Category Archives: Central Asia & South Caucasus News

Cracks show in relations between Azerbaijan and EU

FEB. 6 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tension between Azerbaijan and the European Union spilled out into the open at what was meant to be a friendly summit meeting, highlighting the complexity of a relationship essentially built on gas.

First the Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, said as he headed off to meet Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev that the “nice part of my day is over” and then, a few hours later, Azerbaijan cancelled a meeting with senior European Parliament members. The European parliament had, the day before, hosted an event to push for greater human rights in Azerbaijan.

Relations between the two sides have been strained for years. The EU recoils at Azerbaijan’s alleged crackdown on the media and opposition activists, while Azerbaijan accuses the EU of trying to interfere with its domestic politics.

But Azerbaijan-EU relations are also important. The EU desperately wants to reduce its dependency on Russia for its gas. And they have bet on Azerbaijan and its plan to pump gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe.

It was to discuss plans to pump gas along the the so-called Southern Gas Pipeline Corridor across Georgia and Turkey, through southeast Europe and into Central Europe, that moved Mr Aliyev to travel to Brussels.

Things, though, got off to a bad start whenMr Juncker wrapped up a press conference prior to meeting Mr Aliyev with what appeared to be a derogative aside.

“Thank you, have a nice day,” he was quoted by media as saying to journalists at the end of press conference. “I will now see the president of Azerbaijan, so the nice part of my day is over.”

Although, Mr Aliyev and Mr Juncker did meet up, releasing a joint statement afterwards about strong relations, it was clear that the tone had been set. An Azerbaijani official declined to comment on Mr Juncker’s remarks.

Mr Aliyev also met with Federica Mogherini, the EU’s chief diplomat, and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. After these meetings both sides released friendly statements.

Mr Tusk said both that he had raised human rights with Mr Aliyev and that he also wanted to improve Azerbaijan-EU relations.

“We want to upgrade our relationship and develop its full potential through a new bilateral agreement,” he said.

A few hours later, though, there was another set back when Azerbaijan cancelled a meeting with Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament. In the build-up to Mr Aliyev’s visit to Brussels, human rights groups had signed a petition calling for Europe to push harder for rights in Azerbaijan.

The European Parliament has been particularly vocal in its criticism of Azerbaijan’s crackdown on human rights activists and journalists who criticise the government.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Georgia to change breakaway region’s name

FEB. 7 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — In a jibe at Georgia’s central government, the rebel authorities in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia called a referendum on April 9 to vote to rename the region South Ossetia-Alania. Alania is the semi-mythical term for the combined region of North and South Ossetia. North Ossetia lies inside Russia, which the South Ossetian rebels want to join. The Kremlin has recognised South Ossetia’s independence since a war with Georgia in 2008. Only staunch Russian allies have followed this lead.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)f

Tsarukyan becomes chairman of Prosperous Armenia party

FEB. 10 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — At a congress in Yerevan, Gagik Tsarukyan one of the wealthiest Armenians, was officially sworn in as chairman of the Prosperous Armenia party. He had quit the party in 2015 after a row with Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan but said last month that he wanted to return for Armenia’s parliamentary elections in April. Analysts said that his return was designed to pull anti-government votes away from the real Armenian opposition parties.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Georgian prosecutor investigates alleged pressuring of judges

FEB. 10 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Georgia’s Prosecutor-General launched an investigation into an alleged attempt to pressure two Supreme Court judges presiding over a case to decide the ownership of the Rustavi-2 television station. Rustavi-2 is Georgia’s most popular TV station. It is also firmly in opposition against the current Georgian Dream coalition government. The Prosecutor said that the two Supreme Court judges asked for the investigation after receiving SMSs and letters trying to pressure them into a result that would favour the government.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Tajikistan makes first flight to Uzbekistan in 25 years

FEB. 10 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — A Somon Air flight made the first passenger flight between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for 25 years, highlighting the improved relations with neighbours that Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered his officials to develop since taking over the presidency in September. Mr Mirziyoyev took over from Islam Karimov who died on Sept. 2 after ruling Uzbekistan for 25 years. Somon Air is a Tajik airline. According to reports there were 65 passengers on the first flight.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Uzbekistan to give rural households chickens and lemons to boost economy

FEB. 9 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Uzbek government plans to give around 2m households who live in rural areas chickens and lemon trees to feed themselves and to trade, the Reuters news agency reported quoting a document published on a government website.

The handouts are a core part of the drive by the new Uzbek administration, headed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to kick-start the rural economy. According to World Bank data, around 14% of Uzbekistan’s 31.3m people live in poverty, mainly in rural areas where two-thirds of the population live.

