Tag Archives: international relations

Rakhmon invites Uzbek president Dushanbe

DEC. 29 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon has invited his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Dushanbe, media reported, another major step towards normalising ties between the two neighbours after more than two decades of frosty relations. Since Mr Mirziyoyev took over as Uzbekistan’s leader in September, Uzbekistan has looked to improve relations with its neighbours.

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(News report from Issue No. 311, published on Jan. 6 2017)

 

Turkmenistan and Iran row over $2b gas bill

DEC. 21 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan has accused Iran of not paying $2b of debt linked to gas supplies, media reported, threatening to sour carefully crafted friendly relations between the two neighbours.

The Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted an unnamed Turkmen official as saying that Iran still owed it $2b for gas supplied since 2012. In return the Iranian state-run Fars news agency quoted an Iranian official as saying that Turkmenistan was using the tougher winter months, when Iran needs more gas, as a weapon. The Iranian official threatened to break off commercial links with Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan and Iran have pulled together since Western sanctions were imposed on Iran in 2012 for its alleged determination to build a nuclear weapon.

During this time Turkmenistan’s gas supplies to Iran have doubled to 10b cubic metres. Iran also imports electricity from Turkmenistan.

The payment system, though, is complicated because of a series of barter deals. Earlier this year, Turkmenistan and Iran announced a deal through which Iran would take $30b of Turkmen gas over the next 10 years in exchange for $30b of technical assistance.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Kazakhstan to host Syria peace talks

DEC. 16 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan is being considered as a neutral territory to hold peace talks between Syrian rebels and pro-government forces, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev wants Kazakhstan to play the role of global peace- maker and has previously said that Syrian peace talks could be held in Astana or Almaty. Kazakhstan has previously held two rounds of Syrian peace talks.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

EEU customs code to be ratified in Armenia

DEC. 22 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Armenia’s parliament ratified an agreement on introducing the Eurasian Economic Union’s customs code into law. The EEU has developed a customs code to increase integration within the group. Russian officials have previously said that the code will be finalised at the end of December.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Uzbekistan develops ties with Pakistan

DEC. 22 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — On a trip to Pakistan, Uzbekistan’s deputy PM Ulugbek Rozukulov agreed with Pakistani business minister Khurram Dastgir Khan to set up a joint business council to improve ties between the two countries. Since former president Islam Karimov died in September, Uzbekistan has worked to improve relations with its neighbours. Pakistan has also invested more time into developing ties in the Central Asia region. It is part of both the CASA-1000 project to import electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and also part of the TAPI gas pipeline project to import gas from Turkmenistan.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Belarus opens embassy in Georgia

DEC. 21 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Belarus officially opened its first embassy in Tbilisi, promising to improve ties between the two former Soviet states. Belarus has been increasingly active in bilateral diplomacy with the South Caucasus over the past year.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Iranian president Rouhani tours Kazakhstan, building support for Iran’s trade routes

ALMATY, DEC. 21/22 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Iranian Leader Hassan Rouhani toured Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, a tour that underlines Iran’s ambitions in the region.

Western sanctions on Iran were eased this year, triggering a wave of enthusiasm of a potential return of Western business but, aside from a handful of high-profile deals, this has failed to materialise. Analysts have said that, instead, Iran and Mr Rouhani have turned their focus on Central Asia where they have built up strong business and economic ties over the past few years.

This was highlighted in a statement released by Mr Rouhani’s press team before he left Tehran. He said that Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan formed a vital part of Iran’s trade corridors.

“We will gain access to Europe and the Black Sea through Armenia, and to the northern and eastern countries through Kazakhstan,” he said.

“Also, China is seeking to connect its railway to Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran through Kyrgyzstan”.

And positive bilateral relations were on show throughout Mr Rouhani’s trip. Speaking after his meeting in Astana with Mr Rouhani, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev said: “An agreement was reached to strengthen the political influence of the two countries within the framework of international organizations such as the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, SCO.”

The issue of the UN is particularly important as Kazakhstan is starting two years as one of the non-permanent Security Council members.

Prior to landing in Kazakhstan, Mr Rouhani had visited Armenia. It has developed ties based on swapping its gas for Armenia’s electricity.

From Kazakhstan, Mr Rouhani travelled to Bishkek where he received public support from president Almazbek Atambayev for Iranian membership of the Russia and China led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Iran applied to join the group in 2008 but Western sanctions slowed its application. Now those sanctions have been lifted, Iranian membership has been talked of again.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Kyrgyz President meets Indian PM Modi for talks

BISHKEK, DEC. 20 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — A few days after hosting Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon, Indian PM Narendra Modi held talks with Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev.

At the talks, Mr Modi praised Kyrgyzstan for a being a beacon of democracy. “Our societies share a sense of warmth. We are also bound by a common belief in democratic values and traditions,” he was quoted by media as saying.

