Mammoth CA minus KGZ catch-up

Been a little slack for a couple of weeks on the broader Central Asian/CIS front with attention being more Kyrgyzstan-focused over at New Eurasia. Anyhow, time for a catch-up from the last couple of weeks:

Regional

• Caucaz.com has an interview with Gael Raballand, an economist at the World Bank, looking at economic marginalisation in the region, which, in Raballand's opinion, started in the C17.
• The Korea Times is obviously going on the Russian maxim of "povtorenie - mat' uchenie" (repetition is the mother of learning) with an article on the Great Game in Central Asia... Sigh. As one interviewee put it to me, how can it be a game when all the players are playing different games with different aims?! Incidentally, the BBC also jumps on the bandwagon with an article entitled "Struggle for influence in Central Asia".
• The BBC has an article on growing herion use in the Central Asian republics, noting that this is a new trend to add to the trafficking of narcotics through the region.
• Iran's Cultural Heritage News Agency has a quick run down on tourism in Muslim Central Asia - interestingly referring to the CARs as countries of the Middle East and emphasising the region's cultural ties to Persian and Turkish culture.
• Another article from the BBC looks at the Russian populations of the Central Asian republics under the title "Russians left behind in Central Asia" and concluding the remaining Russian populations are a useful influence in helping to ensure secular forms of government in the region.
• Georgia has continued to cause waves in the CIS with its threats to leave the Commonwealth. Russian and Abkhazian MPs commented on Georgia's anti-CIS position, with some noting the potential economic damage to Georgia, and Boris Gryslov concluding that the Georgian parliament's decision to leave the CIS (Nov 23) was remeniscent of "the action of a slow-witted child". However, the People's Daily quoted the Georgian Prime Minister as denying the country would leave the CIS (Nov 25) and that the decision was only to start discussing the possibility, rather than actually taking a decision on the matter. Meanwhile, Interfax notes that the Georgian State Minister for Separatist Conflicts has attempted to pour oil on troubled waters with comments that any possible secession will not impact on Russian peacekeeping operations in the region. But, just to keep everyone on their toes, the Georgian Parliamentary speaker said on November 28 that secession was still a possibility reported RIA Novosti. Better than a Brazilian soap opera...
• The Globalist weighs in with a look at the historical Silk Road, asking if it was/is just a romantic deception?
• KazInform reports that the CSTO has proposed forming a Eurasian advisory council for countering terrorism and other threats, arguing that a unified plan of action has long been required.
• Pravda.ru has a piece arguing that Russia must minimise US influence in Central Asia and protect the interests of the 6-odd million ethnic Russians still living in the region.
• HIV/AIDS hits the news for once with the annual World AIDS Day - and a report from China View that begins to hint at the potential scale of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Central Asia, even if official figures continue to be relatively low.
• Finally, the New York Times has an article on the apparent harassment of US-funded pro-democracy groups and NGOs in Central Asia and Russia by local governments and Russia.

