RUSSIA: ‘NO PLANS’ TO CLOSE KYRGYZ AIRBASE [1]
May 17
No decision has been made to withdraw the Russian airbase from the town of Kant, Kyrgyzstan, an aide to the Russian defense minister said on Thursday. “The Air Force main command has not planned any changes in the air component of our base in Kant,” Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said, adding that the base’s organizational and personnel structure will remain as is. Four Russian military facilities are currently located in Kyrgyzstan - the Kant airbase, a naval test center in Karakol, a military communications center in Kara-Balt, and a radio-seismic laboratory in Mayly-Suu. The Kant airbase is also a structural subdivision of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In February, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev called for the Kant base to be closed, saying neither Russia nor Kyrgyzstan needs it. In November, Atambayev announced plans to close the nearby U.S. airbase at Manas in 2014. He denied speculation that the Kyrgyz authorities wanted to get the Russian forces out of Kant in order to transfer the U.S. base there. (RIA Novosti)
RUSSIA TO SIGN AFGHAN MI-17 OPTION BY YEAR-END [2]
May 17
A delivery schedule for an option order of Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters for the Afghanistan Armed Forces will be signed by Russia and the U.S. by the end of the year, Russia's defense exports holding Rosoboronexport said on Thursday. Rosoboronexport signed a $367.5 milliondeal with the United States in May 2011 for delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s, which the U.S. will transfer to Afghanistan. According to U.S. data, the deal could be worth up to $900 million including spares and servicing. The contract also includes an option for delivery of a further 12 Mi-17s. "In February this year, we signed an additional protocol for delivery of two helicopters as part of the option deal, and we plan to deliver ten more by the end of this year," said Rosoboronexport's head of helicopter exports, Grigory Kozlov. Rosoboronexport is counting on further development of military-technical cooperation with the United States, including with regard to sales to third nations, he said. (RIA Novosti)
UZBEKISTAN SAYS TO START GAS SUPPLY TO CHINA IN 2012
May 17
Uzbekistan will start to ship natural gas to China via a pipeline running from Central Asia this year, and plans to supply up to 4 billion cubic meters (bcm) by end of the year, according to a senior Uzbek official. The Central Asian pipeline network, launched in 2009, spans about 2,000 km from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China's northwestern Xinjiang province. "We can start shipping our gas right now, but there are some legal issues which need to be settled," Tulagan Zhurayev, head of Uzbekistan's state-controlled gas transportation firm Uzbektransgas, said. He continues, "We haven't started shipping gas yet ... We plan to supply this year between 2 bcm and 4 bcm. We have the gas and everything is ready." Neighbouring Turkmenistan, which holds the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves, is to date the sole supplier of natural gas to the China-bound pipeline. Uzbekistan is seeking a place in the lucrative gas trade with the fast growing economic giant China, and some Uzbek officials have said shipments of Uzbek gas are set to reach 10 bcm in 2013. The China-bound pipeline had been originally expected to reach annual capacity of 30 bcm in 2012. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has said it plans to increase the capacity of the pipeline to around 60 bcm by 2015. (Reuters)
CSTO TO RETURN NAGORNO KARABAKH TO AZERBAIJAN, ANALYST SAYS
May 17
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will return Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan, Center of Political Innovations and Technologies head Mubariz Ahmedoglu said. He said the declaration adopted at the last meeting of the CSTO states that the Helsinki Final Act contains three well-known principles on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. "It's not about the principle of self-determination. It is the unity of peoples, which means that in determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh have equal rights," Ahmedoglu said. The political scientist said that the declaration of the CSTO have been prepared in accordance with the UN Charter. "The importance of the declaration is in the fact that Azerbaijan is not a CSTO member, while Armenia is. That is, the organization, which includes Armenia, forces it to agree to the resolution of the conflict within the framework of international norms," he said. "The CSTO will return the Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Armenia is not included in the number of states that solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Conflict will be resolved directly through negotiations between Azerbaijan and Russia. These negotiations are likely to be conducted with the help of the CSTO," Ahmedoglu said. He also noted that the only issue related to the post-Soviet space and being solved in the Collective Security Treaty Organization is Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "After the CSTO declaration Armenia will not be able to change the position of Russia," Ahmedoglu said. (Trend)
PROPOSAL FOR “NABUCCO WEST” SCENARIO SUBMITTED TO SHAH DENIZ II CONSORTIUM
May 17
The Nabucco Consortium submitted a proposal to the Shah Deniz II Consortium for the construction of a "Nabucco West" pipeline, which would bring Caspian gas from the Bulgarian-Turkish border to Baumgarten and beyond. "We are convinced that we have submitted a competitive and comprehensive proposal to the Shah Deniz II Consortium, and that this proposal represents a win-win situation for our shareholders and for suppliers alike", said Reinhard Mitschek, Managing Director of Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH, Nabucco website reported. Nabucco is one of the Southern Gas Corridor projects, which is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle East to the European countries. Gas to be produced within the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field development is considered as the main source for the project. The current shareholders of Nabucco project are Bulgarian Energy Holding, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas, Austrian OMV, German RWE and Hungary's FGSZ. Earlier Germany's RWE stated that the company analyses the conditions of newly proposed Nabucco West project and its ability to meet Europe's strategic goals. Nabucco West is a short-cut version of Nabucco project, which envisages a construction of the pipeline from Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria. According to Ozgul, Turkey assumes that Nabucco West will be the natural continuation of Azerbaijani-Turkish Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), which will be laid from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border. (Trend)
