Tag Archives: government

Armenia’s CBank shifts research unit to spa town

DILIJAN/Armenia, JUNE 4 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Once best known as a spa resort in the north-eastern mountains of Armenia, for the past couple of years Dilijan has also been a base for the Central Bank.

As part of a government plan to redistribute wealth around the country, the Central Bank moved 100 employees in the Central Bank’s research department and their families to this quiet, gentle mountain town of around 20,000 people.

“Central Bank’s move to Dilijan has had multiple effects,” the Armenian Central Bank chairman, Artur Javadyan, told the Bulletin on a trip to Dilijan.

“Our staff’s first concern was whether their children would have appropriate education and other facilities for permanent residence. This encouraged the Central Bank to create new and high quality infrastructures.”

It’s an ambitious project for the Central Bank to tackle. It had to build new infrastructure for its employees, such as schools, sports centres and apartment blocks, investments which have had positive drip-down effects on the local population, their shops and businesses.

And it appears to be paying off. The Central Bank employees who have moved to Dilijan, which lies in a national park, said they were enjoying the experience.

“It is great in here,” one said as birdsong floated across the air. “After a hard working day we go to play football, have some beer and rest.”

Nearby, a supermarket has experienced a boost in demand for products generated by the workers.

And Armenia’s newest financial hub — even if it is a small, embryonic one — is also a magnet for tourists interested in nature. Surrounded by forested mountains, Dilijan is famous for its natural springs which have attracted tourists from around the world.

“We’re so happy to see our city developing, where you can see the contrast of old and new,” said a Dilijan resident.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

Turkmen President issues 1,200 amnesties

MAY 16 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – To celebrate Constitution Day on May 18, Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov issued an amnesty to 1,200 people languishing in Turkmenistan’s prisons, the AFP news agency reported. Mr Berdymukhamedov is given to issuing presidential amnesties to mark official holidays.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

Georgia splits interior ministry

MAY 17 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia’s government approved a plan to split the country’s much-loathed interior ministry in two.

The idea is to spin off the security and intelligence responsibilities of the interior ministry and unravel a merger created by former president Mikheil Saakashvili. He joined the two ministries together in the early part of his 2004-13 administration under the premise of cutting costs. Since then, though, its unpopularity has grown and opposition parties have pledged to break it up.

The most eye-catching part of the reform is placing the new State Security Service under parliamentary control to increase surveillance over it. The head of the State Security Service will be elected for one six year term only.

These reforms will, probably, prove popular with ordinary Georgians. They are also important at a former Soviet Union level too as they once again show Georgia’s ambitions.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

Kazakhstan could buy Karachaganak stake

MAY 18 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan could buy a 29.25% stake in the Karachaganak oil and gas project in the north of the country when Shell completes its buyout of BG Group next year, BG Group said in its annual report.

Kazakhstan has been looking to increase its stake in various projects. Karachaganak was one of the last major operations that the Kazakh government took a stake in. It bought a 10% stake in Karachaganak for $3b in 2012.

Now, with Shell buying BG Group, Kazakhstan has the opportunity to buy a far larger chunk of Karachaganak.

“It is possible that the Republic of Kazakhstan may claim to have a right to acquire the Group’s interest in the Final Petroleum Sharing Agree- ment governing the operation of the Karachaganak gas and con- densate field in the event of a change of control of BG Group following a takeover bid,” BG Group said.

The Kazakh government hasn’t commented.

Karachaganak is one of BG Group’s most prized posses- sions, accounting for 9% of its revenues in 2014. Analysts have said that BG Group’s stake maybe worth around $4.4b.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

EBRD downgrades Georgian economic growth rate

MAY 14 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – At its two-day annual general meeting in Tbilisi this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development downgraded the host nation’s economic growth rate from 4.2% to 2.3% in 2015.

The EBRD’s latest report predicted overall stagnation in 2015 across all its 35 countries in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. This is mainly due to a drop in oil prices and pressure on currencies generated by a strong US dollar.

Specifically, the EBRD said it had downgraded Georgia’s economic growth prospects because of the stronger than expected impact of the regional financial crisis centred on Russia. This expressed itself in lower remittances from abroad and a heavy drop in the value of national currencies.

