nCa Commentary Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan on 1 May 2019. His father, the Emperor Emeritus Akihito abdicated a day earlier. After ascending the throne, Emperor Naruhito made a short speech, promising to stay the course set by his father: “I have hereby succeeded to the Throne pursuant to the Constitution of Japan and the Special … [Read more...]
Central Asian countries discussed cooperation to combat drug trafficking
Elvira Kadyrova On 3 May 2019, Tashkent hosted 11thministerial meeting of the States Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-regional drug control cooperation in Central Asia. The following key speakers attended the gathering: Sergey Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation Sirozhiddin Muhriddin, minister of foreign affairs of … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan offer new opportunities to unlock the economic potential of Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova In mid-April, during the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Tashkent, the authorized agencies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum on the establishment of the International center for trade and economic cooperation "Central Asia". The head of the Department for international cooperation of the Ministry of national economy of … [Read more...]
Experts met in Kazan to discuss development aspects of Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova On 26 April, the Institute of International Relations of Kazan Federal University hosted a round table on "Geopolitics, economics and security in Central Asia", reported KFU’s student TV station Univer TV. The meeting on priority issues of development of Central Asian-Russian cooperation was organized by the Institute for Central Asian … [Read more...]
Central Asia and BRI could open opportunities for ‘combining efforts’ between Russia and China
Elvira Kadyrova Ambassador of Russia to China has called for more close integration between Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and main economic and security blocks in Central Asia, such as SCO and Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. China’s engagement in Central Asia was mainly economic. Rather than a threat, Russia regards Beijing as a force to boost regional economies, … [Read more...]
Regional cooperation on shared water resources in Central Asia
On the eve of the upcoming summit of the leaders of the countries of Central Asia in Tashkent, it is possible to say with confidence what will be one of the main topics of the meeting. The heads of the five Asian states need to find a joint solution to the problems of using transboundary rivers. For the first time, the leaders of the countries of Central Asia spoke about the … [Read more...]
ADB forecasts moderate growth in Central Asia in near-term outlook
Elvira Kadyrova The growth in Central Asian will decelerate in 2019 after pick up in 2018, according to Asian Development Outlook-2019, ADB’s flagship report. Average growth in the sub-region [comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan] rose from 4.2% in 2017 to 4.4% last year is projected to slow down … [Read more...]
‘Water Diplomacy’ highlighted in telephone conversation between presidents of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
nCa Commentary The presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan had a telephone conversation on Tuesday (26 February 2019). They discussed the preparations for the summit meeting of the Central Asian heads of state that will take place in Tashkent on 12 April 2019. In their conversation, President Berdymuhamedov and President Mirziyoyev focused on ‘water diplomacy,’ an area … [Read more...]
Integration in Central Asia and rivalry of the super powers
Elvira Kadyrova The current political and economic developments in the Central Asian region, the region's place in world geopolitics is increasingly becoming the subject of discussion by analysts and political scientists, both in the region and far beyond. Releases devoted to the polemic around the Central Asian affairs often appear in the media and on the websites of … [Read more...]
Интеграция в Центральной Азии и экономическая конкуренция великих держав
Кадырова Эльвира Нынешнее политическое и экономическое развитие региона Центральной Азии, место региона в мировой геополитике все чаще становится предметом дискуссий аналитиков и политологов, как в регионе, так и за его пределами. В СМИ и на сайтах аналитических структур все чаще появляются релизы, посвященные какой-либо дискуссии в отношении Центральноазиатской … [Read more...]
Trump finally delivers his state of the union address, and there are implications for Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi He is the master of sound bites and he delivered plenty of them. The state of the union address by President Trump, delayed by about three weeks from the traditional time frame, was full of phrases designed to touch his voters and adversaries alike. He has been confrontational all along and yet his speech conveyed the tone of reconciliation. He has been … [Read more...]
Трамп наконец выступил с обращением о состоянии страны и Центральной Азии есть на что обратить внимание
Тарик Саиди Он мастер громких фраз, и их в его выступлении было много. Обращение президента Трампа о состоянии страны, отложенное примерно на три недели от традиционной даты, было переполнено изречениями, нацеленных на сердца не только его избирателей, но и противников. Речь в целом носила конфронтационный тон, но в ней слышались и нотки примирения. На каждом шагу в … [Read more...]
