AUG. 19 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – A lack of opportunities has turned Tajikistan into a prime recruiting ground for radical Islamists, Eurasianet reported. Eurasianet said Tajiks could earn more money fighting for extremists in Syria than they could working on a construction sites in Russia, the usual way for Tajiks to earn money to send home.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 196, published on Aug. 20 2014)
AUG. 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Cherie Blair, wife of ex-British PM Tony Blair, has negotiated a contract to advise Kazakhstan’s ministry of justice for three months for $200,000, the Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Blair has been an adviser to Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev since 2011.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 196, published on Aug. 20 2014)
AUG. 19 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Demonstrating China’s regional prowess, the Chinese security chief, Meng Jianzhu, pledged to help Tajikistan beef up its law enforcement services and security operations. China has been increasing its clout in Central Asia over the past few years and now considers the region as part of its extended domain.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 196, published on Aug. 20 2014)
AUG. 18 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan’s economy grew by 4% between January and July, Alikhan Smailov, head of the Kazakh statistics committee, said. This is lower than predicted at the start of the year because of the impact of sanctions on Russia over its alleged arming of rebels in Ukraine.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 196, published on Aug. 20 2014)
AUG.12 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia has agreed to give Kyrgyzstan $500m to prepare for joining the Customs Union. Kyrgyzstan is hoping to join the Customs Union, which will morph into the Eurasian Economic Union, later this year. Belarus and Kazakhstan are already members.
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(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
AUG. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The TAPI gas pipeline that is planned to run from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India is already influencing regional trade links. At a meeting in Ashgabat to discuss progress on the project, Pakistan and Turkmenistan also agreed to improve bilateral ties.
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(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
AUG.11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Sixty paintings by Uzbekistan’s Victor Ufimtsev, considered one of the masters of the mid-20th century futurist movement, have been lost or been stolen, an Uzbek opposition website reported. Opposition members in Uzbekistan have previously alleged that members of the Uzbek elite have stolen the paintings.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
AUG.10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian president Vladimir Putin hosted talks between Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.Fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh has intensified over the past few weeks threatening a 1994 cease-fire.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
AUG.11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili responded to criticism from US senators that Georgia was unfairly prosecuting former president Mikheil Saakashvili for abuse of power by saying his prosecution would create a more equal society.The US, Georgia’s most important ally, has said charges against Mr Saakashvili are politically motivated.
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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
AUG.11 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgian defence minister Irakli Alasania flew to Kabul to meet his Afghan counterpart and sign various memorandums agreeing to broaden cooperation. The visit and the agreements underline Georgia’s desire to help Afghanistan and curry favour with the US. It wants to join NATO and is using its military as an extension of its diplomatic corps.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 195, published on Aug. 13 2014)
