Read Alex Jackson on the new UN Regional Centre for Central Asia in our article section.

The harsh winter that has made headlines in China is being felt in central Asia too. Tajikistan continues to suffer, with officials cutting power to much of the country in order to preserve electricity for vital industries, though a blog on neweurasia.net suggests the weather may be improving.

Italian site AsiaNews reports similar problems in major gas exporter Uzbekistan (which recently cut its gas exports to Tajikistan because of unpaid debts). Supplies have been interrupted not by shortages but by falling gas pressure, the result of severe frosts affecting pipelines.

The weather hasn’t affected play in Central Asia’s energy game: Russia’s Gazprom is apparently poised to make a takeover bid for Kyrgyzstan’s national energy company Kyrgyzgaz, according to EurasiaNet. Turkmenistan, which this week denied knowledge of a Ukrainian plan to pipe gas to the EU is finally allowing independent verification of its reputedly vast gas reserves in an effort to reassure future investors. And while Kazakhstan recorded an upsurge in output at one of its largest gasfields, there are signs that 2008 will see a significant economic slowdown.

Uzbekistan’s standing in the world was not harmed by the unconstitutional presidential elections of December 2007, according to RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, which identifies signs of a rapprochement with the west. Russia Profile suggests that President Karimov managed to present the flawed poll as an improvement on previous efforts and is in the process of being rehabilitated.

In other news, a deal to mine Kazakh Uranium has found its way into the US presidential race; radioactive material has been intercepted on a train travelling from Kyrgyzstan to Iran; Russia is reportedly discouraging Tajikistan from giving India access to the Soviet-built Ayni airbase and in Uzbekistan, ministers gathered to discuss the problem of women being trafficked into the sex trade.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for fortnightly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

After months of wrangling, the dispute over the exploration of Kazakhstan’s Kashagan oilfied has finally been resolved. The Kazakh government has succeeded in increasing its share in the international consortium developing the field. US business site Forbes sees this as a major defeat for “big oil”.

The focus now turns to gas, as an exceptionally harsh winter sees demand for the commodity shooting up. Tajikistan, which is not a gas producer, has been particularly hard hit, with schools remaining closed because of the cold.

Turkmenistan continues to withhold gas from Iran, which has reacted angrily to the interruption in supply. The Turkmen government claims Iran’s failure to pay for its gas on time means that repairs necessary to the normal functioning of the pipeline have not been carried out. EurasiaNet carries a scathing attack on what it sees as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s cynical attempts to raise prices on the back of the cold snap.

Uzbekistan, which is planning to raise gas prices for Russia by 50%, swore in its “new” president on Wednesday 16. The start of Islam Karimov’s third term is unlikely to signal any change in domestic or international policy.

In Kyrgyzstan, which held parliamentary elections in December, citizens are becoming accustomed to the new political reality, described in a piece of analysis on EurasiaNet. The Daily Telegraph carries an interesting feature on Kyrgyz politics and society from the point of view of an English expat caught up in the tulip revolution.

Also in Kyrgzstan, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting reveals the strength of support for exiled religious leader Tahir Yoldash, one of the founding members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, among ethnic Uzbeks in the south of the country. In Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev has expressed his disapproval of foreign missionary organizations. Smaller religious groups have complained of unfair treatment in Kazakhstan, where in the past property belonging members of the Society for Krishna Consciousness has been destroyed. Meanwhile, in Tajikistan, the President has disparaged the wearing of religious dress at one of the country’s centres of Islamic learning.

In other news, the UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, announced on January 15 that it would no longer stock goods made with Uzbek cotton. Uzbekistan has been widely criticised for the use of child and forced labour in its cotton fields.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for fortnightly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

Central Asia’s election season continued in the run-up to the new year, with Islam Karimov winning as expected in the Uzbek presidential poll. The BBC pointed out that, although he has already served the maximum two terms as president, Karimov gave no explanation as to why he was able to run again.

On 2 January a government reshuffle was reported, with Rustam Azimov apparently becoming the new first deputy prime minister. The day before, Uzbekistan formally abolished the death penalty, earning plaudits from the European Union. And in an amnesty marking the 15th anniversary of the Uzbek constitution, prominent human rights activist Karim Bozorboyev was released from prison.

