Tag Archives: Kyrgyzstan

Russia extends military base lease in Kyrgyzstan

MAY 4 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia and Kyrgyzstan quietly signed an agreement on April 24 that extended the lease on Russian military bases in the Central Asian state.

This is important not only because it cements Russia’s presence in the country and but also because it was signed in Beijing. China has become so pivotal in Central Asia’s security issues that Beijing feels like a natural venue to sign bilateral military deals — in this case the deal between Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

The deal was signed between the Russian and Kyrgyz defence ministers who had been in Beijing to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the security-focused alliance headed by Russia and China which includes the Central Asian states other than Turkmenistan.

The deal to extend Russia’s lease on an airbase in Kyrgyzstan as well as a handful of other military facilities is an important one. The US operates an airbase just outside the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, and the new Russian-Kyrgyz agreement shows how much weight Russia places on maintaining a foothold in Kyrgyzstan.

Media did not report details of the deal, which had been argued over for months but it is no doubt good for both Russia and Kyrgyzstan, and China, that a agreement has been secured.

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(News report from Issue No. 086, published on May 4 2012)

Eternal flame dies in Kyrgyzstan

APRIL 25 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A Kyrgyz utilities company briefly extinguished the Eternal Flame World War II monument in Bishkek when it cut off the gas because of an unpaid bill of around $10,000, AP news agency reported. The row shows the extent of the economic difficulties facing Kyrgyzstan.

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(News report from Issue No. 085, published on April 27 2012)

Man dies in Southern Kyrgyzstan

APRIL 16 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A 73-year-old man died after setting himself on fire in Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan, media quoted the interior ministry as saying. Reflecting the frustrations of many people in Kyrgyzstan, the man had apparently been protesting about the lack of progress since a presidential election in October.

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(News report from Issue No. 084, published on April 20 2012)

Long winter triggers crises in rural Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

APRIL 6 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Heavy snow has cut off villages and destroyed vital pasture in rural parts of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, already Central Asia’s poorest countries, triggering a potential humanitarian crisis.

Local news agencies in Tajikistan quoted officials describing the winter as the heaviest for 50 years. In Kyrgyzstan, officials said that in one area in the south of the country a third of the livestock has already died.

Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are mountainous and heavy winters can trigger major logistical problems for rural communities which have only fairly basic standards of living.

They are also already both net receivers of aid, which, as ever, comes with a political undertone.

Russian president Dmitri Medvedev has ordered aid to be flown to Tajikistan and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that in January and February Tajikistan received aid worth $6m, mainly from Russia, Egypt and Iran.

Moscow has also strengthened relations with Kyrgyzstan last year since Almazbek Atambayev won a presidential election. Deputies in the Kyrgyz parliament have called for urgent help, a call sure to be answered by Russia and other neighbours such as Kazakhstan and possibly China.

The situation is made worse because the price of fodder to feed cattle has risen in the past few months and the government faces a shortage of airplanes and helicopters.

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(News report from Issue No. 082, published on April 6 2012)

Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan ties blossom

MARCH 30/31 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Looking for an investment boost, Kyrgyzstan’s new president, Almazbek Atambayev, visited Baku for the first time in 21 years for a talks with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev. Mr Atambayev has already been successful in pursuing Azerbaijani investment. Azerbaijan has pledged to build a $250m refinery in Kyrgyzstan.

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(News report from Issue No. 082, published on April 6 2012)

Ethnic tension rises in southern Kyrgyzstan

MARCH 29 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Less than two years after fighting between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks killed at least 400 people in south Kyrgyzstan, ethnic tension is rising again, the International Crisis Group think-tank said in a report. According to the report, southern Kyrgyz leaders have been pursuing anti-Uzbek policies.

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(News report from Issue No. 082, published on April 6 2012)

Centerra Gold cuts output at Kyrgyz mine

MARCH 27 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Toronto-based Centerra Gold cut gold output at its Kumtor mine in Kyrgyzstan by a third, threatening the stability of the Kyrgyz economy. Kumtor accounts for around 12% of Kyrgyzstan’s annual income. Centerra Gold, 33% owned by the Kyrgyz government, blamed the output cut on excessive ice in the mine.

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(News report from Issue No. 081, published on March 30 2012)

Nationalist wins in Kyrgyzstan’s city vote

MARCH 5 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Melis Myrzakmatov, a firebrand Kyrgyz nationalist, won re-election as mayor of Osh in nationwide municipal elections in Kyrgyzstan. Many see him as a powerful rival to the central government in Bishkek. Mr Myrzakmatov was mayor of Osh during ethnic violence in 2010 that killed at least 400 people.

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(News report from Issue No. 080, published on March 8 2012)

Kyrgyz ex-president’s brother escapes from prison

MARCH 6 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The younger brother of deposed Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev has escaped from prison by walking out of a hospital in Bishkek, authorities said. Akhmet Bakiyev, who was imprisoned in Aug. 2011 for 7 years for commanding a group of armed men and stirring ethnic hatred, had been receiving treatment for pneumonia.

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(News report from Issue No. 080, published on March 8 2012)

Russia pays debt to Kyrgyzstan

FEB. 25 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Underlining friendly ties between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Russia would pay a $15m debt to Kyrgyzstan for the lease of its military bases. Mr Medvedev also said he would consider how to help Kyrgyzstan repay the estimated $500m debt it owes Russia.

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(News report from Issue No. 079, published on March 1 2012)