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.
No Comments so far
Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Lines and paragraphs break automatic.