In Kyrgyzstan, which experienced a small earthquake earlier this week, the political dust is beginning to settle in the wake of highly controversial parliamentary elections. A new prime minister, Igor Chudinov, was appointed by President Bakiyev, whose party took the overwhelming majority of seats. The Social-Democratic party was the only opposition group to win representation in parliament. Chudinov promised to make economic growth his priority.

Radio Netherlands reported on two filmmakers’ quest to find out why foreign corporations are sponsoring translations of the Ruhnama, by former Turkmen president Saparmurat Niyazov. Translating the eccentric work, which is a collection of Niyazov’s political philosophy and assorted musings, has apparently helped companies like Shell and Siemens get a foothold in the country. Despite clinging on to the Ruhnama, the Turkmen authorities are keen to modernise and attract inward investment, their latest initiative a lifting of the ban on foreign currency trading.

Elsewhere, RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty carries a feature on Kazakhstan’s forgotten famine, a result of Stalinist collectivisation policies in the 1930s. The Institute of War and Peace Reporting marks Tajikistan’s entry into the UN World Tourism Organisation with an analysis of the prospects for tourism there. United Press International gives an in-depth account of the energy game currently being played out by gas-rich Uzbekistan and it’s smaller, hydropower driven neighbour, Tajikistan.

Central Asia Now is moving to fortnightly news digests from this week. The next update will be on January 18.

The aftermath of the Kyrgyz parliamentary elections dominated this week’s coverage. Despite official results not being expected for some time, the overwhelming victory by the President’s newly created party Ak Zhol was widely reported.

The question of whether the largest opposition party, Ata Meken, should have any seats at all was the main point of contention. It failed to secure the required 0.5% of support by eligible voters in every region, a prerequisite to having candidates from its list enter parliament. On Tuesday the Supreme Court ruled the 0.5% requirement invalid, though doubts have been raised as to whether this will have any effect. Many outlets reflected the view that Kyrgyzstan has effectively entered a new phase as a one-party state and the US sharply criticised the poll. Ata Meken has promised protests, though they are unlikely to match those of the famous Tulip Revolution, which ousted the previous president, Askar Akayev.

The Uzbek presidential election also loomed large. The BBC described the population as being ‘resigned‘ to Islam Karimov’s re-elction. It also highlighted the high level of censorship in Uzbekistan itself, which, though ever present, is particularly significant in the light of Karimov’s bid for an illegal third term.

In other news, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a deal with Russia cementing their commitment to press ahead with a Caspian sea gas pipeline. Kazakhstan is angling for a more favourable contract with international companies involved in the development of the Kashagan oilfield, according to the Financial Times. And in Tajikistan, drugs workers are calling for more sympathetic policies towards addicts in an attempt to stem HIV/AIDS and rising crime.

The next news digest will be on 4th January 2008.

With the Kyrgyz elections on Sunday, there was coverage of the poll on many sites, including the BBC, which included a Q&A on the Kyrgyz political situation. Reuters also posted a “factbox” on the election and elsewhere suggested it had been engineered to ensure the president had a “docile” parliament. AFP reported on the opposition’s claims of dirty tricks though OSCE observers, of whom there were around 250 in the country, have yet to issue an election report.

Uzbekistan has its own election just round the corner, but for this week reporting focused on other matters. Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to the country, is launching his book “Murder in Samarkand” in the US under the title “Dirty Diplomacy”. Meanwhile, the Asian development bank said it would provide the Uzbek authorities with a loan of $30m to invest in its educational infrastructure. Malaysian oil company Petronas has signed a deal with the Uzbek government allowing it to explore an area of 7200 square kilometres in the country.

Petronas also made an agreement with the Turkmen authorities which will allow it to begin building oil platforms and share in pipeline construction. USA Today reported on the Turkmen president’s speech at an investment forum, in which he suggested that investors were willing to plough as much as $4bn into his Caspian coast development project.

Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan moved further towards realising the Caspian pipeline project this week, with Russia approving a cooperation agreement hammered out with leaders of the central Asian nations according to ITAR-TASS. The Financial Times reported Kazakhstan’s attempts to reassure investors after eight local banks were given poor ratings by an international agency.

