London – Almaty – Dushanbe – Astana – Bishkek – Tashkent – Ashgabat – Baku – Tbilisi - Yerevan

The Conway Bulletin.

Central Asia/South Caucasus weekly news briefing no. 037 editor@theconwaybulletin.com
2300 GMT April 25, 2011 (covering April 19 - April 25) Edited in London
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SECURITY
Uzbekistan: China extends influence Georgia/Armenia: Russian military base
China extended its influence in Central Asia Georgia’s parliament scrapped a 5-year
by signing gas and finance deals worth agreement signed in 2006 that allowed the
billions of dollars with Uzbekistan during a Russian military to cross its territory to
visit by Uzbek President Islam Karimov to resupply a base in Armenia (April 21). Since
Beijing (April 19-20). In the last few years the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Russia has used
China has steadily bought assets across the other routes to re-supply its base in Armenia.
region where it is competing with Russia and
Central Asia: SCO pledge greater cooperation
the West for influence. (CB009) See Focus
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan: New transport corridor members -- China, Russia, Uzbekistan,
Senior officials from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan --
Uzbekistan, Qatar, Oman and Iran signed an pledged greater cooperation at a meeting in
agreement to link their railway systems to Shanghai (April 25). Russian news agency RIA
create a transport corridor between Central Novosti described the meeting as the 1st summit
Asia and the Persian Gulf (April 25). The for the SCO military chiefs. Some analysts
deal potentially creates another important have said the SCO could act as a
export route for oil and gas. (CB022) counterbalance to NATO. (CB032, CB007)

SOCIETY Kazakhstan: Islamic radicalism

Tajikistan: Ditching Lenin Russian security forces in Dagestan said they
The authorities in Khujand, Tajikistan’s 2nd killed an Islamic militant from Kazakhstan,
city, started to pull down Central Asia’s Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported
tallest statue of Soviet leader Vladimir (April 20). Over the last 2 years, security
Lenin, AP reported (April 22). Lenin statues forces have said that 7 Kazakhs have died
were ubiquitous during the Soviet Union but fighting with Islamic radicals in the North
have disappeared since its collapse in 1991. Caucasus fuelling fears of a rise in Islamic
Khujand used to be called Leninabad and its Lenin radicalism in western Kazakhstan. (CB024)
statue was the height of a 6-storey building.
HUMANITARIAN
Turkmenistan: Horse beauty contest Azerbaijan: Deports western journalists
Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov Azerbaijan deported 3 Swedish journalists who
judged a horse beauty contest, part of a had tried to film an anti-government protest,
campaign to promote Turkmenistan after years said the New York-based Committee to Protect
of isolation (April 24). Horses and Journalists (April 18). The authorities told
horsemanship are revered in Turkmenistan. The the journalists, who worked for Swedish state
owner of the winning horse won a Toyota Land broadcaster Sveriges Television, they did not
Cruiser, media reported. have the correct accreditation. (CB033, CB016)
FOCUS: China extends its reach across Central Asia
In contrast to the cool reception he received when he visited the European Union in Brussels
in January, China laid on smiles and a guard of honour for Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s
state visit on April 19/20. (CB024)
Karimov was in Beijing to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and to sign deals worth billions
of dollars including an agreement to double the amount of gas Uzbekistan sells to China. The
Uzbek state news website uza.uz said the deals were worth $5bln and that Chinese banks had
also agreed to lend $1.5bln to 4 Uzbek banks for joint-ventures.
The numbers underscore just how much power and impact China can buy in Central Asia. Hu
hosted a similar visit to Beijing by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in February (CB029).
Over the last few years China has steadily bought up assets across the region, subverting
the influence of both Russia and the West.
For the Central Asia states, China allure is not just its wealth, its proximity and its
hunger for oil and gas. For now, at least, China is also less troublesome to deal with.
Former colonial power Russia has quarrelled with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan over the price
of gas and the West has previously condoned human rights abuses, such as the shooting in 2005
of around 500 people at a protest in eastern Uzbekistan. China, instead, talks of jointly
defeating terrorism, is welcoming and lays on the charm.
www.theconwaybulletin.com Copyright © 2011