NEWS BRIEFS - March 2009
March 31, 2009
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan: Presidents to Discuss Energy Exports at Aral Sea Summit
Armenia
Armenia: PACE Takes Step Back from Punishing Armenia
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan: Chinese-Uzbek Rail Link to Proceed Despite Rising Costs
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: National Security Officials Announce Round-Up of Suspected Terrorists
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Oil Company Lays Off 300 Workers in Central Asian Country
Georgia
Georgian, Lithuanian Defense Chiefs Discuss NATO Integration
None
Gazprom Slashes Gas Export Forecast
March 30, 2009
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Foreign Minister in China Seeking Financial Assistance
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Presidential Candidate Field Narrows
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan-China Pipeline on Target for 2009
Georgia
Tbilisi Blames Moscow for Deadly Blast near South Ossetia
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: International Tender for Caspian Pipeline Spur Opens, Gazprom Must Compete
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan-Russia Gas Deal Plans Dims Nabucco Hopes
Armenia
Armenia: Revenues Fall 46 Percent Short of Target
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Banks Struggle to Repay Government-Backed Cotton Loans
March 27, 2009
None
Russia Plays Hardball with NATO
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: EU Postpones Trade Agreement Vote over Human Rights Concerns
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: SOCAR Eyes Tbilisi's Gas Network
Armenia
Armenia: By Summer, $500 Million from Russia with Love
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Foreign Trade and Retail Sales Plummet
Georgia
Georgian TV: Russia's Hand in Burjanadze Scandal
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Postal Service Marks Fall in Remittances
March 26, 2009
Georgia
Georgia: US Diplomat Tries to Clear the Air in Tbilisi
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: TAPI Pipeline Discussion Ends on Upbeat Note
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: No Plans for Russia-led CSTO Membership
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: General Motors to Open Car Plant in Tashkent
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Criminal Suspects Can Run for Presidency
Georgia
Georgian Public TV Claims Opposition Intimidation
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan: New Religion Law Draws Criticism from Rights Activists
March 25, 2009
Armenia
Gazprom Increases Stake in Armenian Gas Distribution
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia to Set Up Railway Company
Uzbekistan
Chinese Energy Giant to Expand in Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmen-Russian Gas Talks Difficult -- Source
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Could Russian Troops Return to Kabul?
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Tashkent Commits to Develop Key East-West Highway
March 24, 2009
Georgia
Russia Offers Belarus $500 Million for Abkhazia Recognition
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Swiss Luxury Firm Targeted over Deal with Dictator's Daughter
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: President Promises to Fight Authoritarian Trends
Armenia
Armenia: Prosecutors May Rework Coup Charges against Ter-Petrosian Supporters
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Projected Economic Growth Slashed Again
Georgia
Georgia: Police Release Coup Conspiracy Tapes
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Dragon Oil Guilty of "Certain Irregularities"
March 23, 2009
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Russia Calls for Simplified Visa Regime Ahead of Berdymukhamedov Visit
Armenia
Seven Armenian Parties Run for Yerevan Mayor
None
CIS Banking Summit Scheduled to Address Financial Crisis
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Tashkent Residents Ordered to Forage for Scrap Metal
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Opposition to Field One Presidential Candidate
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Economy Nosedives, Consumer Demand Plummets
March 20, 2009
None
US and Iranian Diplomats May Meet on Sidelines of SCO Meeting in Moscow
Armenia
Armenia: Opposition to Unite for Yerevan Municipal Elections?
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Government Bets on Cheap Loans to Boost Economy
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Presidential Elections in July
Georgia
Georgia: Brussels Forum Will Bring Together Saakashvili, Alasania and Russia's Lavrov
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Rail Link to Afghanistan under Construction
March 19, 2009
Azerbaijan
Caspian Basin: Does EU Move Mean the Bell Tolls for Nabucco?
None
Iran: Too Problematic for Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Armenia
Russia, Armenia Disagree over Railroad Investment
Georgia
Georgia: NATO Representatives Arrive to Assess Georgian Army
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Historical Manuscripts Go Digital
March 18, 2009
Armenia
Armenia: Defense Lawyers Boycott the Trial of Accused Opposition Leaders
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: IMF Issues Warning on Economy
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Utilities Hiked Again in Tashkent
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Northern Distribution Network Delivers
Georgia
Georgia: Ruling Party Links Opposition to Moscow
None
Afghanistan: Northern Supply Route Fully Functional
None
Afghanistan: Northern Supply Line for Coalition Troops Fully Functional
March 17, 2009
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: CSTO Military Exercises Scheduled for September
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Reporters to Be Paid
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Governing Party MPs Demand Urgent Meeting with President
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Chickens and Eggs, not Cash
Armenia
Armenia: Opposition Split over Mayor's Race
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Oil Price Drop Puts Fresh Strain on Economy
Georgia
Georgia: Regulator to Run Kazakhstani Gas Company
March 16, 2009
Uzbekistan
Iran and Uzbekistan to Link China with Gulf of Oman
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Unemployment Rises Again
Afghanistan
Russian Foreign Minister in Kabul to Discuss Aid and Arms Sales
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Refugee Crisis to Intensify, Agencies Warn
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Crisis? What Crisis?