MARCH OF GAY ACTIVISTS ENDS IN SCUFFLE IN DOWNTOWN TBILISI
May 17
The first-ever march of a small group of rainbow flag-waving gay activists in downtown Tbilisi ended in a scuffle with an Orthodox group, which blocked activists' way not allowing them to continue procession. Few dozen of gay activists, gathered outside the Tbilisi State Concert Hall (Philharmonic Hall) to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. They started marching towards the Rustaveli Avenue, but before reaching the avenue the participants of the march were stopped by a group of men, some of them Orthodox priests, associated with an organization known as Union of Orthodox Christian Parents. “We should not let gays continue their way, because we should explain them that this is a sin,” one young man, among the group blocking gay activists’ way, was saying. At one point a scuffle erupted between the gay activists and several young men. Police intervened and took from the scene several people, including some gay activists, who were soon released. Two young men from the Orthodox group remained in the police custody at the time of writing this report. Same day, before this incident, the Georgian Public Defender, Giorgi Tugushi, released a statement in connection to the International Day Against Homophobia. “In spite of the progress achieved in terms of human rights, homophobia remains as one of the most important problems around the world, and, unfortunately, Georgia is no exception,” the statement reads. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Georgia in 2000. (Civil Georgia)
TAJIK ALLEGED TORTURE CAUSE FOR CONCERN
May 21
Tajikistan could do more to address concerns about torture, though there have been some encouraging signs, a visiting U.N. representative said. Amnesty International, in a report [3] published earlier this month, said it had particular concerns about the alleged abuses of prisoners in the country and called for an impartial and independent investigation into allegations of torture. Juan Mendez, U.N. special envoy on torture, said at the conclusion of his tour of the country that "pressure on detainees, mostly as a means to extract confessions is practiced in Tajikistan in various forms, including threats, beatings and sometimes by applying electric shock." He said authorities in Tajikistan had taken measures to raise the level of awareness of abuse, but the problem of mistreatment isn't likely to go away any time soon. Light prison sentences for those convicted of torture, meanwhile, were no deterrence to future abuse. "A relatively low penalty does not offer a strong disincentive to commit torture," he said in a statement. (UPI)
NATO EYES AFGHAN ROLE BEYOND 2014
May 21
NATO is expected to outline a strategic agreement with Afghanistan that highlights its continuing role in the country, the NATO secretary-general said. Members of NATO met Chicago for their annual summit. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, at the start of the Monday sessions, that handing security responsibility over to Afghan forces was at the top of the agenda. Afghan forces are expected to assume authority over security operations in the country by the end of 2014. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said during the weekend that he looked forward to a time when his country was no longer "a burden" for members of the international community. Rasmussen said that NATO members and partners to the International Security Assistance Force are expected to endorse a strategic arrangement for Afghanistan. "From 2015, we expect to maintain a NATO-led presence to train, advice and assist the Afghan security forces," he said in a statement. "And NATO and ISAF nations will also pay their fair share to help sustain the army and police Afghanistan needs for the future." This year, at least 160 soldiers in the NATO coalition have been killed in Afghanistan. That includes 110 from the United States, 20 from Britain and 30 from various other NATO allies. (UPI)
UZBEKISTAN TO BUILD MORE FACILITIES TO ENSURE SECURITY IN AFGHANISTAN
May 21
Uzbekistan Railways will construct buildings and facilities worth $3.672 million to ensure the security of personnel and the property of the Hairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif railway, according to a government source. In late last year, the Afghan Public Works Ministry and Uzbekistan Railways signed an additional agreement to the contract dated November 27, 2009 to build these facilities. Under the project fencing around the perimeter of the stations, freight yards and sidings will be installed. As reported, in November 2010 Uzbekistan Railways completed the construction of the Hairatan - Mazar-i-Sharif railway in Afghanistan worth $129 million. The capacity of the road is eight pairs of trains per day, or more than nine million tons of cargo per year. The project has been implemented due to grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at $165 million and own resources of Afghanistan Government at $5 million. In 2011, Uzbekistan Railways signed a contract with the Afghan government to operate the railway for a period of three years. In accordance with the contract, an Uzbek company carries out maintenance of the road by Uzbek specialists and performs freight transportation by its rolling stock. The Uzbek side will receive for operation of the railway each year from Afghanistan $32 million. Funding for operational works at Mazar-i-Sharif railway will be carried out due to ADB funds provided to Afghanistan. The Afghan side also provided adequate safeguards to ensure security. (Trend)
