Kyrgyz President 'Mixed Up' Over Russian Military Bases
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev confused Russian military facilities when he demanded that Russia pay off a $15-million debt for leasing an air base in the former Soviet republic, Kommersant daily reported on Thursday. READ MORE
Turkey and Kazakhstan have similar approaches on many international and regional issues - Turkish Ambassador Lale Ülker
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan. READ MORE
Countries of Central Asia deserve reparations from Russia and international community for damage to water resources during the Soviet times, U.S. scholar says
As a legal heir to the former Soviet Union, Russia should feel responsible for the serious damage to the water resources in Central Asia inflicted by huge irrigation projects during the Soviet era, according to a renowned U.S. expert on the region, reported Silk Road Newsline. READ MORE
Saakashvili Meets Aliyev in Baku
President Saakashvili, who pays a two-day official visit to Baku, met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on March 6. READ MORE
The Coming Mediterranean Energy War
A significant gas find offshore has propelled hopes for brighter future in the Mediterranean. For the Republic of Cyprus, it came as a blessing amid the deteriorating Eurozone crisis. The rating agencies had downgraded the Greek-populated southern part of the island four times in 2011 to its current Standard & Poor's rating of BB- because of unhealthy links with the defaulting Greek financial system. READ MORE
Russian-Azeri Talks on Gabala Radar 'Make Progress'
Russia and Azerbaijan have made “some progress” in settling their dispute over Moscow’s lease of the Gabala missile defense radar, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday. READ MORE
State Secretary: U.S. strongly supports idea of TAPI gas pipeline construction
The United States strongly supports the idea of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. At the same time, Washington strongly opposes meeting of Pakistan's needs in energy resources by constructing pipeline to purchase "blue fuel" from Iran, ITAR-TASS quotes U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying on Wednesday. READ MORE
Ablyazov Sentenced to Prison in UK for Contempt of Court
The fugitive Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, accused of embezzling $5 billion from Kazakhstan’s BTA bank, was sentenced on February 16 to 22 months in prison for failing to disclose his assets and lying under oath to the High Court of England and Wales. Justice Nigel Teare concluded that Ablyazov had breached a court-ordered freeze on his assets, presented “untrue” evidence about property ownership and provided evidence “with the intention of interfering with or impeding the course of justice.” The Justice qualified Ablyazov’s breaches as “deliberate” and “substantial,” describing his conduct as “brazen.” The court has issued arrest warrants, but lawyers of BTA bank believe that Ablyazov, who failed to appear at the hearing in London, may have already fled England (Financial Times, The Guardian, Press Association, February 16). READ MORE