Kazakhstan

• Today is election day, with people voting for the next president - most likely Nursultan Nazarbaev again by all accounts. KazInform reported that before 10.00am 21,241 people had already cast their votes. The New Eurasia Kazakhstan Blog will undoubtedly be covering events, and KZblog was already hot on the trail yesterday. The Khaleej Times also takes a look at this "democratic" election.
• Can't quite get rid of the "colour revolution" theme, one way or the other - Eurasia Daily Monitor leads with a piece entitled "Fearing Color Revolutions to be Contagious, Kazakhstan Shuts Border with Kyrgyzstan". Meanwhile, Eurasianet is not convinced that it is all plain sailing for Nazarbaev to get his next term in the bag, and AP reports on the possibility of demonstrations in the wake of the elections.
• In terms of positive pronouncements over the last few weeks, Kazakhstan is clearly doing well on the path to a bright and prosperous future: RIA Novosti reported that Nazarbaev has said that the republic will join the world's 50 top states in the near future (top 50 for what?) citing rapid economic improvements; progress towards democracy is moving on apace with Kazakhstan's signing of a Law on Ratification of the International Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, notes KazInform; agrimarket notes that Kazakhstan's Prime Minister announced that the country should be ready to join the WTO in the first half of 2006 - a slight set back, seeing as the end of 2005 was the original date set, but still; Nazarbaev has called for Kazakhstan to play a key role in regional security reports RIA Novosti, which notes in the same report that the President is supporting the promotion of Russian in the republic; a border treaty with Russia was ratified by the Russian Duma after 5 years of negotiations; and finally, continuing this whirlwind of proactivism, is the a proposed pact on Caspian Sea regional stability. Impressive bureaucratic activity...
• The BBC has an article on the position of women in the republic, noting the glass ceiling that seems to prevent women rising to high, particularly in politics.
• The Borat controversy continues to cause a reaction, as the mediachannel notes that the Kazakh government took out a 4-page advertising spread in the New York Times, no doubt to correct the impression that Borat's representation of the country is accurate. Can't wait to see what happens when Borat the Movie is released (or will it get censored for causing international offence?!).
• And on a welcome non-political, non-controversial theme, the BBC reports on efforts to rejuvenate Almaty apples.

Tajikistan

• IWPR has an article on the state of the mental health system in Tajikistan in light of increasing perceptions amongst residents that psychiatric illness has become increasingly prevalent and that the authorities are doing little or nothing about the problem. But, as IWPR asks, is this any more than perception and prejudice?
• IRIN reports that Tajik border guards recently seized 122kg of heroin from a courier coming in from Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan

• Turkmeno-German relations seem to be on a positive footing if a report from NewsCentralAsia is anything to judge by, not least comment by President Niyazov that Mercedeces is the preferred car in Turkmenistan for public service needs.
• Seattlepi reports that Turkmenistan is to sign a deal with China to start supplying gas and on the joint development of gas fields.

Uzbekistan

• Craig Murray might well be permittted a "I told you so moment" or six, as the Guardian notes in an article entitled "Uzbekistan looks east for news friends".
• Meanwhile the ever-reliable and non-sensationalist MosNews (erhem) reports that Russian troops could take over the newly-vacated K2 airbase according to a "Moscow-based military source". It is worth noting that even this source admits that no final decision has been taken yet, so don't hold your breath...
• The tit-for-tat between the Uzbek authorities and the European Union continues - the UK has suspended visa services in Tashkent after local authorities cut security around the embassy reports Lahore's the Daily Times. Citizens seeking visas have been advised to try Almaty or Moscow.
• AlertNet reports on the start of a major campaign against HIV/AIDS aimed at halting its rapid spread in Uzbekistan.

Reports, newswraps, etc.

• RFE/RL Central Asia Report Vol. 5, No. 44, (28 Nov 2005 - delayed from 17 Nov) looks at efforts by leaders to hold on to power, the sentencing of Andijan suspects, and the fate of Andijan refugees in Romania.
• RFE/RL Central Asia Report Vol. 5, No. 45, (30 Nov 2005 - delayed from Nov 24) has articles on Uzbekistan between east and west and a look at the upcoming Kazakh presidential elections.
• AlertNet Central Asia Weekly Newswrap (Nov 25).
• AlertNet Central Asia Weekly Newswrap (Dec 2).
• IWPR Reporting Central Asia No. 423 (Nov 25) - Alledged media "distortions" in Kyrgyzstan, vetting in Turkmenistan, attitudes to tourist development in Dushanbe.
• IWPR Reporting Central Asia No. 424 part (Nov 29) - All talk but no revolutionary action in Kazakhstan, media bias in the Kazakh presidential elections and e-voting controversy, Kazakh border closures with Kyrgyzstan, the fate of the Constitutional Court in Kyrgyzstan, progress towards political parties in Kyrgyzstan, passport chaos in Tajikistan.