Tajikistan made it into the news this week because of a bill to tackle fortune-telling and witchcraft. The BBC, USA Today and Reuters all covered the story.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

The Kyrgyz election campaign has once again been hit by controversy this week with a leading opposition candidate barred from standing because he posted a copy of the ballot card on his website. According to the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, TV stations, including the state broadcaster, have been accused of pricing less well-off parties out of the running because of the high cost of election advert slots.

Islam Karimov’s bid to secure a third term in the Uzbek presidential election is the subject of a feature on Russia Profile, which picks out some of the regime’s recent abuses. BBC news highlights the death, apparently after being tortured, of a third prison inmate while the New York times revisits Alisher Saipov’s assassination in Kyrgyzstan, pointing the finger at the Uzbek authorities. New Consumer summarises an Environmental Justice Foundation report which flags Uzbekistan up as using child labour in its cotton harvest.

Turkmenistan’s president Berdymukhammedov met his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on Thursday at the start of a state visit widely seen as an opportunity to discuss proposals for a gas pipeline routed through Iran. Earlier in the week it emerged that French company Total had been in discussions with the president over possible investment in the country. But in a timely article on EurasiaNet, Aisha Berdyeva wonders how long Ashgabat will be able to keep on good terms with all of those courting it.

Amid warnings that Gazprom will pass central Asian price hikes on to European consumers, Kazakhstan showed no sign of currying favour with either customers or investors. The Kazakh prime minister insisted it had the right to intervene in major energy projects, while a finance minister warned of an oil tax crackdown, according to the Financial Times.

Tajikistan, which is to receive OSCE help on border security, celebrated a Japanese pledge to provide aid to bolster various infrastructure projects. Chinese Zijin mining group is set to invest $100m in developing gold mines in the country over the next three years.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

This week it was confirmed that Russia would pay 30-50% more for gas from Turkmenistan from 2008. Associated Press suggests that the rise was agreed to by Russia as an incentive to Turkmenistan to push ahead with a pipeline project in the Caspian. There are fears among Russia’s neighbours about the knock-on effect of the rise, as the state-owned Gazprom is likely to pass the increase on to its customers, among them Ukraine.  Hot on Turkmenistan’s heels, Uzbekistan is also talking about the possibility of raising the price of gas exported to Russia.

In Kazakhstan, the dispute over the Kashagan oilfield shows little sign of being resolved. The Kazakh government’s latest demand is for the consortium, led by Italy’s Eni, to pay $7bn of compensation for the delay. The investment climate in Kazakhstan is unlikely to become more friendly anytime soon – Reuters reports that a tax on oil revenues will be imposed from 2009.

December is set to be a historic month for the region as both Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan go to the polls. The Kyrgyz prime minister resigned this week in what is being interpreted as a signal of his displeasure over the way President Bakiyev has handled preparations for the poll. Opposition leader Almaz Atambayev, was drafted into government to help broaden its appeal. His departure is set against the background of a general unease over the way the election has been managed.

Doubt has been cast over Kazakhstan’s bid to become chair of the OSCE in 2009. Instead, the 56-member body, which carries out election monitoring, is expected to offer Kazakhstan a postponement until 2010, in return for dropping any preconditions linked to the country’s democratic status. Kazakhstan became a one-party state in August.

There was dispiriting news for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan this week, as the UN ranked them 117th and 116th respectively in the Human Development Index - making them the two least developed of the post-Soviet states. The UN Population Fund carried a report on female self-immolation in Tajikistan. Many newly-wed women are driven to despair after being forced to live with their in-laws when their husbands go abroad to find work, it says.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

Interest is growing the Kyrgyz election as polling day (December 16) draws closer. The adoption of a multi-party list system has been criticised in some quarters, as has the introduction of a threshold designed to prevent smaller local parties gaining power. A political grouping that will be excluded fro the new Kyrgyz democracy, Hizb ut-Tahrir, appears to be gaining support in the south of the country, according to IWPR’s Abdumomun Mamaraimov.

In a week when the UN accused police and prison staff in Uzbekistan of “routine use of torture”, Reuters reports that detainees who died in prison earlier this month had marks of torture on their bodies, according to relatives and human rights groups. Meanwhile, pro-government website UzReport cites a survey that found “most young Uzbeks fully satisfied with life”. UzReport also notes what it calls a “strong cotton season” this year. With Uzbekistan also set to go to the polls in December, Associated Press say that Islam Karimov, despite being barred by the constitution from running for another presidential term, has in fact registered as a candidate.

