Tag Archives: international relations

Turkmenistan’s president visits Tajikistan

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — They may be neighbours but Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has had little time over the past four years to visit his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon.

Now though, Mr Berdymukhamedov has been in Dushanbe catching up with Mr Rakhmon and mulling various projects, particularly in the energy and transport sector.

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear of Mr Berdymukhamedov’s first trip to Dushanbe since 2010. The geo-politics of gas has thrown these two countries together.

Turkmenistan has transformed itself into one of China’s biggest gas suppliers. It needs Tajikistan to help it pump gas to its client and pipelines are the main motivating factor behind Mr Berdymukhamedov’s trip to Dushanbe.

The state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) has already signed a deal with the Tajik authorities to lay part of a new pipeline that will pump gas from Turkmenistan to China. Through the Turkmen state newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan, Mr Berdymukhamedov said work on the Tajik branch of the gas pipeline to China would start shortly.

Media reported the two leaders discussed other issues during Mr Berdymukahmedov’s stay in Dushanbe, security after NATO leaves Afghanistan and regional transport issues, but energy clearly formed the basis of the meeting.

Energy, and China’s thirst for it, sets the diplomatic agenda inside Central Asia.

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(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

NATO woos Georgia

MAY 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Against the backdrop of worsening violence in Ukraine, NATO said it wants to speed up bringing Georgia closer to the Western military
alliance. On a visit to Tbilisi, NATO Special Representative to Georgia, James Appathurai, said: “We are now looking, of course, at next steps, at bringing Georgia even
closer to NATO.”

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(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Kuwait eyes cooperation with Tajikistan

MAY 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kuwait appears keen to improve diplomatic relations with Tajikistan. Media reported that an adviser to the Kuwaiti Emir met with Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon to discuss various ways of expanding cooperation. Kuwait and Tajikistan don’t have any historical connections.

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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Turkmenistan’s president visits Beijing

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Once again underlining Turkmenistan’s growing prominence in the international energy scene, China invited Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on a state visit to Beijing between May 11 and 14. Turkmenistan has turned itself into a major supplier of gas to China.

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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Tajikistan hosts energy talks with Turkmenistan

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon hosted talks with his Turkmen counterpart President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov for the first time in four years. Various deals and documents were signed by both sides, including the start of work on a new gas pipeline.

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Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Iran to boost investment in Armenia

MAY 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has told Iranian businessmen that they should increase investments in neighbouring Armenia, media reported, underlining strengthening relations between the two countries. Mr Hassan made the comments during a meeting with Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian who was visiting Tehran.

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(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Armenian President appoints new government

MAY 3 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan officially appointed a new government which analysts said would be better placed to propel the country into the Russia-led Customs Union. The previous government resigned over its unpopular pension plans, a scheme the new government has watered down.

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(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Georgians still favour the West

MAY 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a poll for the US-funded National Democratic Institute, Georgians favoured joining the EU and NATO over Russia, although the gap had
narrowed. Of the 4,000 poll respondents, 77% agreed with the government’s aim of joining the EU (85% in November) and 72% agreed with joining NATO (down from 72%).

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Uzbekistan strives to improve diplomatic ties

MAY 6 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Diplomatically, at least, Uzbekistan appears in high demand.

At the end of a trade mission to Bangladesh, Uzbekistan signed deals worth $100m, cementing the growing cotton-fuelled Tashkent-Dhaka axis (April 30). Since then, too, nations from across the world have been lining up to increase ties with Uzbekistan.

Japan’s deputy PM Taro Aso visited Tashkent and held talks with president Islam Karimov on boosting trade relations (May 6) and Malaysia’s deputy PM also visited on a similar mission, carrying a similar message (May 4).

From the EU, Latvian officials started to arrive in Tashkent for the start of the next round of bi-lateral talks (May 5) and from South America Chile’s ambassador to Uzbekistan, officially seated in Moscow, said the country wanted to open up a permanent trade office in Tashkent (May 1).

To round off a busy week, the US’ second most senior diplomat, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns included Uzbekistan on a whirlwind tour of Central Asia (May 5).

Strategically located next to Afghanistan and with plenty of cotton, energy and gold resources, Uzbekistan has become a state that others now want to do business with.

It wasn’t long ago that Uzbekistan, with its distinctly dubious human rights record and unilateral foreign policies, was considered a pariah state.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)

Iran and Turkmenistan renegotiate gas deal

MAY 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Iran and Turkmenistan are set to re-negotiate their goods-for-gas deal, Iranian media reported quoting Iran’s energy minister Bijan Namdar Zanganesh. Turkmenistan has been supplying gas to Iran for years in return for goods such as home appliances and other electrical products that Iran manufactures.

(News report from Issue No. 183, published on May 7 2014)