Specifically, the government wants to give 850,000 families up to 100 chickens each and to help another 1.07m households to build greenhouses for lemon trees. A government agency will then buy back some of these chickens and lemons for export.

Mr Mirziyoyev has been president of Uzbekistan since September 2016 when Islam Karimov died.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Kazakh capital to host Syrian technical ceasefire talks

FEB. 6 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Officials from the United Nations, Russia, Turkey and Iran met in Astana to discuss the technical aspects of a ceasefire deal that they hope to impose on a civil war in Syria between President Bashar al- Assad’s forces and rebels. Astana has hosted a series of Syria ceasefire talks, the most recent in January. While the success of the talks is still open for debate, the positive PR generated by the Astana talks for Kazakhstan as a global mediator is undeniable.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Azerbaijan admits that prices are rising

FEB. 9 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s government has finally admitted that prices are rising across the country, pushed up by a sharp fall in the manat currency and a dire economic outlook, but that these rises are not going to hurt ordinary people.

In a press release aimed at dampening growing frustration with the government, deputy PM Ali Ahmedov said that the government was investing in schemes that should suppress prices.

“I do not think the current level of increase in prices will affect the level of poverty in Azerbaijan,” he said.

Although evidence on the streets of people’s frustration with price rises is muted, social media sites, and especially Facebook, are full of disgruntled posts. Facebook in particular has become an important medium for ordinary people to express their views relatively freely.

One Facebook user, Elnur, said that the government was not doing enough to prevent price rises and was supporting big business over small.

“The government is guilty of not preventing large holdings and companies that create monopolies in imports, impacting price increases,” he wrote.

Irada Bayramova, a school teacher who lives in Baku, described the price rises to the Conway Bulletin.

“I used to pay 2.40 manat for tea. Now the price of the same tea is 3.27 manat. Previously 1 kg of potatoes was 1.05 manat but now I need to pay 1.59 manat,” she said.

“Everything is too expensive and the prices do not fit salaries. We cannot buy products in the market. The government needs to help us as we are in a hard situation.”

Azerbaijan’s oil-backed economy has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 316, published on Feb. 10 2017)

Kazakh president sends Tasmagambetov to Moscow

FEB. 3 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Until last Friday, Imangali Tasmagabtov had a sparkling CV. He was considered the consummate Kazakh insider and the man with a hotline to the president. If Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh president since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, wanted something done, he turned to Tasmagabetov, his trusted lieutenant.

The urbane Tasmagambetov had been the Kazakh PM between 2002 and 2003; mayor of Almaty between 2004 and 2008; mayor of Astana between 2008 and 2014; defence minister from 2014 until 2016 and then a deputy PM until Feb. 3 2017. In each one of these sensitive positions, Nazarbayev personally appointed Tasmagambetov.

In Kazakhstan’s myopic politics, Tasmagambetov had even been talked of as a president-in-waiting and, if he had been given the top job, this would have come as no major surprise as his career has closely tracked that of Nazarbayev.

Now, followers of Kazakhstan’s politics will have to think again. Tasmagambetov will not be the next Kazakh president. That was made clear on Friday.

Instead, he will move to Moscow as the Kazakh ambassador to Russia, a diplomatic exile that will undermine his powerbase and take him away from the cauldron of Kazakhstan’s Astana-based politics.

It is amanoeuvre that has served Nazarbayev well. He has dispatched other powerful figures to embassies where they have been forced to watch the main action from the sidelines.

Perhaps Tasmagambetov’s error was to become too powerful and too popular. The 60-year-old had a high profile, bigger

than almost all other Kazakh politicians because of his tenureship of both the Almaty and Astana mayoral positions. He was also considered by ordinary people in Kazakhstan to be one of the most “Kazakh” of the elite, a major advantage in a country grappling with its newfound nationalism. He was popular and considered a man who got stuff done.

Kazakh politics will move on without Tasmagambetov. For now. But he is an ambitious man, born into a humble household in western Kazakhstan who still retains a sizable support-base. Don’t write off a comeback for the new Kazakh ambassador to Moscow.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 315, published on Feb. 3 2017)

Second round of Syria talks scheduled, says Kazakh ministry

FEB. 2 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — A second round of talks focused on finding a solution to the war in Syria have been scheduled for Feb. 6, Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said. The talks, with Turkey, Russia and Iran as the main powerbrokers, are a follow up to talks held last month in Astana. For Kazakhstan, the talks are a good opportunity to market itself as an arena for international deal-making.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 315, published on Feb. 3 2017)