Following on from recent friendly talks with western energy policy representatives, it would appear that Turkmenistan’s relations with Russia are likely to be further strained by a massive increase in the price Gazprom pays for Turkmen gas. However, the hike may be an reward for Turkmenistan’s agreeing to press ahead with the Russian-backed Caspian pipeline project. Both were the subject of bilateral negotiations in Ashgabat that concluded on Friday. And in a move reminiscent of Turkmenbashi, the capital is set to be beautified with an “alley of glory“, according to state-sponsored website Turkmenistan.Ru.

In contrast to their neighbours, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have little or no gas or oil. They may be about to start making money from their hydropower resources though, having signed a deal with Afghanistan and Pakistan to supply them with electricity.

Kazakhstan, the richest Central Asian nation, is setting up a $4bn fund to help its economy weather the current credit squeeze, according to the Financial Times. Elsewhere, technology site The Register suggests that Russia will no longer need the cosmodrome it currently leases from the Kazakh government at Baikonur as it may be building one on home territory.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

Energy dominated the news from Central Asia this week as US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and other key officials visited Turkmenistan. Piebalgs raised the prospect of buying Turkmen gas directly from the country, bypassing Russia. In the meantime the government sought to reassure potential investors that Turkmenistan was offered a stable environment for foreign companies.

Turkmenistan’s apparent openness was contrasted with the difficulty of doing business in Kazakhstan, in articles like Richard Weitz’ assessment of the country’s energy policy for World Politics Review. This week it emerged that Kazakhstan’s energy minister had put back the deadline for resolution of the Kashagan oil field dispute beyond 30th November. Paolo Scaroni, CEO of Eni, which owns the largest stake in the Kashagan consortium, identified the crisis part of an increasing trend towards “resource nationalism” around the world. Meanwhile Kazakhstan adjusted its 2008 growth forecast downwards.

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting suggests that foreign companies are still put off investing in Tajikistan because of corruption and complicated legislation. And in Dushanbe mystery surrounds the bomb blast that killed a security guard near the presidential palace on Wednesday. The explosion, which the government has described as a terrorist act, coincided with the 15th anniversary of President Rakhmon’s accession. It is the latest in a series of attacks on the Tajik capital.

President Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan this week reassured Japanese investors that a new government will be in place before the end of the year. Parliamentary elections are due to be held on December 16th. Kyrgyzstan, together with Kazakhstan has played host this week to UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres. Kyrgyzstan is home to refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Another UN employee, rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak, has once again urged Uzbekistan to invite him to the country so he can assess the situation there.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.

The shooting of an Uzbek journalist in Kyrgyzstan made headlines across the world this week. Alisher Saipov, who had worked for outlets including RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty and Voice of America, was murdered in Osh on Friday. Some reports imply that Saipov’s close links with the Uzbek opposition could provide a motive for his killing.

Writing for the Jamestown Foundation, Roger McDermott links Uzbekistan’s recent overtures to Turkmenistan with a more general effort to rehabilitate the country in the eyes of the west. This follows the easing of EU sanctions against the country last week. The Ethical Corporation website carries a podcast on Uzbek cotton, covering child labour and other issues of concern. Over on EurasiaNet, Joshua Kucera tells how the inhabitants of Karshi miss the US military base that existed there until 2005.

Anxieties over the investment climate in Kazakhstan were reflected this week in a statement by the European Commission which underlined the need for foreign firms to be treated fairly. Elsewhere there was alarm as the Kazakh government moved to shut down opposition websites.

On Tuesday questions were raised over the validity of Kyrgyzstan’s recent constitutional referendum, which paved the way for a parliament filled on the basis of party lists. The following day President Bakiyev announced that the government would resign, but continue as a caretaker for the two months until the election.

Tajikistan accounts for 70% of the drugs seized in Central Asia, according to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. The border with Afghanistan, the world’s largest producer of opium, is famously porous. The country also looks likely to face criticism from human rights groups after ordering Jehovah’s Witnesses, along with two other religious groups, to suspend their activities.

Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for analysis slots by regional experts.