NOV. 3 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Uzbek authorities sentenced three women to jail for spying for neighbouring Tajikistan, local media reported. Relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have been increasingly strained over the past few years, most recently because of Tajik plans to build a dam to generate electricity.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 112, published on Nov. 9 2012)
NOV. 1 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – In one of his first major policy statements since becoming Georgia’s PM last week, Bidzina Ivanishvili said he would not restore diplomatic ties with Russia until it reversed its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in the mid-1990s.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 111, published on Nov. 2 2012)
OCT. 29 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – In televised comments, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan accused some state prosecutors and police of being corrupt and having links to criminal gangs. Political commentators said Mr Sargsyan’s unusually strong comments could be political and timed for a presidential election set for Feb. 2013.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 111, published on Nov. 2 2012)
OCT. 29 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijani border guards shot dead one armed Iranian after a group crossed the border illegally from Iran, media reported quoting Azerbaijan’s border agency. Tension between Azerbaijan and Iran has been rising for the past year, partly because of a series of shootouts along the porous border.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 111, published on Nov. 2 2012)
OCT. 5 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a deal with his Tajik counterpart, Emomalii Rakhmon, to extend Russia’s lease on a military base in the Pamir mountains. The deal extends Russia’s tenure on the base until 2044. In return, media reported that Russia had agreed to supply modern weapons.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 108, published on Oct. 12 2012)
OCT. 11 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – In one of Azerbaijan’s biggest terrorism trials, a court in Baku jailed 22 people for 10 – 15 years for plotting a series of attacks on behalf of Iran, media reported. Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran have been increasingly strained over the past 12 months.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 108, published on Oct. 12 2012)
OCT. 4 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian president Vladimir Putin flew into Tajikistan for the start of a two-day visit which is expected to culminate in a deal to extend Russia’s lease on a military base. The base is Russia’s largest overseas mission and is considered a vital component of its military strategy.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 107, published on Oct. 5 2012)
SEP. 27 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A court in Baku jailed three men for planning to kill rabbis at a Jewish school, in a plot linked to Iran. The men, all Azerbaijani nationals, were given prison sentences of between eight and 14 years. Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran have worsened markedly this year.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 106, published on Sep. 28 2012)
SEP. 15 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Military exercises by the Russia-lead Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) started in Armenia. Media reported that 2,000 soldiers from Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus would be involved in the five-day exercises. Neither Azerbaijan nor Georgia is a member of the CSTO.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 105, published on Sep. 21 2012)
SEP. 14 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Sources in Dushanbe gave Reuters new details on a deal to extend a lease on a Russian military base. The sources said Russia would lease the base for another 20 – 29 years and in return sell weapons to Tajikistan for a discounted price. The lease on the base, Russia’s biggest overseas mission, is due to expire on Jan. 1 2014.
ENDS
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 105, published on Sep. 21 2012)
