Category Archives: Uncategorised

Oilmen strike in western Kazakhstan

JULY 28 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Around 700 oil workers staged a two-hour strike, protesting against alleged pay cuts and job losses at the Burgylau oil service company in Zhanaozen, western Kazakhstan, the US-funded RFE/RL reported. Burgylau is linked to businessman Yakov Tskhai, who owns a majority stake in its parent company KazPet- roDrilling. In 2011, around 15 people died in Zhanaozen during clashes between striking oilmen and police.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 291, published on Aug. 1 2016)

MTS wants to sell Uzbek stakes

JUNE 27 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian telecoms operator MTS wants to sell its Uzbek assets, two anonymous sources from the company and the ministry of information told Interfax. The move follows other competitors, like Telia Company and VimpelCom, who are looking to divest from the country, after a corruption scandal hit the telecoms sector. MTS owns 50.01% of UMS, the Uzbek government owns the rest.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

China agrees to loan Uzbekistan

JUNE 30 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — China has agreed to loan Uzbekistan $2.6b to implement various joint projects, Uzbek President Islam Karimov said. The deal highlights Chinese strategy in Central Asia where it is prepared to hand out cheap loans in exchange for infrastructure projects developed by Chinese companies. The loans also give it political influence.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Pakistan and India signed pledges to join SCO in Uzbekistan

JUNE 26 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Pakistan and India signed pledges to join the Russia and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2017 at the group’s annual summit meeting, held this year in Tashkent. This would be the first time since its inception in 15 years ago that the SCO has expanded beyond its core focusof Central Asia. China, in particular, has used the SCO to expand its influence across Central Asia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Editorial: The UN Security Council

JULY 1 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Kazakh government scored a major diplomatic victory when it was elected to a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for 2017-18.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev said it was a “historic achievement”, one that will promote Kazakhstan as the face of Central Asia in the international arena.

It’s also a major achievement for the Kazakh diplomatic corps who have lobbied hard for a seat at the UN Security Council ever since Mr Nazarbayev made it a priority a couple of years ago.

Kazakhstan beat Thailand conclusively in the final vote and will now be the first country from Central Asia to hold a seat at the UN Security Council on behalf of the Arab-Asia bloc.

Importantly for Mr Nazarbayev, the position fits nicely with the narrative he has tried to build of Kazakhstan as a global power. In 2010, Kazakhstan hosted a summit of the OSCE, Europe’s democracy and security watchdog, and next year it hosts EXPO-2017.

ENDS

(Editorial from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Kazakhstan imposes export ban

JUNE 29 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan’s government imposed an export ban on ferrous and non- ferrous metals until the end of the year, to avoid shortages of scrap metal in the country. PM Karim Massimov said the shortage could prevent Kazakhstan from reaching its industrial goals. Kazakhstan plans to increase production of metals by 10% this year. Last year, production fell by 2.5%.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Kyrgyzstan focused Manas moves into Africa

JUNE 29 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan-focused miner Manas Resources said it bought a gold project in Tanzania, in an effort to diversify its operational portfolio. Thedeal, struck with an Italian private group, will cost Manas $2m cash and $2m in shares. Last week, Manas halted trading at the Australian Stock Exchange, ahead of its announcement of the deal. After the deal was announced, Manas’ share price doubled to 0.4 Australian cents.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Turkmen President continues his firing spree

JUNE 26 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – On a trip to to the northern Turkmen province of Dashoguz this month, President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov continued his firing spree by sacking seven officials and reprimanding nine others, the local language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Mr Berymukhamedov has sacked dozens of government officials over the past couple of years as he looks to shift blame over an economy that continues to falter.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Azerbaijani and Uzbek weightlifters face ban

JUNE 27 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Azerbaijani and Uzbek weightlifting teams are both facing a ban from competing in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer after their athletes failed a series of drugs test, media reported. Weightlifters from Russia and Kazakhstan have already received a ban.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Two Kyrgyzstani die in Istanbul attack

JUNE 30 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Two of the 44 people who died in an attack on Istanbul airport by three suspected Islamic extremists were from Kyrgyzstan, media reported. Passengers for a flight to Bishkek were checking in when the three attackers opened fire on a terminal building and then detonated suicide bombs.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)