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.

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This week President Karimov of Uzbekistan visited Turkmenistan, where he was made an honorary elder. He had other reasons to be pleased, though, as the amount of cotton harvested back home reached government targets and the European Union promised to ease sanctions against the country. The sanctions were imposed following a violent crackdown against protesters in the town of Andijan in 2005 and after Uzbekistan refused to allow an international investigation. Though an arms embargo remains in place, visa restrictions imposed on officials have been relaxed. The decision has drawn criticism from human rights groups.

Kazakhstan’s controversial bid for the chairmanship of the OSCE in 2009 received a boost on Wednesday, as the US permanent representative to the OSCE said her country views the application with “great optimism”. Germany also stated that it would support the bid. Groups such as Reporters Without Borders oppose the Kazakhstan’s application on the basis that it has never held completely free and fair elections, and one of the OSCE’s primary responsibilities is election monitoring.

As Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional referendum draws closer, the country’s Prosecutor General has once again called on Russia to extradite Aidar Akayev, son of the ex-President of the republic, Askar. Since the government’s overthrow in 2005, none of the Akayev family have been back Kyrgyzstan, with the exception of Bermet, who was charged with various offences on her return. The referendum itself may be the prelude to a snap election, according to Reuters. President Bakiyev currently faces a parliament dominated by his opponents. If passed, some the constitutional amendments he proposes will make it easier for his supporters to enter the legislature.

EurasiaNet reports on an expert panel convened at Washington DC’s Central Asia Caucasus Institute to discuss Tajikistan’s progress since the end of the civil war 10 years ago. Elsewhere on the site, James Delly discusses the country’s cotton harvest, which relies on student labour.

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At last weekend’s summits in Tajikistan, Russia agreed to supply cheap arms to members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in return for enhanced security cooperation. Russia’s support is seen as essential to the survival of regimes, such as Uzbekistan’s, criticised by the west on human rights grounds. 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the EU’s foreign policy high representative, Javier Solana, restated the case for a trans-Caspian pipeline to export gas from Kazakhstan to Europe. The EU is once again considering whether to extend sanctions imposed against Uzbekistan following the Andijan crackdown in 2005. 

Kazakhstan has been suffering from the knock-on effects of the global credit crunch, with banks undermined by a shortage in liquidity, according to London’s Financial Times. In addition, forecasts for have been the country’s oil output in 2015 have been cut by 13% in response to the delay in developing the Kashagan field.

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty debated Berdymukhammedov’s impact on Turkmen politics and society this week, arguing that corruption and nepotism are still huge problems for the country. On EurasiaNet, Joshua Kucera reports local views on whether the regime change has made any significant difference to life in the country. Also on EurasiaNet, Deidre Tynan speculates on the prospects for success of the Tajik push to a Central Asia-wide water management system.

In the run-up to Kyrgyzstan’s hastily scheduled constitutional referendum, doubt remains over whether the poll will bring an end to political uncertainty. Neweurasia reported on a planned protest by the Green party, which may be the first of many.

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Russia will be making its presence felt in the region over the coming days with President Putin in Tajikistan for a marathon round of meetings. It’s difficult not to see his visit, though long planned, as an attempt to redress the balance in Russia’s favour just a week after Condoleezza Rice lobbied key figures in the energy game at the General Assembly in New York. Rice also signed a deal with Kyrgyz foreign minister Ednan Karabayev to combat the smuggling of nuclear material.

Before heading to Dushanbe, Putin took the opportunity to hold talks with his Kazakh counterpart in Novosibirsk. President Nazarbayev underlined his desire to push ahead with the much-discussed Caspian shore pipeline as part of a wider “transport corridor“. Nazarbayev will return to Kazakhstan in time to welcome a 200-strong delegation led by Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. They will discuss the lingering dispute over the development of the Kashagan oilfield by a consortium led by Italy’s Eni.

Turkmenistan, which intends to triple its crude oil output by 2010, announced plans to pump $1bn into its Caspian enterprise zone. Writing for the Jamestown Foundation, John C.K. Daly speculated that Russia intends to use talks this weekend to entice Turkmenistan into membership of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

An article and photo essay on EurasiaNet highlight the problem of north-south transportation in Tajikistan, particularly in winter when the main road becomes impassable. The Iranians funded and built a tunnel which was supposed to provide an alternative route, but despite being inaugurated in 2006 it has yet to open to traffic. Poor infrastructure is just one of the things hampering Tajikistan’s efforts to develop tourism. Bureaucracy, according to World Politics Review, also plays a role. And as the army’s conscription drive begins, RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty examines the attitudes of young Tajik men to military service.

In Kyrgyzstan this week a row erupted over girls wearing religious dress at school. Previously schools have tolerated hijab, but are citing new guidelines encouraging them to be stricter, according to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

In Uzbekistan Islam Karimov’s intentions over the forthcoming presidential election remain the subject of speculation, though it now seems likely he will be nominated. Karimov is not allowed to run for a third term according to the Uzbek constitution.

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Central Asia Now is looking for contributors to write articles, send in photos or even compose the occasional news digest. We’re particularly interested in hearing from people in the region, or those who’ve recently returned. If you’re interested in helping us out, please email the editor: david at centralasianow dot org.