GEORGIA, AZERBAIJAN AGREE TO SETTLE BORDER ISSUE [4]
May 21
Georgia and Azerbaijan will do everything possible to avoid tensions over the David Gareji monastery complex at their common border until they reach an agreement to complete border delimitation in the area, Georgian First Deputy Foreign Minister Nikoloz Vashakidze said. Earlier this month, Georgian media reported that Azeri border guards had been deployed at the ancient monastery complex, a potential UNESCO World Heritage site some 60 kilometers from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. The monastery complex, whose history traces back to the 6th century AD, is located on a mountain separating Georgia from Azerbaijan, and occupies part of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border that has remained undelimited since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Vashakidze said the two countries’ border agencies agreed that Georgian citizens and foreign tourists coming from the Georgian side would be allowed to visit the entire territory of the monastery complex without obstacles until the border issue is agreed upon. “Until the final decision on the delimitation issue is reached, the sides agreed to do everything possible to prevent any implications and political fuss,” he said. “This envisions access to this cultural monument in line with the existing practice.” He added, however, that “legal interests of Azerbaijan should not be violated” as a result of such access. The Georgian government will therefore guarantee that foreign nationals do not go beyond the monastery’s territory into Azerbaijan, he said. (RIA Novosti)
NATO: RUSSIA MUST REVISE RECOGNITION OF ABKHAZIA, S.OSSETIA [5]
May 21
NATO member states called on Russia on Monday to reverse Moscow’s decision concerning the recognition of the former Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “We continue to call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia as independent states,” said a joint declaration issued after the NATO summit in Chicago. “We reiterate our continued support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. We welcome Georgia’s full compliance with the EU-mediated cease-fire agreement and other unilateral measures to build confidence. We welcome Georgia’s commitment not to use force and call on Russia to reciprocate,” the declaration added. The declaration also urged Russia to withdraw its military presence from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, calling them “Georgia’s territory.” “We continue to be concerned by the build-up of Russia’s military presence on Georgia’s territory and continue to call on Russia to ensure free access for humanitarian assistance and international observers,” the document said. Last month Mikheil Saakashvili, the president of NATO-striving Georgia, said he would quit immediately if Russia withdrew its troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia and even suggested that the deal could be secured by international monitors. (RIA Novosti)
IRAN'S "GAY" EUROVISION JIBES STRAIN AZERBAIJAN TIES
May 22
Iran has withdrawn its ambassador from Azerbaijan after clerics criticised Baku's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, further souring relations between the Islamic Republic and its secular neighbour. Iran's withdrawal of its ambassador, for consultations in Tehran, comes after months of accusations by the two countries of meddling in each other's affairs and as the western-allied, mostly Shi'ite Muslim Azerbaijan is about to host Eurovision Song Contest. Azerbaijan's hosting of the contest has been condemned by some Iranian clerics and lawmakers who have referred to a "gay parade" - although no such event is planned. A senior Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Sobhani, issued a statement urging Muslims in the region to protest what he described as anti-Islamic behaviour by Azerbaijan's government. "We heard that the government of Azerbaijan is hosting the international Eurovision Song Contest and that during this contest there will also be a gay parade," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the cleric as saying. Iran was angered by subsequent anti-Iranian protests in the Azerbaijan capital Baku, where demonstrators carried pictures of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and banners that read "Azerbaijan does not need clerics-homosexuals!" The latest spat between the countries that share a religion but have sharply different political systems is part of wider diplomatic tensions. Iran has accused Azerbaijan of assisting Israel in what it says was the Jewish state's assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists. (Reuters)
HRW: AZERI FORCES ROUGH UP PROTESTERS
May 22
Authorities in Azerbaijan are sending the wrong message about freedom of assembly as host of a Eurovision contest, Human Rights Watch Said [6]. Baku is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, an international competition overseen by the European Broadcasting Union. Human Rights Watch said that police in Baku assaulted protesters who were demonstrating against the government of President Ilham Aliyev [7] ahead of the competition. Giorgi Gogia, a regional researcher for Human Rights Watch, said Azeri authorities were sending the wrong message to the international community. "The Azerbaijani authorities have gone to great lengths to prepare and polish Baku ahead of Eurovision, but police roughing up peaceful protesters casts a very dark shadow on all the festivities," he said in a statement. Human Rights Watch said it monitored Monday demonstrations in central Baku. Around 100 activists had gathered near a central metro station before being runoff by authorities. "Police used force to disperse the protest, rounding up protesters and forcing them onto buses," the rights group said in a summary of the events. (UPI)
DEAL SIGNED ON TAPI NATURAL GAS PIPELINE
May 23
