Take a look at Central Asia Now’s first photo essay, an illustration of how access to water affects everyday life in southern Kyrgyzstan, by Zafar Atajanov.
The cloud of controversy surrounding Kazakh president’s son in law, Rakhat Aliyev, refused to lift after he was arrested in a Vienna hair salon last Friday. Wanted by Kazakh authorities on charges of kidnapping and extortion, on Sunday Austrian authorities released Aliyev on bail while a decision on his extradition to Kazakhstan is made. Aliyev insists that the charges against him are politically motivated, claiming his intention to challenge President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2012 poses a serious threat.
There is increasing pressure on the US government to close the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan ahead of a planned visit by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, reports Associated Press. Russia and China have joined the Kyrgyz parliament in calling for the troubled base to be scrapped.
On Wednesday Uzbekistan received the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Mohammed Al-Sabah. Kuwait is playing an increasing role in the development of Uzbekistan’s infrastructure and during a meeting at President Islam Karimov’s residence in Tashkent officials from both countries discussed furthering bilateral relations. On Wednesday EurasiaNet carried an analysis of the behind-the-scenes Uzbek reaction to increasing Russian involvement in the country’s energy sector.
Turkmenistan’s oil and gas industries are set to benefit from further foreign investment, it was announced this week. At the inauguration of the refinery built by Irish/UAE oil firm Dragon, President Berdymukhammedov laid the foundation stone of a $500 million gas processing plant, to be built by the Malaysian company Petronas.
Heavy rains in the southern Kabodiyon region of Tajikistan caused landslides on Tuesday, killing three and destroying homes and crops 200 km from the capital Dushanbe. As the UK’s Channel 4 reports, the continued melting of Tajikistan’s mountain glaciers could lead to major natural disasters. Experts warn countries in the region have to start building dams near glaciers now and changing their own irrigation systems – though this has proved controversial, with Uzbekistan threatening to cut off Tajikistan’s gas supplies if rivers vital to the neighbouring country’s water supply are dammed. Cotton production in the region is especially especially dependent on reliable access to water. Early investigations, reported during a world environment day conference in Dushanbe on Tuesday, show the alarmingly rapid rate at which snow and glacier coverage in Tajikistan is decreasing.
Thanks to Matthew Jenkin for this week’s digest. Stay tuned to Central Asia Now for weekly news digests. Keep an eye out for our fortnightly analysis slots by regional experts.
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