Money transfers from abroad in April were down 25% on 2014 and the Georgian lari has also lost 34% of its value against the US dollar since November 2014.

These dreary economy forecasts pile extra pressure on the Georgian Dream coalition government although EBRD president Suma Chakrabarti did have some more comforting words for his hosts.

He said that Georgia was still performing better than average and has the strong potential for economic growth in the future.

“I don’t think it will be too long before Georgia will be able to take advantage of its productive potential going forward and the economic fundamentals here are sound,” he said.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

Turkmenistan cracking down on media

MAY 19 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The New York-based Human Rights Watch accused the Turkmen government of using new rules which ban satellite dishes from apartment blocks because they are an eyesore as a pretext for cracking down on independent information sources.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

EU criticises Kyrgyzstan on gay rights

MAY 18 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – At a meeting in Brussels focused on human rights, the EU criticised new legislation passing through Kyrgyzstan’s parliament that outlaws promoting gay relationships.

The legislation is similar to laws brought in by Russia two years ago. Analysts have said Bishkek may have been motivated to introduce the rules by a desire to cosy up to the Kremlin.

The criticism of gay rights in Kyrgyzstan came the day after anti-gay rights protesters in Bishkek attacked a pro-gay rights meeting being held in the garden of an upmarket Bishkek hotel.

Over the past few years, the West has watched as Kyrgyzstan, once its poster-boy in Central Asia, has moved increasingly towards Russia. This month it also joined the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union.

As well as criticising Kyrgyzstan over its gay rights record, EU officials also praised the country for trying to clamp down on torture in prison and improving women’s rights.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

Police in Azerbaijan arrest Aliyev associate

MAY 13 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Police in Baku arrested Nizami Piriyev, a high-profile Azerbaijani businessman closely associated with President Ilham Aliyev.

Mr Piriyev, media reported, was charged with various financial crimes. He is in prison ahead of a trial in what appears to be a spectacular public fall.

One of Azerbaijan’s richest men, Mr Piriyev was the official owner of the Azerbaijan Methanol Company, a large and high-profile operation on the outskirts of Baku.

He paid for former British PM Tony Blair to fly to Baku in 2009 to open the plant. Mr Blair, criticised for taking cash from dubious governments since he left office in 2007, was photographed at a press conference in Baku sitting between Mr Piriyev and his son, Nasib.

Mr Piriyev’s holding company PNN Group also owned franchise rights to a number of Western brands in Azerbaijan and across the former Soviet Union. This included the British high street news agent WHSmith and US fast food chain KFC.

Mr Piriyev used to work in Russia for Gazprom and had businesses stretching across Central Asia.

It’s unclear what triggered his arrest and whether he has been associated with Azerbaijan’s increasingly marginalised opposition or if he had fallen out with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The United States and Europe have been increasingly critical of Mr Aliyev for cracking down on opposition.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)

Georgian government survives vote

MAY 13 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia’s government easily survived a no-confidence vote in parliament triggered by the resignation of a minister earlier this month, meaning that PM Irakli Garbashvili remains in power.

Mr Garbashvili, part of the Georgian Dream coalition that turfed out former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s party from power, appointed four new ministers, including Tina Khidasheli as the country’s first female defence minister.

Importantly, even though Mr Garbashvili’s government won the no-confidence vote 87-38, it would still have damaged the government’s credibility.

The Georgian Dream has been beset by bickering and in- fighting and its popularity has plummeted as a regional economic recession batters Georgia. Its currency has slid 32% against the dollar.

Alongside Ms Khidasheli, Mr Garbashvili appointed Gigla Agulashvili as environment minister, Nodar Javakhishvili as infrastructure minister and Tariel Khechikashvili as minister for sport.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)

Georgia allows voting on a prosecutor

MAY 7 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia will allow parliament to vote on the appointment of the prosecutor-general, media reported, a move designed to bolster democracy. Under the current system the PM appoints the country’s top prosecutor. New laws will introduce a special council to advise on an appointment which will then need to be approved by government and parliament.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)