India has been pushing to improve its links with Central Asia. It has built relations through gas projects, mainly the TAPI gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan, and has also been accepted as a member of the Russia and China led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which focuses on Central Asia.

Mr Atambayev said that he wanted to strengthen economic links with India.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Kazakh President’s Syria peace talk offer

DEC. 23 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — >> So Kazakhstan is hosting peace talks on the war in Syria. This sounds like a major deal.

>> It is and it isn’t. This is actually the third talks in Kazakhstan on the Syria war. The previous two rounds have proved to be more of a talking shop than a forum to find peace. They were only attended by the disparate opposition groups and so were limited. They produced a declaration that called for parliamentary elections and fighting terrorism but little else. Fairly anodyne stuff when there is a vicious civil war going on. There are also other peace talks going on, mainly the UN-backed Geneva talks, to try to sort out the war in Syria that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced many more to flee their homes.

>> When were the previous talks? Who was involved?

>> There were two rounds of talks last year, in May and in October. The only groups to attend were the disparate rebels. The extremist group IS was not invited. The talks generated a lot of headlines for Kazakhstan but no tangible impact to the war in Syria. These next talks also feature Russia, Turkey and Iran and could be altogether more serious if they do go ahead. These are the three powers who are exerting the main influence over Syria at the moment. The US and other Western powers have been left out in the cold. These talks though are more aimed at influencing the main talks going on in Geneva, rather than coming up with a stand-alone solution.

>> Right. So negotiations with the US are happening elsewhere?

>> Yes. They are not officially going to be at the peace talks in January in Astana.

>> So, what is Kazakhstan’s role?

>> It hosts the talks and will also mediate, if needed. It’s a great headline generator for Kazakhstan. President Nursultan Nazarbayev craves more attention. He wants to be taken more seriously and has tried to position Kazakhstan as a neutral venue to solve the world’s problems. He organised a summit of the OSCE member states, something that hadn’t been done since 1999, in Astana in 2010. He has also hosted a meeting of the Iran talks. This involves the US, Russia, Britain, France and China. Next year, Kazakhstan starts a two year posting as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council. And, perhaps most brazenly, Nazarbayev has also created his own peace prize.

>> What do you mean? Nazarbayev has a peace prize?

>> Yes, that’s right. We reported on it when it was announced in October. It comes with a $1m cheque. The first prize went to King Abdullah of Jordan for taking in 1.5m Syrians refugees and for making the Middle East a nuclear free zone. Nazarbayev plans to hand it out every year so it’ll be interesting to see who he gives the prize to in 2017. A Syria connection would be a good bet.

>> Back to these Syria talks. What will come out of them?

>> It’s all very fluid at the moment. Russia and Turkey appear to have given their consent to Kazakhsta-based peace talks but nothing has been heard from the Assad regime and Iran or the rebels. It’s highly unlikely that the rebels and the Assad regime will convene in one place so, even if they do go ahead, you’re likely to get an unbalanced view of things. The government forces may turn up this time but not the rebels.

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(News report from Issue No. 310, published on Dec. 23 2016)

Israeli PM visits Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan for first time

DEC. 13/14 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) –Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Baku and Astana in a high- profile trip aimed at shoring up bilateral support in the South Caucasus and Central Asia region.

This was the first trip to the region by a serving Israeli PM.

Mr Netanyahu’s visit to Baku was particularly important. Azerbaijan borders Iran, Israel’s arch foe, and the two countries have built up an alliance. Azerbaijan buys Israeli weapons and has previously given its air force permission to use its airbases if conflict did break out with Iran. In return, Israel buys Azerbaijani oil.

In comments which gushed with positivity, Mr Netanyahu was quoted by the Times of Israel as saying: “The world sees so much intolerance and darkness, this (Azerbaijan-Israel cooperation) is an example of how the Muslim-Jewish relationship can and should be everywhere.”

Mr Aliyev was equally enthusiastic about bilateral relations, calling Israel an important partner and describing how his government had spent nearly $5b on buying Israeli-made weapons. The visit triggered a series of anti- Azerbaijan demonstrations in Iran. The Iranian government also officially complained and accused the Azerbaijani government of anti-Islamic tendencies.

From Baku, Mr Netanyahu flew to Astana for a meeting with Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. He openly said that he wanted to enlist Kazakhstan’s help in supporting Israel for a non-permanent seat on the UN’s Security Council.

“We helped you get accepted as a member of the Security Council and now we are asking you to help us be a member of the council, as well,” he was quoted by media as saying to Mr Nazarbayev.

Kazakhstan starts a two-year position on the UN Security Council in January. It is one of 10 non-permanent members. The five permanent members are the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

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(News report from Issue No. 309, published on Dec. 16 2016)