Центральная Азия: транспорт в топ-повестке
Эльвира Кадырова Название региона Центральной Азии в контексте подключаемости в Евразии говорит само за себя. От качества транспортных сообщений на территории пяти центральноазиатских стран, зависит и то насколько быстрее и качественнее будут работать торговые, экономические связи между Азией и Европой, а в конечном итоге связанность Центральной Азии с востоком и западом … [Read more...]
Central Asia: transport in the top agenda
Elvira Kadyrova The name of the Central Asian region in the context of connectivity in Eurasia speaks for itself. The pace and better operationalization of trade and economic ties between Asia and Europe depend on the quality of transport links between the five Central Asian nations. And, ultimately, the connection of Central Asia with the East and the West will be one of … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan stimulates economic growth, integration in Central Asia
The International Monetary Fund has published a new forecast for the growth of the world economy and individual geographic regions. Central Asia on the general background looks more than promising. The optimism of the experts of the Fund regarding the Central Asian region is largely due to a change in the mood of investors and large market players. Central Asia, finally, … [Read more...]
Trump-Putin Meeting and Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi When Trump met Putin in Helsinki on 16 July 2018, he had already insulted Germany, chided NATO, criticized the British PM, and disrespected Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II in a short space of time. It is possible to hate Trump; in fact it is very easy to hate him, but the man must be given the credit for being the sole author of his own narrative. ------- He … [Read more...]
Встреча Трампа с Путиным и Центральная Азия
Тарик Саиди Во время пребывания в Хельсинки для переговоров с Путиным 16 июля, Трамп успел в короткий промежуток времениоскорбить Германию, упрекнуть НАТО, раскритиковать премьер-министра Великобритании и неуважительно отнестись к Ее Величеству Королеве Елизавете II. Можно ненавидеть Трампа; на самом деле очень легко ненавидеть его, но человеку нужно отдать должное за то, … [Read more...]
Cooperation in Central Asia – Silk Road visa and other issues
An analogue of the Schengen visa, only between the countries of Central Asia can appear in the near future. Such a proposal was voiced by the Kazakhstan senator, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security D.Nazarbayev. According to her, such a Silk-visa will attract tourists from the far abroad to the Central Asian region. The quotation of the … [Read more...]
Anti-terror conference held in Dushanbe in May 2018
nCa Report The embassy of Tajikistan in Ashgabat hosted Wednesday (6 June 2018) a briefing for the diplomatic community and the media. Ambassador Farrukh Homiddin Sharifzoda, who conducted the briefing, dealt with the two main issues: International conference on water, which will be held later this month in Dushanbe – we have covered this in a separate report already … [Read more...]
Майская антитеррористическая конференция в Душанбе
Доклад nСa Посольство Таджикистана в Ашхабаде провело в среду (6 июня 2018 года) брифинг для дипломатического сообщества и СМИ. Посол ФаррухХомиддинШарифзода, который проводил брифинг, затронул два основных вопроса: Международная конференция высокого уровня по международному десятилетию действий «Вода для устойчивого развития, 2018-2028 годы». Итоги … [Read more...]
Fighting inequality in Asia and the Pacific
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar Inequality is increasing in Asia and the Pacific. Our region’s remarkable economic success story belies a widening gap between rich and poor. A gap that’s trapping people in poverty and, if not tackled urgently, could thwart our ambition to achieve sustainable development. This is the central challenge heads of state and government will be considering this … [Read more...]
Trump withdraws from Iran Nuclear Deal – Probable side effects for Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi President Trump announced Tuesday (8 May 2018) that he was pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. This would potentially bring several consequences to the doors of Central Asia, some positive, some negative. There are four elements to this mix: 1. Rationale of Trump for ditching the Iran deal; 2. Response of US allies and deal partners; 3. Iran’s reaction; and … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan Summit Meeting – The Beginning of Regional Concord – Part 1
Tariq Saeedi The visit of President Berdymuhamedov to Uzbekistan, 23-24 April 2018, marks the start of a new era of regional harmony in Central Asia. The media has picked the announcement of Uzbekistan to participate in TAPI as the lead news, and it certainly is, because TAPI is not just a gas pipeline; it is a complete corridor. Nevertheless, the concept that will … [Read more...]
Central Asia: Shared Water Resources
This question is regularly asked around the world: Some experts believe that without introducing purely economic and trade relations to the use and distribution of water resources, in particular, it is a question of transboundary rivers, it is difficult to manage, given the specifics of interstate relations and the priority of national interests in such a difficult … [Read more...]
