Field Reports

On May 4, several dozens of people attacked the office and staff of the leading opposition newspaper Yeni Musavat. The attackers broke glass, furniture and equipment in the office and physically harassed the staff. The incident took place at the absence of President Aliyev from the country, who following his collapse on April 21, had left for Turkey two days earlier for medical check-up.

For the second time in the last two years, Kazakhstan hosted one of the prestigious international events, the Eurasian Media Forum. On April 24-26, renowned intellectuals, public figures and journalists from 45 countries turned the five-star Regent Palace hotel in Almaty into a scene of lively debates about global issues.

Turkmen president S. Niyazov paid an official two days visit to Moscow from the 10th to 11th of April 2003. During the visit, he signed agreements on security cooperation, exporting Turkmen gas to Russia, and canceled a dual citizenship deal between Russia and Turkmenistan.

Speaking on April 18 at a meeting with the co-chairman of US-NATO Committee Bruce Jackson, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev re-affirmed his government\'s desire and goals to join NATO. Such statements by the head of state have been rare in Azerbaijan, as in the past his political and military advisors have been the ones raking up the issue and making similar proposals.

The Kyrgyz ombudsman Tursunbay Bakir uulu will be able to decrease facts of human rights violation, but not significantly. So thinks a plurality (44 percent) of the local population, as shown by results of interviews held by the Public Opinion And Prognosis Research Center with UNDP support. Somewhat fewer, 35 percents, believed the new rights protector can be very successful. Only 11 percent are convinced he is going to change nothing. However, almost all the responders say the institute of ombudsman is necessary for Kyrgyzstan.

In spite of much cited macroeconomic success stories, public welfare in Kazakhstan has been largely ignored in the past decade. Although the country can boast the highest standard of living in Central Asia, for a nation that cherishes ambitions to join the WTO the mark is set higher. Kazakhstan is taking bold steps to increase pension and salaries.

As a part of a renewed drive for economic integration of the two countries the leaders of Kazakhstan and Russia announced that 2003 would be marked as the year of Kazakhstan in Russia. The event was clamorously trumpeted by official media in both countries. Does it signal the dawn of a new era in Kazakh-Russian relations?

The war in the Middle East has caused a resolute criticism from the Kyrgyz population. Although there has not been any official statement on the Gulf events, President Askar Akaev is obviously against the use of force to disarm Iraq.

Azerbaijan’s political elite is becoming more and more active as the time of the presidential elections approaches. Though the official pre-election campaign has not begun yet, the growing activity of political parties and other public organizations indicates that political forces have already begun the race.

President Aliyev on April 3 fired the Mayor of Sumgait, Azerbaijan’s third largest city. The move may be linked to the upcoming elections, but is also likely related to economic struggle between parts of the ruling elite.