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Presidential Chief-of-Staff Dismissed
Georgia
Georgia: Police Blame Opposition for Car Explosion
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan to Opposition: A Referendum, With or Without You
Georgia
Georgia: US Official Calls for Political Dialogue
March 15, 2009
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Is Rakhat Aliyev Looking for a New Home?
Turkey
Turkey: As Local Elections Approach, Governing Party's Popularity Appears to be Slipping
March 13, 2009
Turkmenistan
Turkmen and Uzbek Governments Remain Censorship Happy
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Which Way Is Out for Ashgabat?
Kazakhstan
China Offers Financial Assistance to Crisis-Hit Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Critics Not Sane, Ruling Party Leader Says
Armenia
Armenia Tightening Its Belt
March 12, 2009
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Remittances Plummet, NGO Reports
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan Deal Blow to Nabucco Pipeline Prospects
Georgia
Georgia Frees Alleged Ethnic Armenian "Spies"
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: A Leader of Georgia's Ethnic Azerbaijanis Is Arrested in Baku
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Cotton Targets Set, Sowing Begins
Georgia
Georgia: Opposition Media, Government Battle over Tbilisi's Newsstands
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Poor Still Struggle to Afford Food
Turkey
Turkey: World Water Forum Could Be Missing Key Players
March 11, 2009
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Astana Wants Controlling Stake in Baku-Ceyhan Related Project
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Astana Wants Controlling Stake in Baku-Ceyhan Related Project
Afghanistan
Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan to Boost Trilateral Ties
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Azeri-Armenian Gay Romance Withdrawn from Bookstores
Armenia
Ombudsman Slams Armenia's Human Rights Record
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Auto Exports to Russia Stall
March 10, 2009
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Government, Opposition Prepare for Battle Over Referendum
Georgia
Georgia: Russians Say No Casualties in Mysterious South Ossetia Blast
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: US Business Executive Explores Deals with Berdymukhamedov
Armenia
Armenia: HSBC Bank Predicts Zero Economic Growth
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Senator Issues Warning on Looming Nationwide Water Shortage
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Industrial Output Down 25 Percent
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Restaurants Starved of Business amid Recession
March 9, 2009
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Opposition Leader Arrested in Murder Probe
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Government Tries to Spur Baby Boom
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Legislature Tightens Media Laws
Georgia
Georgia: Shevardnadze Seeks Payback against Saakashvili
Armenia
Armenia Launches Price-Fixing Probe
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Farmers Should be Stakeholders Not Serfs Says President
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: German and Spanish Officials Visit Tashkent
March 6, 2009
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Turkmenbashi Redux?
Georgia
Georgia's Ex-UN Ambassador Plans Plebiscite on Saakashvili Resignation
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Adds Billions More to Bailout Plan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Dushanbe Has Trouble Honoring I.O.Uz
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: US Allies Get the Boot from Manas
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Ramping Up Oil Production to Offset Fall-Off In Energy Prices
March 5, 2009
Turkmenistan
Iran Threatens to Sue Turkmenistan over 2008 Gas Cuts
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Yield from Shah Deniz Gas Field is Expanding
Armenia
Armenia: Another Delay in the "Case of the Seven"
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Fresh Twist for the Manas Air Base Saga
Uzbekistan
Is Rapprochement in the Air for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan?
March 4, 2009
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Election Head Rebuffs Karzai over Vote
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Asks: What Fate for Guantánamo Bay Prisoner?
None
Russia Talks to Iran about Natural Gas Exports
Armenia
Armenia's Dram Drop: What Goes Up Must Come Down
Georgia
Russian Visas Put Georgians on the Road Again?
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Political Reporter Survives Murder Attempt
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: Ashgabat Organized War Games near Afghan Border
March 3, 2009
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: New School to Teach State Employees How to Be Better Bureaucrats
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Dushanbe Showing a Preference for China over Russia?
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: Gazprom Comes Up Dry on Exploration Attempts
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: What About the Other 11 States that Use Manas?
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Headscarf Ban Imposed at Schools
March 2, 2009
None
Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov Touts Regional Trade Organization
Afghanistan
Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan to Join Forces, Launch Regional Persian-Language TV Channel
Tajikistan
Tajikistan: Let There Be Light
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Astana to Make Offers for Properties that Construction Companies Shouldn't Refuse
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan: Coca-Cola Says Tax Plan Will Cause Soda-Maker's Sales to Go Flat
March 1, 2009
None
Kazakhstan: Professional Soldiers to be Downsized
