Eurasia News Digest (1-15 April, 2024)

Russia & Central Asia

In Moscow Attack, a Handful of Suspects but a Million Tajiks Under Suspicion

Muhammad, a Tajik migrant, said that he had found a better life in Russia. After emigrating from Tajikistan last fall, he began driving delivery vans in Siberia, enrolled his children in a local school, applied for a Russian passport and started planning to buy an apartment with the savings from his much higher salary. The arrest of a group of Tajik citizens accused of carrying out the attack that killed 145 people at a Moscow concert hall last month has upended those plans, filling Muhammad with fear of being swept up in the ensuing crackdown on the Central Asian migrants who prop up Russia’s economy. The attack, he said, has erased all the efforts his family made to fit into society. In a phone interview from the city of Novosibirsk, he added that he would move back to Tajikistan if the police or nationalist radicals were to target him. Click here to read... [2]

Turkey Cancels Visa-Free Regime for Citizens of Tajikistan

From 20 April, citizens of Tajikistan will have to obtain a visa to travel to the Republic of Turkey. That’s according to a decree signed by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The reasons for this decision remain unclear, but it’s noted that the visa regime is a temporary measure. Entry documents will be issued in Dushanbe and at other Turkish diplomatic missions. Those traveling through Turkey in transit will not require a visa. Tajik Foreign Ministry spokesman, Shohin Samadi, said as of April 6, Dushanbe had not received an official notification from Turkey regarding the introduction of a visa regime. Nevertheless, he said, the issue of retaliatory measures for Turkish citizens is being worked out. Up until this juncture, residents of the two countries could stay on the territory of the other for up to 30 days without a visa. Click here to read... [3]

Floods in Kazakhstan: 75,982 People Evacuated, Relief Efforts Ongoing

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 75,982 people, including 18,681 children, have been rescued and evacuated across the country due to massive floods. The Akorda press service said that on April 8, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke by telephone with the akims (mayors) of the Akmola, Aktobe, Kostanai, and North Kazakhstan Regions to learn about the flood situation and the measures taken to contain the natural disaster and mitigate its consequences. According to officials, the situation is under control, and there are sufficient resources and personnel to combat the natural disaster. Click here to read... [4]

EU establishes strategic partnership with Uzbekistan on critical raw materials

In line with the objectives outlined in the 2020 Action Plan for Critical Raw Materials and the EU's external energy engagement strategy, this partnership highlights the EU's commitment to establishing mutually beneficial CRM value chain partnerships with resource-rich countries. Uzbekistan has the second-largest reserves of CRMs in Central Asia, boasting significant deposits of various minerals such as copper, molybdenum, and gold. The country's mining strategy aligns with its ambitions to increase the processing of CRMs for both domestic and international industries, particularly in automotive and consumer electronics. The partnership is in line with the Global Gateway strategy, the EU's key initiative for investments for sustainable and high-quality projects around the world, taking into account the needs of partner countries and ensuring lasting benefits for local communities, and through which the EU will mobilise up to €300 billion in investments until 2027. Click here to read... [5]

Turkmenistan offers to supply electricity and gas to Tajikistan via Uzbekistan

During his visit to Tajikistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Turkmen People's Council (Halk Maslahaty), has offered to supply electricity and natural gas to Tajikistan via Uzbekistan. According to local TV channel Altyn Asyr, Ashgabat is ready to carry out such interaction on a systematic basis and discuss technical and organisational issues of supplies in detail. "Here it seems appropriate to organise a trilateral meeting with the participation of experts from the Uzbek side". Electricity in Turkmenistan is generated from natural gas, of which the country has the fourth largest reserves in the world. Click here to read... [6]

