Author Archives: admin

Opinion poll in Armenia backs Customs Union membership

SEPT. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – An opinion poll in Armenia has highlighted support for joining the Russia-led Customs Union, despite sanctions against Kremlin-linked companies that have triggered a negative knock-on effect on the Armenian economy.

The poll carried out by Gallup last month showed that 60% of people in Yerevan still favoured joining the Customs Union later this year, media reported.

Aram Havasardyan, Gallup’s representative in Armenia, said that this was a slight drop from the 70% who favoured membership of the Customs Union in 2013.

Clearly support for Russia has held up in Armenia despite the sanctions against Russia imposed on it by the US and the EU because of its meddling in Ukraine. This is important for President Serzh Sargsyan who has been pushing for membership.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

US criticises Georgian charges

SEPT. 13 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Once again the United States has said it is concerned about criminal charges brought against leading members of the former Mikheil Saakashvili government. The current government has charged several members of the previous government with abuse of power.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Political row bubbled in Georgia

SEPT. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Tension between Georgia’s President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, and its PM, Irakli Garibahvili appeared to bubble to the surface. Mr Margvelashvili accused Mr Garibashvili of thwarting his attempt to speak at the UN by planning his own address at the UN General Assembly. Growing tension between the presidency and the PM is important to monitor.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Kyrgyzstan opened another trial against Bakiyev

SEPT. 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan has opened another trial against Maksim Bakiyev, the son of ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, media reported. Bakiyev lives in London. He fled Kyrgyzstan with his father in 2010. He has already been sentenced in absentia to 25 years in jail for corruption.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Uzbek cotton harvest begins

SEPT. 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Opposition Uzbek websites reported that the annual cotton harvest had begun. This is important as human rights groups have accused Uzbekistan of using forced human labour to pick the cotton. One news outlet, uznews.net, said 40% of medical staff in one region had been sent out to pick cotton.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Kazakhstan to launch new high-speed train routes

SEPT. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan plans to launch three more high-speed train routes by the end of this year, part of a programme to upgrade infrastructure. Media quoted the press service of Temir Zholy, the Kazakh train company, saying the upgraded routes would be Astana-Kyzlorda, Astana-Ust Kamenogorsk and Almaty- Ust Kamenogorsk.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Armenia launches PR campaign

SEPT. 11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenia’s president Serzh Sargsyan is spearheading a publicity drive to promote the country, the BBC reported. Mr Sargsyan wants expatriate Armenians to write positive stories about their homeland in a PR drive called One Armenian, One Article.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Tajikistan to receive more investment

SEPT. 13 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – China will boost its total investment in Tajikistan to $3b within four years, a massive amount for the country, media reported quoting the Tajik presidential press service. Tajikistan’s entire annual GDP is roughly $3b. The leaders of Tajikistan and China met after the SCO summit in Dushanbe.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Turkmen GDP still growing

SEPT. 13 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Central Banks of Central Asia have been warning of slowing economic growth because of the impact of sanctions on Russia.

Remittances from workers living in Russia are falling, manufacturing imports from Russia have dropped and Russian petrol supplies have reduced, driving up overall inflation.

There is no panic, yet, but there is a lot of great concern.

Except in Turkmenistan. Its economy has virtually decoupled itself from Russia. A row over gas prices forced Turkmenistan to look for new clients several years ago. Now China it its major client.

Russia is still a client, as well as a handful of other countries, but China holds most sway.

Turkmenistan underlined its different trajectory when it announced that GDP between January and July in 2014 had risen by 10.3%, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. For now, at least, China appears to be good partner, especially compared to Russia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Israeli defence minister visits Azerbaijan

SEPT. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya’alon visited Baku for a two day trip aimed at bolster military ties and trade.

This was the first trip by an Israeli defence minister to Azerbaijan for 22 years, media reported.

“I’m happy to be hosted here in the first historic visit by an Israeli defense minister to Azerbaijan,” Mr Ya’alon said.

“We have bilateral strategic relations and cooperation in different areas.”

Azerbaijan has become an unlikely ally for Israel over the past few years. For Azerbaijan the attraction is two-fold. It wants to buy military equipment that Israel produces to bolster its own military and it wants Israel as an energy client.

For Israel, the attraction is mainly military. A couple of years ago it emerged that Israel had drawn up contingency plans to set up a forward airbase in Azerbaijan if war ever broke out with Iran. Israel and Iran are sworn enemies. Azerbaijan lies next to Iran.

Last month Iranian media said that Iran had shot down an Israeli drone that had taken off from an airbase in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s situation has grown slightly more complicated over the past year as ties with Iran have improved. Its links with Israel, though, appear solid.