The signing of a deal for a multilateral natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan is a milestone in regional economic affairs, an Indian minister said. The government of Turkmenistan signed agreements Wednesday to sell natural gas to its Asian partners through the 1,043-mile pipeline. Indian Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said signing off on the agreement would lay the groundwork for construction of the project. The agreement is "a triumph of multilateralism, regional cooperation and economic integration," he was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying. India and Pakistan would get about 1.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas from the pipeline each year, while Afghanistan would get the remaining 494 million cubic feet per year, the report stated. "Without a doubt, the economic benefits of the TAPI gas pipeline will be immense for our energy-starved economies," said Reddy. "The flow of natural gas will bring in industrial and economic development in our countries." TAPI, supported by the United States and backed by the Asian Development Bank, is seen as a rival to a pipeline planned by Iran. Tehran said much of the pipeline is built through its territory and it was ready to help Pakistan build its part of the project. (UPI)
KYRGYZ PRESIDENT WANTS CHINA-KYRGYZSTAN-UZBEKISTAN RAILWAY
May 23
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev says his government strongly supports a project to build a trans-Asia railway to connect his country to both China and Uzbekistan. The more than $2 billion rail line is planned to run from Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Andijon in Uzbekistan, where it would link to the Uzbek rail network. But it remains unclear who will provide the investment needed to build Kyrgyzstan's stretch of the railway, while many Kyrgyz remain emotionally averse to China's increasing presence in the tiny country. The project "will give a great push for the Kyrgyz economy. On the other hand, we are demanding that this railroad should connect all railroads in Kyrgyzstan; it's our condition," Atambaev said. "And this railroad will unite far parts of Kyrgyzstan with each other, and it will help to unite our regions together." On the fate of the U.S. military airbase at Manas airport near Bishkek after 2014, when most NATO troops are set to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, Atambaev said U.S. operations would use a civilian airport. "Now [the United States] has some troops in the Manas Transit Center, and it's a civilian airport, Kyrgyzstan's main airport, and there shouldn't be any military troops [there] after 2014," he said. "But when it comes to transporting goods, logistics, we will continue doing that. It's not necessary to keep troops in Manas Transit Center for carrying goods, logistics to Afghanistan." (RFL/RL)
KYRGYZSTAN, NATO SIGN AGREEMENT ON TRANSIT OF LAND CARGOES
May 23
The Kyrgyz government and NATO during the NATO Summit in Chicago signed the agreement on transit of International Security Assistance Forces' land (road and rail) cargoes through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday. The agreement will support the international efforts aimed to ensure security, stability and restoration of Afghanistan. Moreover, the agreement is important for further development of bilateral relations between Kyrgyzstan and NATO for stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan and security of Kyrgyzstan and the whole Central Asia. The agreement was signed by Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev and NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. During the signing ceremony Vershbow thanked Kyrgyzstan for its support and noted that this is a historic event and an important contribution of Kyrgyzstan into stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan. Kyrgyz Foreign Minister in turn said Kyrgyzstan provided support and continues providing support to the international community, regional and international organizations, including NATO, in the efforts aimed to ensure security, peace and stability and further socio-economic development of Afghanistan. (Trend)
TOTAL SUGGESTS AN INTEGRATED LOGISTICS PLATFORM AT THE CASPIAN SEA TO CATER TO ALL OIL AND GAS OPERATORS IN THE REGION
May 23
Total's head of exploration and production, Yves-Louis Darricarrère suggested Kazakhstan’s leadership consider launching an integrated logistics platform at the Caspian Sea to cater to all oil and gas operators in the region. “An ad-hoc working group involving all the international and domestic oil and gas companies can be launched”, Mr. Darricarrère said when speaking at the sitting of the Foreign Investors Council May 22. “Total would support such an initiative. We believe this integrated logistics solution in the O&G sector could facilitate introduction of global standards and stimulate greater contribution of domestic companies into O&G projects”, he emphasized. According to him, “this logistics solution is a product of cooperation between the Government, a logistics company, the national oil and gas company [KazMunaiGas], large-scaled oil and gas operators and respective service companies and oil and gas associations”. The FIC is an advisory body established to promote direct dialogue between the Government of Kazakhstan and foreign investors to efficiently address issues related to investment activities and to improve the business climate of Kazakhstan. (Tengrinews)
S. OSSETIA OPPOSITION LEADER BECOMES DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER [8]
May 23
Alla Dzhioyeva, a South Ossetian opposition leader and candidate in last year’s disputed presidential elections, has been appointed deputy prime minister, a South Ossetian presidential administration official said. President Leonid Tibilov signed a relevant decree on Wednesday. According to preliminary results, Dzhioyeva won the presidential election in the breakaway state in November against a pro-Kremlin candidate. The Supreme Court annulled the results [9], citing violations and banned her from running again, which led her and her supporters to the central square of Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital. On her new post, Dzhioyeva will be in charge of the social sphere. When asked about her priorities, she told RIA Novosti she would work to improve conditions in which inmates are held at South Ossetian prisons. “I will try to save those who were jailed… because of my presidential campaign – although it wasn’t my guilt,” she said. She also said she was planning to take “concrete steps” to improve health care and education in South Ossetia, and to address problems in the cultural sphere. Georgia regards the region as its territory. It is recognized as an independent state only by Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and a few tiny Pacific island states. (RIA Novosti)