Russia's Lukoil seeks Uzbek workers to tackle labour shortage

Russian oil producer Lukoil has signed a deal with Uzbekistan to hire workers from the Central Asian state on temporary contracts, in a sign of how labour shortages are forcing Russian firms to recruit staff from abroad. The deal, announced by Uzbekistan's ministry of poverty alleviation and employment, comes as Central Asians living in Russia face heightened suspicion and hostility after a mass shooting at a Moscow concert hall last month in which at least 144 people were killed. Ten suspects who have so far been formally placed in pre-trial custody come from the region, mostly from Tajikistan. Click here to read... [7]

Chinese Invest in Solar Power for Kyrgyzstan

On April 12, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov unveiled plans for the construction of a solar power plant near Balykchy in the country’s northern Issyk-Kul region. Financed with an investment of $400 million by a Chinese company, the plant will have a capacity of 400 megawatts and should be operational by the end of 2025. At the celebratory launch, Japarov stated that the Cabinet of Ministers has made the harness of solar energy, wind, and biogas technologies a key priority, and applauded progressive initiatives which over the past two years, include large-scale hydroelectric power plants Kambarata (HPP)-1, Kulanak HPP and Bala-Saruu HPP, as well as hundreds of smaller hydroelectric power stations nationwide. Click here to read... [8]

Tokayev Stresses Urgent Need for Lasting Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Offers Kazakhstan as Negotiation Venue

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of quickly establishing a solid, long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to assist by providing a venue for negotiations during his talks with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on April 15 in Yerevan, reported Akorda. Focusing on stability and security in the South Caucasus region, Tokayev praised the initiatives taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan towards finalizing a peace treaty. He expressed Kazakhstan’s willingness to provide support by offering a platform for negotiations in this regard. Click here to read... [9]

Iran and the South Caucasus

Georgia's Ruling Party to Reintroduce Controversial 'Foreign Agent' Bill

Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, says it will reintroduce a controversial "foreign agent" bill that was pulled last year amid massive protests over fears the legislation, which mirrored a similar law in Russia, would severely restrict dissent and the activity of civil society groups in the country and push it toward authoritarianism. Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the party, said on April 3 that the text of the new bill will be similar to the previous version, with only some minor changes. Click here to read... [10]

EU and United States Announce Major Investments into Armenia

After a tri-lateral meeting between European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on April 5, Von der Leyen announced a four-year, €270 million investment package for Armenia aimed at strengthening “Armenia’s economy and society, making them more robust and stable in the face of shocks.” Von der Leyen also commended Armenia’s work against circumnavigating anti-Russia sanctions, stating, “This shows that the European Union and Armenia are increasingly aligned in values and interests.” The United States also announced an investment plan of $65 million towards Armenia’s “democratic and economic resilience.” The moves come after months of Armenia publicly distancing itself from long-time ally Russia. Click here to read... [11]

Clashes reported on Armenia-Azerbaijan border hours after EU support announced

Major firefights broke out along the tense frontier between Azerbaijan and Armenia overnight Saturday, with heavy shooting reported by both sides amid Western efforts to bring peace to the war-torn South Caucasus. In a statement, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported clashes “in many parts of the border” along with “the movement of dozens of military vehicles,” alleging that the neighbouring country “has clearly pursued a provocative goal.” However, according to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, Armenian troops have opened fire on its positions more than 30 times since Friday. Azerbaijan has said recent allegations — from EU countries including France — that it could be preparing to launch a new offensive against Armenia are “baseless” and “create a tension in the region and obstruct the peace process.” Click here to read... [12]

Iran acts legally and morally in punishing Israel

The New York Times claimed Operation Truthful Promise was carried out with at least 185 drones and around 150 missiles. Despite Israel's egregious claim at having intercepted "99%" of the projectiles, footage captured by Israeli settlers in the vicinity of the targets showed Iran's missiles had landed exactly where they were meant to descend. The missiles and drones were fired from regions all across Iran. They passed by populated cities in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and occupied Palestine before hitting two Israeli military targets, one of them being a large intelligence base, Nevatim Airbase, from where an F-35 jet took off to target Iran’s consulate in Damascus. No civilian sites were damaged in the process, which proves the high precision of Iran's domestic-grown weapons. Click here to read... [13]