Центральная Азия: общие водные ресурсы
Этим вопросом регулярно задаются во всем мире. Некоторые эксперты полагают, что без привнесения чисто экономических, торговых отношений в область использования и распределения водных ресурсов, речь идет, в частности, о трансграничных реках, обойтись сложно, учитывая специфику межгосударственных связей и приоритет национальных интересов в столь непростом вопросе. У каждой из … [Read more...]
Central Asia – Caucasus: 2018 – The Year of Opportunity for France
Gilles Remy, CEO of CIFAL Group, Vice-President of the Eurasian Commission of Foreign Trade Advisers, Chairman of the French-Turkmen Chamber of Commerce Ashgabat, the 5th Asian Games in closed premises and in martial arts, September 2017. 2017 was a year of economic recovery for Central Asia and Caucasus. Following a sluggish phase, growth has resumed, driven by a rise … [Read more...]
This red line dares us to step back
Tariq Saeedi The warm blood spurting from her freshly self-stabbed body has poured onto our closed eyes, our numb conscience, and our overstuffed egos. Her blood has drawn a red line but this red line is not in front of us; it is behind us. Her blood is daring us – do we have the courage and wisdom to step back and ponder? Diana Bestuzheva was just 17. She was mature … [Read more...]
Beware Central Asia – Social media is already a deadly battlefield, with no rules of war
nCa Commentary “It’s an odd world we live in—one where people view the world through a mobile device, a lens that has created a new landscape where official news, news stations, newspapers, and the like, have been replaced by instantaneous information free from vetting, researching, and journalistic standards that were once the foundation of our decision-making processes.” … [Read more...]
Kazakhstan – Highlighting Central Asia on World Stage
Kazakhstan has always followed a balanced policy that highlights the Central Asian region in a positive light on the world stage. An ongoing tenure and a recently concluded event are the case in point. --- President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan met President Trump of USA on 16 January 2018, and Kazakhstan is the current chair of UN Security Council this month. There is direct … [Read more...]
2018 starts with new formats of pressure on Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi 3 January 2018 (nCa) – It is dismal yet knowable: 2018 has started with a mix of usual and fresh pressures on Central Asia. First tweets of 2018 President Trump, between his New Year festivities at Mar-a-Lago and a morning round of golf, took to Twitter: “Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama … [Read more...]
ISIS – Part 1
Editor’s note: Initially, I planned to write a short series to expose the fallacies in the narrative of ISIS (also called ID, Daesh) to throw the light on the nature of the organization that claims to be rooted in Islam but is doing everything imaginable to harm Islam and Muslims. This first part was initially published in our subscription-based publication on 12 June … [Read more...]
НПО как инструмент вмешательства в дела Центральной Азии
Любимое детище политтехнологов стран Запада в расширении влияния на внутриполитическую ситуацию в странах «третьего мира» – различные неправительственные организации. Многочисленные НПО внешне имеют вполне благую цель – помогать развивающимся странам достичь всех благ демократии. Помогают советами и деньгами «на проекты». Вот только проекты эти совсем не отвечают … [Read more...]
NGOs as tool of foreign intervention
The favorite brainchild of political strategists of Western countries for expanding their influence on the internal political situation in the countries of the "third world" are various NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Numerous NGOs outwardly have quite a good goal - to help developing countries achieve all the benefits of democracy. Helpful tips and money "for … [Read more...]
3D visualization of Trump speech . . . sort of
Tariq Saeedi 21 September 2017 (nCa) --- The Donald ‘MAGA’ Trump, the president of the United States addressed the United Nations on 19 September 2017. His speech has all the ingredients The Donald is made of: bullying, hatred, bigotry, myopic nationalism, and lavish charms for his voter base. It is important to create a kind of 3D visualization of some parts of his … [Read more...]
World Champion of democracy pulls off mask – “We are killing terrorists”
“Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement” – Trump’s fuzzy thoughts on Afghanistan’s future Resident of Central Asia 23 August 2017 (nCa)—The latest statement of president Trump on future policy and military guideline in Afghanistan and broader South Asia hardly can be called the “strategy.” Strategy is a high … [Read more...]
Central Asia – Shared Waters, Shared Destiny
nCa Commentary Karachi, 24 April 2017 –Recently Almaty hosted a meeting of the ecologists of five Central Asian countries. They discussed environmental problems that, as it turned out, were peculiar not only to Central Asia, but also to the most seemingly prosperous European powers. According to WHO, deteriorating environment in Europe and Central Asia leads to the death … [Read more...]
