OCT. 31 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – A suspected suicide bomber attacked two government buildings in Atyrau, a major Kazakh oil city. The blasts only killed the bomber and caused no significant damage. It was, though, the second attack this year and it raised the prospect of a sustained campaign by militant Islamists in Kazakhstan.
ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 63, published on Nov. 1 2011)
NOV. 1 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – In his first policy statement after winning a presidential election, Kyrgyzstan’s pro-Russia PM Almazbek Atambayev said the US will have to quit an airbase outside Bishkek when its lease expires in 2014. The airbase has been vital to NATO efforts in Afghanistan which also wind up in 2014.
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(News report from Issue No. 63, published on Nov. 1 2011)
OCT. 19 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador to complain about the shooting of one of its border guards by Azerbaijani soldiers. Azerbaijan said the Iranian failed to comply with orders after he entered Azerbaijani territory and was shot dead. A similar incident occurred in July.
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(News report from Issue No. 62, published on Oct. 25 2011)
OCT. 24 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia will drop its objections to Russia joining the WTO if international monitors are stationed in its breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russian media quoted Georgian foreign minister Nino Kalandadze as saying. Georgia holds the final veto on Russia joining the WTO. More talks are scheduled in the coming days.
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(News report from Issue No. 62, published on Oct. 25 2011)
OCT. 22 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Tashkent and Dushanbe for talks on strengthening NATO’s supply chain through Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to its forces in Afghanistan. Ms Clinton’s officials said she also warned both governments against excessive clampdowns on Muslims.
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(News report from Issue No. 62, published on Oct. 25 2011)
OCT. 16 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Iran is prepared to help mediate a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the official Fars news agency reported. Iran has steadily improved relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia as it looks to project its influence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
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(News report from Issue No. 61, published on Oct. 18 2011)
OCT. 14 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan’s interior minister, Ramil Usubov, visited Yerevan for a conference, local media reported. Azerbaijan and Armenia are still officially at war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Usubov’s visit attracted anger from the more nationalist Azerbaijani groups which called it an affront that he had gone to Yerevan.
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(News report from Issue No. 61, published on Oct. 18 2011)
OCT. 17 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – A US warship docked in the Black Sea Port of Batumi for scheduled exercises with Georgia’s coastguard, media reported. Officials described the mission as routine although Russia has previously complained about the missions and said that they may break international law.
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(News report from Issue No. 61, published on Oct. 18 2011)
OCT. 18 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan is competing with Pakistan for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council. The vote for who wins the seat for 2012-13 will take place on Oct. 21 2011 and it is expected to be close. If Kyrgyzstan — backed by the US, according to some commentators — does win, it will be the first ex-Soviet Central Asian nation on the UN Security Council.
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(News report from Issue No. 61, published on Oct. 18 2011)
OCT. 7/8 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – French President Nikolas Sarkozy visited all three countries in the South Caucasus during a two-day tour. He used the trip to call for fresh momentum for stalled talks towards a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
ENDS
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(News report from Issue No. 60, published on Oct. 11 2011)
