By Alima Bissenova (6/19/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

New Wave of arrests reported in Kazakhstan 3 June More officials and company heads have been arrested in Kazakhstan, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. Financial Police spokesman Murat Zhumanbai has said that police on June 2 detained KIIK company executives Serik Turzhanov and Aleksandr Nisanov, as well as Statistics Committee Chairman Birlik Mendybaev. Last week, the chief of the Environment Department in Astana, Abdinur Bataev, and Statistics Agency Deputy Chairman Nurman Bayanov were arrested.

By Alima Bissenova (6/3/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Baku ratified deal with Total 22 May The Azeri Parliament ratified on Friday an exploration and development contract for the offshore Absheron field in the Caspian Sea with French company Total.

By Alima Bissenova (5/20/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

only Tajik-Chinese border crossing reopens 7 May The only border crossing between Tajikistan and China has reopened for the spring, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports. Mirafzun Mirafzunov, chief of the custom's service in Tajikistan's mountainous Kohistan-Badakhshan Province, told RFE/RL that the Kulma border post was reopened on May 5 but that deep snow on roads in the Murghob and Shughnon districts will prevent Chinese traders from transporting goods into Tajikistan. On the eve of the Summer Olympic Games last year, China closed Kulma and all Tajik merchants had to go to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, and fly to China in order to conduct business.