Unraveling of TPP augers well for Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 25 January 2017 (nCa) --- Trump has kept his promise --- TPP is adrift. The TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), more than eight years in the making, was undone by just one signature this week. It was designed to be a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States of … [Read more...]
Trump is here already – Selective demonization, selective approbation
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 23 January 2017 (nCa) --- One man leaves the White House with the highest approval rating in four decades, the other enters with the approval rating that is among the lowest of all times. Welcome to the world of selective demonization, selective approbation. Welcome to the world according to Trump. The inauguration speech of President Trump was 6920 … [Read more...]
Trump for Central Asia – Part Three
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 6 December 2016 (nCa) --- What has been said already must be rephrased for emphasis – Trump ran his entire campaign while remaining outside the box and there is every indication that he will remain out of the box during his time in office. Even if he shifts into the box, he will definitely redesign the box. He spoke for the ‘forgotten’ people and he … [Read more...]
Trump for Central Asia – Part Two
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 30 November 2016 (nCa) --- We are not sure whether his racism is real or perceived because according to the people who know him since long before the elections, Trump has not insulted anyone on the basis of their race alone. Simultaneously, the team he has picked so far suggests that blatant antagonism toward Islam may be one of the defining factors … [Read more...]
Trump for Central Asia – Part One
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 21 November 2016 (nCa) --- As Donald Trump moves to the White House in January 2016, what is in store for Central Asia? It is a short question with a large number of very complicated answers. In search of any credible answers, we need to understand as to what does Trump mean when he says that he wants to ‘Make America Great Again.’ We should … [Read more...]
Integration of Central Asia – way to solve regional water and energy problems
nCa Commentary The division of water resources is a key problem in Central Asia and some steps have been taken to resolve this issue. For instance, there are bilateral agreements between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan but the issue cannot be dealt with adequately unless all the five countries of Central Asia – Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan – … [Read more...]
Central Asia needs economic integration
nCa Commentary Ashgabat, 8 September 2016 (nCa) --- Against the background of disasters occurring in the world economy, all countries develop and implement anti-crisis programs. The purpose of which is not just salvation in a crisis, but preparing for the future economic growth. Most of the countries are trying to combine their own development with the processes of … [Read more...]
Brexit bombshell and Central Asia
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 parlance of Game Theory, it looks like a negative-sum model, … [Read more...]
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 Центральную Азию. На … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan-Pakistan relations: The larger context – Part 2
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 19 March 2016 (nCa) --- The strengthening of Turkmenistan-Pakistan partnership will inevitably encompass and benefit the entire region. This would be the direct result of the overwhelming sets of commonalities that bind the nine countries of the region together: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan … [Read more...]
Туркмено-Пакистанские отношения: В более широком контексте – Часть 2
Тарик Саиди Ашхабад, 19 марта 2016 (nCa) --- Укрепление Туркмено-Пакистанского партнерства неизбежно охватит весь регион и принесет пользу всему региону. Это стало бы прямым результатом подавляющего большинства общностей, связывающих девять стран региона воедино: Казахстан, Туркменистан, Узбекистан, Кыргызстан, Таджикистан, Иран, Афганистан, Пакистан и Китай. Пакистан … [Read more...]
Paris Carnage: It is closer to Central Asia than geography suggests
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 16 November 2015 (nCa) --- The Paris Carnage of 13 November 2015 is a chilling warning for Central Asia. Let’s look at some of the facts that have been found so far by the investigators: One of the attackers in the Paris Carnage has been identified as the French citizen Ismael Omar Mostefai. He was born on 21 November 1985 in Courcouronnes, … [Read more...]
Кровавая расправа в Париже: Все намного ближе к Центральной Азии, чем просто география
Тарик Саиди Ашхабад, 16 ноября 2015 (nCa) --- Парижские кровавые события 13 ноября 2015 года служат страшным предупреждением для Центральной Азии. Рассмотрим несколько фактов, обнаруженных по ходу следствия: Один из террористов идентифицирован как гражданин Франции Исмаил Омар Мостефаи. Родился 21 ноября 1985 года в Куркуронне, Эссон и жил в Шартре, юго-западном … [Read more...]
Kerry Go Round
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 4 November 2015 (nCa) --- It was a few days of Kerry Go Round, with Ignorance Made in USA stamped all over it. The lack of focus and substance left the region scratching its head in wonderment. The visit of John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, to Central Asia was built around the exotically named C5+1 format. The meeting of Kerry with the regional … [Read more...]