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Turkmen president changes Ashgabat Games logo

MARCH 26 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan’s President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov apparently ordered a redesign of the official mascot of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, a shepherd’s dog named Wepaly, that Ashgabat is hosting in September after deciding that it gave out the wrong image.

Only two weeks after his official introduction as the mascot of the Games, the green dog with the face tattoo and the slightly confused, baffled look has been replaced by a white eager-looking dog wearing a traditional sheepskin hat.

In a long explanation of the new Wepaly’s attributes released on a state-run website, an official wrote that the alabai dog had been chosen as the Games’ mascot because it had always been man’s best friend, standing guard over flocks of sheep and homes.

“Wepaly is sincere, fair, acts decisively and always overcomes the enemy. He is a brave, strong-willed, fearless character and will be an inspiring example for the triumphs of Turkmen athletes,” the state-run news agency wrote. Wepaly means true in Turkmen. Wepaly is then shown playing a series of sports from chess to Thai boxing to football.

The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is the opportunity that President Berdymukhamedov has been looking for to showcase Turkmenistan. Sports events are increasingly used by leaders in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan has hosted the inaugural European Games, will stage its second F1 Grand Prix later this year and has been chosen to hold matches for the 2020 European football championships.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Georgian officials to hand control of Rustavi-2 TV

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MARCH 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — In a move that appears designed to outmanoeuvre a directive by Georgia’s Supreme Court to hand control of the Rustavi-2 TV channel to a pro-government businessman, the TV channel owners said that they wanted to give their shares to a company called Rustavi-2 is Mine ltd that is owned by its journalists and other employees. Earlier this year, the European Court for Human Rights stepped in and blocked the Georgian Supreme Court’s order to hand over control of Rustavi-2, which is fiercely critical of the government, to Kibar Khalvashi, who said he had been stripped of control of the TV channel by former Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Riot police clash with protesters in Kyrgyz capital

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BISHKEK, MARCH 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Roughly 500 people protested outside the security services in Bishkek against the arrest of a former MP, the latest and most violent in a series of demonstrations that have punctured the relative peace of the Kyrgyz capital this year.

Sadyr Japarov, a former MP, was arrested at a border checkpoint when he tried to return to Kyrgyzstan after fleeing the country in 2013.

Protesters scrapped and fought with police, in what has been described as the most violent anti- government clashes this year, after the deadline for Mr Japarov’s release from questioning by the security serv- ices came and went without him emerging. Bishkek is increasingly tense with presidential elections scheduled for November expected to be a tightly fought affair.

Police armed with riot gear had to move in to break up the demonstrations. Police said that they detained 68 people.

There have been several protests already this year in Kyrgyzstan focused on allegations made against the main opposition party Ata Meken, but opinion among experts and locals about this unexpected protest were divided. Some said the arrest, the protest, and quickly-ar- ranged press conference given by the ministry of interior looked suspicious.

“The brave arrival of Sadyr Japarov with the simultaneous organisation of an assertive protest, which would certainly fail, is somewhat strange,” wrote Nurbek Toktakunov, a well- known civil activist and human rights advocate in Bishkek, on Facebook.

A Bishkek lawyer said that the organisational skills shown by the ministry of interior in staging a press conference immediately after the protest were unprecedented.

“The ministry of interior rarely gives press conferences about demonstrations. This is surprising,” he said, asking to remain anonymous.

Other analysts said that the protest may have been organised by the security services to discredit the opposition. Mr Japarov’s return was unexpected as it is unclear what he was returning for, although some said he wanted to drum up support for standing in the presidential election. He had been an MP with the now marginalised Ata Zhurt party, and had largely been forgotten during his self-imposed exile.

The state authorities had accused him in 2012 of trying to overthrow the government. He denied the charges and fled the country.

Some locals praised the police action, though.

“Unregistered protests lead to anarchy. They began to throw stones, plastic bottles and broke through the cordon,” said Daniyar, 27, a resident of Bishkek. “It was a good job our policemen took preventive measures, otherwise it would be chaos.”

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Remittances in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan fall, in general

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MARCH 22 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Remittances to Central Asia from Russia, a vital engine for economies in the region, fell in 2016 compared to 2015, data from the Russian Central Bank showed. Uzbeks working in Russia sent back $2.74b in 2016, down from $3b in 2015 and Tajiks sent back $1.9b compared to $2.2b the year before. Kyrgyzstan actually increased its remittances from Russia to $1.7b in 2016 from $1.5b.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Turkmen president’s son takes another key role

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MARCH 21 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the only son of Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has been appointed chairman of parliament’s legal affairs committee, an influential position. Pres. Berdymukhamedov started to promote his son last year, sparking claims that he was grooming him to be his heir. Mr Berdymukhamedov junior was first promoted to a senior position within the foreign ministry and was then, a short time later, made an MP.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Russia accuses Georgia of undermining talks

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MARCH 23 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — In the run-up to the 34th round of bilateral talks in Geneva between Georgia and Russia, the Russian foreign ministry accused its Georgian counterparts of a series of provocative statements designed to undermine the talks. The Geneva talks have been a vital part of the reconciliation process between Russia and Georgia since a war in 2008.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Azerbaijan signs up another lobby group

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MARCH 22 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Azerbaijan has signed BGR Government Affairs to lobby for its interest in Washington, the Politico website report. Politico said that Azerbaijan was paying BGR Government Affairs a $50,000/month retainer for its services. Azerbaijan already has the Podesta Group on a $45,000/month retainer. Its critics have previously accused it of spending too much on lobbying while it limps through an economic downturn that has pushed the economy into a recession.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Kazakhstan says wants to build its own regional Ease of Doing Business index

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ALMATY, MARCH 21 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Looking to ape the World Bank’s global ‘Ease of Doing Business’ survey, Kazakh officials said they wanted to set up a regional version covering all of Kazakhstan.

The survey will measure how difficult, or easy, Kazakh and foreign companies find it to do business in Kazakhstan’s regions, providing data for investors and the government.

Serzhan Madiyev, head of the state-linked Economic Research Institute said that the index had been ordered by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

“We provide recommendations to the government on what needs to be done to raise the position in this rating every year,” he told the state- owned Astana Times newspaper. “It

is very important for attracting foreign investments.”

Kazakhstan has been looking to attract more investors, and its ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking by the World Bank has improved. In 2017, it was ranked in 35th position. The World Bank survey, though, doesn’t measure corruption, one of the main grudges that foreign investors have.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Tajikistan holds war games with Russia

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MARCH 27 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajikistan and Russia started a four day military exercise near the border with Afghanistan in a show of force designed to demonstrate the resolve of the two countries and the strength of their alliance. Media reports said that the military exercise involved 40,000 Tajik soldiers, 2,000 Russian soldiers and several hundred tanks and artillery pieces. Russia has said it is worried about the potential of Taliban encroachment into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Armenian president signs deals with UAE

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MARCH 22 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Looking to boost investment from the UAE, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan travelled to Dubai to sign various deals. The most significant deal was a visa waiver between Armenia and the UAE. Media reports of Mr Sargsyan’s visit to the UAE said that discussions had focused on expanding bilateral relations, especially in tourism, agriculture and water management.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)