nCa Commentary Ashgabat, 25 June 2016 (nCa) — The ‘Leave’ vote in the hotly contested Brexit referendum is a big surprise for all, especially those who were campaigning for it. It will take a while, perhaps two months, to fully comprehend the scope of this decision and how it will impact Central Asia. In the […]
Ошеломительное известие о выходе Великобритании из ЕС и Центральная Азия
Комментарий nCa Ашхабад, 25 июня 2016 (nCa) — Голос в пользу выхода в ходе горячего референдума по вопросу о выходе Великобритании из состава ЕС (Brexit) стал большим сюрпризом, особенно для тех кто организовал всю эту кампанию. Пройдет некоторое время, возможно, два месяца, прежде чем будут осознаны масштабы этого решения и то, как оно повлияет на […]
Russia-Ukraine deal: Connotations for Central Asia – Part Four
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 26 Dec—If ‘the west’ is a myth, what is reality? The reality is what Machiavelli pointed out long ago: permanent interests In fact, Machiavelli is in need of correction – instead of permanent interests we just need to talk of interests, permanent or temporary. Except for the need for survival, peace and […]
Russia-Ukraine deal: Connotations for Central Asia – Part Three
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 24 Dec—The Russian bailout package with the $15 billion bond purchase and immense discount on gas price at its core, translates into one life-size message for the so-called ‘west’: You are damned if Yanukovych falls and you are damned if he doesn’t. The current gas sale-purchase agreement between Russia and Ukraine will […]
Russia-Ukraine deal: Connotations for Central Asia – Part Two
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 23 Dec—Whether we equate it with Karate or Chess, the Russian bailout package for Ukraine is a brilliant move. Europe now finds itself between a hard place and Putin. We shall return to it later. For now let’s look at the gas deal. Heavy discount on gas Gazprom agreed to slash gas […]