KAZAKHSTAN MOVES TO STIFFEN LAW FOR SYMBOL DESECRATION [10]
May 24
Kazakhstan's parliament approved a bill on Thursday introducing tougher penalties for desecrating national symbols, following a series of scandals involving the country's anthem. The bill, passed in its first reading by the lower house, would allow authorities to put offenders in jail for up to one year, Economy Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev told reporters in the capital, Astana. The oil-rich Central Asian nation also reviewed rules on the use of its national symbols at sporting events. There was controversy in March, when a spoof Kazakh national anthem from the 2006 comedy film Borat was played at a medal ceremony in Kuwait [11] instead of the real one. The joke song praises the former Soviet republic for its superior potassium exports and having the "cleanest prostitutes in the region." Organizers apologized for the blunder and the ceremony was later rerun. Kazakhstan called the incident "a scandal" and filed a complaint. Also that month, pop singer Ricky Martin’s 1999 hit Livin' la Vida Loca was played at a ski festival in a Kazakh city in place of the anthem [12]. Criminal proceedings were launched last month after Kazakh police accused a group of men in the small town of Aktyrau of using a national flag to collect garbage. (RIA Novosti)
ISLAM KARIMOV LIGHTENS UP
May 24
Uzbekistan's president has been in power for nearly a quarter century, which makes him part of a shrinking autocratic class put squarely in the crosshairs of Baron Cohen's stinging satire “The Dictator”. But it turns out that Karimov might have a sense of humor after all. Though the movie is not being screened in neighboring Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, the film is playing in Uzbek theaters in truncated form. "I can't understand why they're still running the movie," says 21-year old Timurmalik Ahmedov, after watching the film in Tashkent. "The implicit message is that because they're showing this film, there's no dictator here, which is absurd." The version shown in Uzbekistan isn't the one most audiences worldwide watched. Cinema workers in Tashkent say that of the original 83-minute run time, 20 minutes of "rude language" and "inappropriate episodes" were cut. Not all Uzbeks are publicly convinced that Baron Cohen's "heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed" has anything to do with Islam Karimov's Uzbekistan. One employee at Tashkent's Grand Cinema, insisted that the film should not be construed as a commentary on domestic politics. "No, no, no, it's not against President Karimov," he says. "If we ran that kind of movie, we would be in grave trouble. It's just a comedy that has nothing to do with Karimov." (RFE/RL)
TURKMEN PRESIDENT: TURKMENISTAN, EU HOLD CONSTRUCTIVE TALKS ON GAS SUPPLIES
May 24
Turkmenistan and the EU are holding constructive talks on gas supplies according to President Berdymuhamedov. 'By creating a multi-vector pipeline system for the stable, reliable and long term supply of energy to world markets, Turkmenistan is implementing these projects, based on their profitability for both suppliers and consumers of raw fuel', the report said. It is expected that Turkmenistan can ensure supplies due to expansion and development of the Galkynysh field. Furthermore, Turkmengaz began to build an internal East-West pipeline whose goal is to bring together the rich resources in the east with the coast of the Caspian Sea. There is no direct agreement of implementing the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline yet. However, in September 2011 the EU issued a mandate to start negotiations on an agreement between the Union, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the Trans-Caspian project. Turkmenistan previously stated its readiness to supply gas to the Nabucco pipeline of up to 40 billion cubic meters. Ashgabat believes that with the consent of the parties (Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan), territory of which is covered by the project, is enough to lay a pipeline through the seabed of the Caspian Sea, legal status of which has not been yet determined. Azerbaijan expressed its willingness to provide its territory, transit opportunities and infrastructure to implement the project, according to recent statements by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). (Trend)
RUSSIA IN DEADLOCK WITH AZERBAIJAN ON RADAR SITE [13]
May 24
Russia’s Defense Ministry is disappointed by the lack of progress in talks with Azerbaijan over extending the lease of the missile defense radar station in Azeri town of Gabala, a source in the ministry said, adding that Moscow would likely leave Gabala if the talks did not move ahead. Russia has been negotiated with Azerbaijan to extend the lease of the Soviet-era radar. The Russian Kommersant business daily reported in late February that Azerbaijan had demanded Russia pay $300 million instead of the previously agreed $7 million for the lease, which Russia is seeking to extend until 2025. The source in the Russian Defense Ministry also said that the price increase was unreasonable, since the radar needed a full renovation and the sum Baku was demanding for the lease was comparable to the cost of constructing a new radar. In 2007 Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested sharing Gabal radar station with the United States, instead of deploying the NATO missile defense shield in Czech Republic. In early April, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that Yerevan was ready to provide a site on its territory for construction of a new Russian radar station if Moscow failed to agree on extending the Gabala with Azerbaijan. On Wednesday Russia placed its new Voronezh-M long-range missile warning radar on duty in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, marking a major increase in its missile early warning system capability. (RIA Novosti)
AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA TO BID FOR EURO 2020 [14]
May 24
