantly, though, neither Mr Erdogan nor Mr Berdymukhamedov revealed any of the details of the deal.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)