Turkey: Energy Picture in E. Med. Becomes Both Clearer and More Complicated
As reported in this previous post, Greek Cyprus's efforts to explore for gas off the divided island's shores has led to a serious ramping up of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Turkey...
View ArticleCondi: I Did Not Blame Georgia!
There aren't many issues on The Bug Pit's radar that have much political resonance in Washington (or elsewhere), but the Russia-Georgia war is by far the most significant. As someone who had already...
View ArticleIndian Army Chief Visiting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
The chief of India's army is visiting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the latest stops in what seems like a growing push by New Delhi to build military relations in Central Asia. IndianDefence.com reports:...
View ArticleAzerbaijan: The Caspian's Magic Waters?
The Caspian Sea has long meant many things to many people, but one Azeri scientist is now claiming that the brackish body of water could serve as an irrigation source for his country's farmers. In...
View ArticleKyrgyzstan: Bishkek Struggling to Find Right Economic Path
Copyright show: No In a small office on the second floor of the Kyrgyzstan Stock Exchange, a lone administrator checked the time and looked up from the computer: “Two o’clock. No applications...
View ArticleGeorgia: Tbilisi Lawmakers Try to Define Where Politics Ends and Business Begins
Copyright show: No For as long as the republican form of government has existed, elected representatives have had to fight the temptation of letting private financial interests influence their...
View ArticleTurkey: Gas Transit Deal with Azerbaijan Shakes Up Regional Energy Politics
That high drama production known as Turkey-Azerbaijan relations has delivered a new plot twist, with the recent signing of a deal that allows for the transit of Azeri gas across Turkish soil and into...
View ArticleUzbekistan: Another Trial of Muslim Prisoners, Another Death in Prison
Yet another trial of devout Muslims is under way in Tashkent region, involving 16 devout Muslims who worshipped outside strict state controls, the independent site uznews.net reports. The men are...
View ArticlePeace Corps Pulling Out of Kazakhstan?
The Peace Corps, which sends thousands of Americans abroad every year to volunteer in public health, education and business development, is pulling out of Kazakhstan, according to unconfirmed reports....
View ArticleUzbekistan: GM Opens Plant Where Clinton "Talked Rights"
As expected, General Motors (GM) has formally opened up its new plant in Uzbekistan with local joint venture partner UzAvtosanoat (GM has a 52 percent stake). Like all firms in Uzbekistan, UzAvtosanoat...
View ArticleRonald Reagan Comes to Georgia in Bronze
This year, the world marks the 20th anniversary of the Soviet empire going belly up. No less importantly, on November 23, Georgia will be marking St. George’s Day and the eighth anniversary of the 2003...
View ArticleGeorgia: Tbilisi Jury Trial Marks Step Forward for Justice System
Copyright show: No In an historic first for Georgia, 12 men and women recently passed judgment in the country’s first jury trial, a grisly murder case. But the answer to whether or not jury trials...
View ArticleMongolia: Ulaanbaatar Grapples With Challenge of Equal Access for Disabled
Copyright show: No Munkhtulga Tseveldorj is successful for a 22 year old. Author of two poetry books, he has a third on the way. He’s a good student in the library management program at the Mongolian...
View ArticleIndians Now Looking At New Air Base In Tajikistan?
India has decided to accelerate its plans to build a military hospital in Tajikistan, the Times of India reports: The government, sources said, has now decided to go back to Tajikistan and open a...
View ArticleAzerbaijan and Armenia Continue Deadly Blame Game
It was not us, but even if it was us, we still blame Armenia, said Azerbaijan about a fire exchange over the weekend that left two Armenian soldiers dead. Earlier on, Armenia ominously threatened a...
View ArticleUzbekistan: Top Officials Jailed in Possible Purge
Uzbekistan-focused media have reported in recent days on what appears to be a wave of arrests among high-placed government officials. Reporting on what might be the most high-profile casualty to date,...
View ArticleTurkey: What's Behind the Country's New Internet Filtering System
When Turkish officials announced earlier this year that all internet users would soon be forced to sign up for a government-run filtering program (see this previous post), a loud outcry ensued, with...
View ArticleTajikistan Loses Nerve and Backs Off Russian Pilots
A Tajik court today released two ethnic Russian pilots whose case had paralyzed relations with Moscow and threatened to send Tajikistan’s economy into a nosedive. On November 8, the court in...
View ArticleAzerbaijan (Still) Kicking Tires On Chinese-Pakistani Fighter Jets
Azerbaijan seems to be looking seriously at rejuvenating its air force with Chinese-Pakistani fighter jets, the state news agency APA reports. They cite a source from the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex,...
View ArticleKazakhstan: What is Behind the Peace Corps Pullout?
Copyright show: No The Peace Corps, a volunteer program that aims to spread American goodwill and soft power, is abruptly pulling out of Kazakhstan.read more
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