Azerbaijan and Georgia have submitted a joint declaration of interest to host Euro 2020, the first step in the bidding process, the head of Azerbaijan’s football federation was quoted as saying. The bid was allowed after UEFA extended the deadline for declaration of interest indefinitely, beyond the original date of May 15. “Budapest hosts FIFA congress today. Our secretary general is there and we put in nomination with Georgia to host Euro 2020,” Rovnag Abdullayev, president of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, was quoted as saying. Georgia and Azerbaijan had originally planned to bid together, but Georgia went its own way and submitted a declaration of interest earlier this month. A spokesman for the Georgian football federation told RIA Novosti at the time that Azerbaijan would concentrate on its capital Baku’s bid for the 2020 Olympics instead. The Olympic bid, however, was rejected at the preliminary stage Wednesday, and this now allowed Azerbaijan to work towards fulfilling its footballing ambitions, Abdullayev said. Neither Azerbaijan nor Georgia, whose populations together total around 14 million, has hosted a major sports event before, and this inexperience was flagged up in the International Committee’s report on the Baku bid. (RIA Novosti)
SAIGA ANTELOPES DIE IN KOSTANAY OBLAST AGAIN
May 25
More saiga antelopes have died in Kostanay oblast these daysaccording to a report from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture. “Today at 12:00 a.m. a new place of saiga die-off has been located during an aerial survey of saiga habitation area in Zhangeldin region. This place is to the South-West of the previous die-off site that was located on May 19, 2012. The die-off area is 11 x 5 kilometers.” The Ministry’s officials say that Okhotzooprom inspectors have been dispatched to the die-off site to investigate. The approximate number of dead antelopes exceeds 400. Ministry of Agriculture held a briefing on saiga antelopes die-off problem some time ago. It named pasteurellosis disease, also known as shipping fever, as the most likely cause of the saiga mortality. The saiga (Saiga tatarica) is a critically endangered antelope that originally inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian steppe zone from the foothills of the Carpathians and Caucasus into Dzungaria and Mongolia. Today the nominate subspecies (Saiga tatarica tatarica) is only found in one location in Russia (steppes of the North-West Precaspian region) and three areas in Kazakhstan (the Ural, Ustiurt and Betpak-dala populations.) Pasteurellosis is a bacterial disease caused by Pasteurella species in wild and domesticated animals, as well as humans. (Tengrinews)
IS AZERBAIJANI TV CENSORING EUROVISION CONTESTANTS?
May 25
Following the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Swedish finals contestant Loreen [15] was asked about her meeting with Azerbaijan's political opposition. She answered simply: "What I can say, there is two parts of me. One that is private and one that is my work that I'm doing here, and just today I want to keep the focus on this energy that we created right now." But Azerbaijani Public TV, which is broadcasting Eurovision, immediately had its moderator jump in to keep any more questions "relevant," prompting howls of protest from the journalists in the room. What's more, its voiced-over translation of the reporter's question into Azeri on its domestic broadcast came through as only "How did you feel on stage?" Loreen met with opposition activists to discuss the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. According to the Azerbaijan Press Agency [16], her meetings with the group and with opposition party leaders were all set up by Swedish Ambassador Mikael Eriksson. The agency also reported that Eriksson asked Loreen to bring up politics at the song contest. This led Ali Hasanov, who heads President Ilham Aliyev's political department, to complain to the European Broadcast Union [17] that it should prevent contestants meeting with "anti-Azerbaijani" groups. Sweden's Foreign Ministry has denied that Eriksson told Loreen to make any such statements. "There is no substance to the rumor that the ambassador has asked Loreen to make any political statements," a spokesman told a Swedish newspaper. (RFE/RL)
EUROPE CONCERNED BY AZERI RIGHTS ISSUES
May 25
Members of the European Parliament called on Azerbaijan to end its suppression of human rights, adding Baku must get in line with international standards. Baku this week played host to celebrations for the Eurovision Song Contest, set to get under way Saturday. Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution expressing concern over human rights abuses in the Azeri capital during the celebrations. "Citing reported attacks, harassment, threats and imprisonment of journalists, human rights defenders and others seeking to express their opinions, Parliament calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop suppressing the freedom of expression and assembly and to bring their legislation in these areas into line with international standards," a statement read. Human Rights Watch said police in Baku assaulted protesters who were demonstrating against the government of President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the competition. The organization said it monitored Monday demonstrations in central Baku. Around 100 activists had gathered near a central metro station before being run off by authorities. European lawmakers called for monitoring of the human rights situation in Azerbaijan should abuses persist. (UPI)
GROWTH IN AFGHAN POPPY CROPS EXPECTED
May 27
The withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan will likely result in a new surge in the production of opium poppies. "Some money is available through the licit economy, but less than in the past as Western contracts dry up, and so the importance of the illicit, informal economy will increase," Jean-Luc Lemahieu, director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, told The New York Times. "The prognosis post-2014 is not a positive one." Some Afghan farmers said they indeed had little choice but to turn to the profitable poppy. "I don't have any cash now to start another business, and if I grow any other crops, I cannot make a profit," Mohammed Amin, a poppy grower in Oruzgan province, said. The Times said the current poppy crop in southern Afghanistan is expected to be lower this year due to bad weather and blight. But the consequence will likely be that poppies from other parts of the country will fetch a much higher price for the struggling farmers. Afghanistan has pledged to continue its efforts to eradicate poppy crops and steer farmers into legitimate crops. Still, officials concede the economics of the situation and the likelihood of corruption among local police make the task difficult. "When we plan an operation, we have to have approval of the local police chief or his deputy or the zone police chief, and if one of those people is corrupt or linked to a big trafficker, it leaks," said the deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics, Lt. Gen. Baaz Mohammed Ahmadi. (UPI)
SWEDEN WINS EUROVISION FINAL IN BAKU, AHEAD OF RUSSIA, SERBIA
May 27
Swedish singer Loreen has triumphed at the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan, with her dance hit "Euphoria." The 28-year-old easily outscored entries from her nearest rivals from Russia and Serbia to be declared winner of the Eurovision final. Loreen’s victory earns Sweden the right to host the competition next year. Second was Russia's Buranovskiye Babushki, a group of six grannies, the eldest of them 77. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the grannies and promised to pay a visit to their village soon. Serbia came in third place and Azerbaijan fourth. A combination of points from viewers across the continent and national juries decided the winner. More than 100 million typically watch the annual contest on television around the world. A total of 26 finalists took the stage in Baku's Crystal Hall, a $134 million concert venue on a point jutting out into the Caspian Sea, in front of a live audience of some 20,000. Azerbaijan's neighbor Armenia, which is locked in a conflict with Baku over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh territory, boycotted the event. On the eve of the final, police detained dozens of antigovernment protesters in Baku. Azerbaijan's authoritarian government has sought to use the Eurovision song contest to present the oil-rich country as a modern, prosperous state, and has spent millions of dollars on improvements in the capital. Opposition activists, however, have seized on the increased international media presence to draw attention to alleged human rights abuses. (RFE/RL)
GEORGIAN OPPOSITION LAUNCHES ELECTION CAMPAIGN WITH RALLY
May 27
Bidzina Ivanishvili led opposition coalition, Georgian Dream, held a rally on Sunday in Tbilisi. Former captain of Georgian football team Kakhi Kaladze opened the rally that gathered about tens of thousands of people on Freedom Square. “Our task is to defend the nation, country and faith. Misha (Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili) no one believes in you, you must leave! We stand for a just cause and will achieve victory,” Kaladze said. The organizers said that the rally would not be a protest and would mark the launch of Georgian Dream election campaign. The election campaign of Georgian Dream began with rallies in three parts of the city. By 3 pm the columns gathered on Liberty Square. One of the columns was headed by Ivanishvili, his wife and sons. “Our country is on a razor-edge, I saw that the country cannot die and this cannot go on ... So my decision to come to politics is not my desire, it is a duty,” Ivanishvili said. He promised if Georgian Dream won the election, the citizens would get free medical insurance and affordable education. The coalition priorities are the development of agriculture and creation of new jobs. “We begin to fight for justice, for the unification of Georgia, for Georgia to become a full member of EU, NATO and other international organizations ... We are sure that we will win, the processes have assumed an irreversible character,” the billionaire said. (RIA Novosti)
RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN IN DEADLOCK OVER ROCKET LAUNCHES [18]
May 29
Russia and Kazakhstan have failed so far to reach an agreement on a new drop zone for the debris of Russian carrier rockets being launched fromthe Baikonur space center, [19] Kazakh space agency Kazcosmos said. Russian Kommersant daily said in an article last week that Russia would not be able to carry out three scheduled rocket launches because of the dispute over the drop zone. “The launches mentioned in the article have not been agreed to by Kazakhstan because they require a new debris drop zone, which is not part of the Baikonur rent agreement of December 1994,” Kazcosmos said in a statement. Kazakhstan insists that in order for the zone to be used the two sides must sign an additional agreement to the Baikonur rent agreement, which has to be ratified by the Kazakh parliament. Kazcosmos said that the talks on the new agreement began in 2008, but a draft document is still in the works. Failure to sign the document already prevented Russia from launching a European weather monitoring satellite MetOp-B on May 23, and will most likely jeopardize a cluster launch of Belarusian, Canadian, German and two Russian satellites on June 7 and the launch of Russian satellite Resurs-P in August. The issue could be on the agenda of bilateral talks during the current visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Kazakhstan. [20] (RIA Novosti)
IRAN, TAJIKISTAN TO EXPAND RELATIONS IN ALL FIELDS
May 29
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and visiting Tajik Minister of Industry and Energy Golshir Ali stressed development of bilateral relations here on Tuesday, IRNA reported. "Iran-Tajikistan relations are both historical and cultural; Tehran is committed to expand relations with Dushanbe in all fields including the economic field." Iran and Tajikistan signed a memorandum of understanding at the end the eighth meeting of their joint economic and cultural committee in Dushanbe in October, 2011. Based on the MOU, the two sides agreed to carry out joint projects in different fields such as textile, foodstuff, construction of railways, hydroelectric power plants, dams, cement factories, and so on. Iran also agreed to export technical and engineering services to Tajikistan. Iran has recently enhanced efforts to boost political, economic and cultural ties and cooperation with regional and neighboring countries, especially those in the Central Asia. Iran and Tajikistan share a common history, language and culture. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the two countries have naturally enjoyed a close relationship. Due to the resurgence of Iranian culture within Tajikistan, Iran helped encourage cultural exchange through conferences, media, and film festivals. Iranian television programs, magazines, and books became increasingly common in Tajikistan. (Trend)
