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.
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