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR FUEL BANK MAY BE LAUNCHED IN KAZAKHSTAN IN SUMMER 2013
May 30
An international nuclear fuel bank capable of storing up to 60 tons will be launched in Kazakhstan in 2013, says Timur Zhantikin, Head of the State Agency for Nuclear Power Industry. According to Zhantikin, “the timeline will depend on respective agreements between Kazakhstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)”, adding that “preparatory works are under way at the Ulba metallurgical plant [engaged in production of hi-tech uranium, beryllium and tantalum products for the needs of the nuclear power industry] to host the bank”. “Part of the storage at the Ulba plant will be used to store 60 tons of nuclear materials owned by the IAEA”, he said, emphasizing that for Kazakhstan it is more of a political project contributing to global non-proliferation efforts. A nuclear fuel bank is an approach to provide countries access to enriched nuclear fuel, without the need for them to possess enrichment technology. The basic concept is that countries that do have enrichment technologies would donate enriched fuel to the "bank", from which countries not such technologies would obtain fuel for their reactors. Back in 2009 Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev suggested hosting an international nuclear fuel bank in the Kazakh territory. The idea was approved of by the IAEA in 2011. The Kazakh Agency for Nuclear Power was launched May 7, 2012. (Tengrinews)
REPORT: NABUCCO TO BE SHELVED BY JUNE
May 30
The long-planned Nabucco natural gas pipeline will be abandoned by the end of June, a Russian report says. Citing unnamed London oil and gas analysts, Itar-TASS reported the European Commission-backed project will officially fall victim to changing market conditions before June is over. The news agency said British experts have concluded Nabucco's backers will abandon the $10 billion effort as competitors appear to be gaining traction. The New Nabucco West version is significantly scaled back compared to its predecessor, both in its transport capacity as well as its length. But even the smaller version is on the verge of collapse as the result of changing economics. Unnamed London experts say the project's downfall is the result dramatic changes in the global gas market. BP spokesman Toby Odone said the original version is off the table. "To all intents and purposes it isn't going to happen," he said. "It's just not in the frame … When Nabucco was first planned it talked about multiple sources (including Turkmenistan) coming together. That just hasn't happened." Meanwhile, Bulgaria defended the Nabucco proposal over the weekend. Dimitar Abadzhiev, the country's representative to the project, "We still consider this as the most viable project aimed at connecting the Turkish gas market to Europe," Abadzhiev said, adding, "Nabucco meets all the conditions for a secure pipeline in both versions, the full-scale version and the shorter version, Nabucco West." His comments came five days after the Bulgarian Parliament approved the construction of the pipeline through the country. (UPI)
AZERBAIJAN 'FOILED PLOT TO ATTACK EUROVISION'
May 30
Azerbaijan says it has arrested 40 people suspected of having plotted a "terrorist" attack on last week's Eurovision Song Contest in Baku. The Azeri National Security Ministry says the plotters had planned to attack the event's venue - the Baku Crystal Hall - and several hotels on the eve of the competition. The news was deliberately held back to prevent alarm among visitors, it adds. There has been no independent confirmation of the alleged plot. The suspects had "obtained Eurovision tickets with the aim of (committing) a terrorist act at the Baku Crystal Hall", the official statement said. Among the hotels named as targets were Hilton Baku and the JW Marriott Hotel. They allegedly had links to neighbouring Dagestan, a mainly Muslim republic in the Russian North Caucasus plagued by Islamist insurgent attacks. The suspects were found possessing guns and explosives, the ministry says. Saturday's pop competition, watched by millions of TV viewers worldwide, was won by Swedish singer Loreen. Twenty-six countries took part in the final in Baku, in front of a live audience of some 20,000. (BBC)
IVANISHVILI-RELATED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT GOES INTO FORCE
May 30
The constitutional amendments, which allow leader of opposition coalition Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, to vote and be elected in October parliamentary elections without having Georgian citizenship, came into effect after President Saakashvili signed these amendments into law. The amendments, which allow a Georgian-born citizen of EU-member state, who “has permanently lived in Georgia for last 5 years”, to run in October parliamentary elections and presidential election next year, were published by the state online registry of legal acts, Sakanonmdeblo Matsne on May 29. A week earlier, on May 22, when the Parliament passed the amendments with third and final reading, Ivanishvili called on President Saakashvili to veto constitutional amendment, saying that he would not make use of this “absurd” amendment, and was instead ready to apply for a Georgian passport through a dual-citizenship procedure as recommended by the Civil Registry Agency in April. The ruling party responded that with these constitutional amendments the authorities paved way for Ivanishvili to run in the elections and now it was completely up to him whether he would make use of this opportunity or not. Ivanishvili said recently that even if he did not personally stand in the upcoming elections, it would not derail his Georgian Dream coalition’s plans to run in the October polls. (Civil Georgia)