Eurasia News Digest (1-15 July, 2024)

Russia & Central Asia

Kazakh, and Chinese Business Leaders Ink 40 Multibillion-Dollar Agreements

Kazakh and Chinese business leaders inked over 40 agreements worth $3.7 billion on the sidelines of the Kazakh-Chinese Business Council on July 2. The event gathered at least 500 business representatives, including over 50 largest Chinese companies, according to Kazinform. Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund signed 16 agreements with Chinese partners, including ones on the production of wind components, investment in the construction of a container hub in the Aktau seaport, and the development of e-commerce. Astana Akimat (administration), Bazis-A construction company, and the Shenzhen Energy Environmental Engineering and China State Construction Engineering Corporation agreed to construct a waste incineration plant to generate electricity. Click here to read... [2]

SCO Summit: Eurasian Alliance Signs Security Agreements; Welcomes Belarus

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana this morning, leaders from the bloc’s member states signed a host of agreements intended to promote cohesion in the Eurasia region. The first session, which was held behind closed doors, had begun with the signing of the document that accepted Belarus as the SCO’s 10th full member. The first agreement signed was a document outlining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s development strategy for the next 12 months. In 2025 Kazakhstan will pass chairmanship of the alliance to China, and there is speculation that the SCO may grow further next year, to include at least one new member. Click here to read... [3]

Kazakhstan has prepared plan to compensate for oil overproduction

Kazakhstan will compensate for oil output exceeding its OPEC+ quota in the first half of this year by September 2025, its energy ministry said on Monday, adding that it has prepared a detailed plan for gradual compensation. The country is among eight OPEC+ countries that had pledged extra voluntary output cuts. It did not provide any output figures. "Kazakhstan will make every effort to comply with its obligations and compensate for overproduction in accordance with the intended compensation plan," the ministry said in a statement. Click here to read... [4]

Business dialogue between Japan and Central Asia

On July 4, 2024 by the initiative of Japan Association for Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO) 2nd Japan-Central Asia Business Dialogue was conducted. The representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and the representatives of business circles noted the growing interest of Japanese business towards the region of Central Asia. Ambassador of Tajikistan to Japan during his speech highlighted the potential of trade and economic cooperation, investment opportunities, natural resources of Tajikistan, and as well as human capital of the country. The Ambassadors of Central Asian countries and ROTOBO signed the Joint Statement on the outcomes of the Second Business Dialogue. Click here to read... [5]

Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States concludes in Shusha, Azerbaijan

The Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), hosted by H.E. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, successfully concluded in Shusha, Azerbaijan on 6 July 2024. The Summit, held in the historic city of Shusha, brought together the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vice President of Türkiye H.E. Cevdet Yılmaz, Prime Minister of Hungary H.E. Viktor Orbán, President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus H.E. Ersin Tatar and Secretary General of the OTS H.E. Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev. Under the theme “Building a Sustainable Future through Transport, Connectivity and Climate Action” the Summit provided a vital platform for high-level discussions on key issues and the Organization's agenda. The leaders engaged in productive dialogue and reached pivotal decisions, finalizing and endorsing documents related to various OTS projects. Click here to read... [6]

China's Xi Pledges Support for Tajikistan's 'Territorial Integrity'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 5 promised to defend the "territorial integrity" of Tajikistan as he announced a boost to diplomatic relations with the neighbouring country on a rare visit. Xi arrived in Dushanbe from Kazakhstan following a gathering of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the bloc to "resist external interference." Click here to read... [7]

Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek soldiers began training in Mangistau

On July 8-17, the troops of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will hold a training camp in Mangistau region. The Birlestik-2024 military exercise will take place at the Oimasha training ground, in the sea area two kilometers from Cape Tokmak. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry, about 4,000 servicemen and about 700 weapons and military equipment will take part in the exercise. Click here to read... [8]

Russia Prepares Course for Central Asian Migrants on How to Assimilate

Russia has developed a course on how to adapt to the country for labor migrants from Central Asia. According to Igor Barinov, head of the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation, the course covers several topics. “This is primarily migration labor legislation, including the procedure for registration and filling out the relevant documents, as well as norms of behavior in Russian society,” he stated. Kommersant notes that the course is comprised of lectures which lasts 70 minutes and is divided into four parts. Click here to read... [9]

Iran and the South Caucasus

Iran agrees to facilitate Turkmenistan gas transit to Iraq

Iran has agreed to act as a swap agent in a previously announced deal between Turkmenistan and Iraq to deliver up to 10 billion cubic meters per annum of gas to Iraq to underpin the stable supply of gas-fired power generation in the country, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry and Iran’s state news agency Irna said following the visit of Iran's delegation to Ashgabat earlier this week. To underpin the delivery contract, Turkmenistan has given its consent for unidentified Iranian contractors to build 125 kilometers of additional pipelines and three gas pumping stations on its territory to expand the existing country’s gas export shipping capacities to Iran. Click here to read... [10]

Postponement of Exercise Noble Partner Announcement

The United States has initiated a comprehensive review of the United States – Georgia bilateral relationship. As part of that review, the United States will indefinitely postpone this iteration of exercise NOBLE PARTNER in Georgia, originally scheduled for July 25 – August 6, 2024. On May 30, The US government began a full review of all bilateral cooperation with Georgia. The decision to postpone this iteration of NOBLE PARTNER is due to the Georgian government's false accusations against the United States and other western entities of pressuring Georgia to open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party. As such, the United States Government has determined that this is an inappropriate time to hold a large-scale military exercise in Georgia. Click here to read... [11]

Exercise Eagle Partner 24 to begin mid-July

Service members from the Republic of Armenia, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and the Kansas National Guard will take part in Exercise Eagle Partner 24 from July 15-24 in Armenia. Eagle Partner is an exercise designed to enhance the longstanding partnership between the U.S. and Armenia by increasing interoperability and readiness. The Kansas National Guard has had a productive partnership with Armenia since 2003, as part of the Department of Defense's State Partnership for Peace Program. Click here to read... [12]

Reformist Pezeshkian beats hard-liner to win Iran presidential election, promising outreach to West

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran’s runoff presidential election Saturday, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian promised no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy in his campaign and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. Click here to read... [13]

EU ‘to approve’ €10 million non-lethal military aid for Armenia

Armenia will receive €10 million ($11 million) in non-lethal military aid from the EU after Hungary withdrew its objections, reportedly in exchange for providing equal funds to Azerbaijan for demining. Hungary reportedly agreed to lift its veto after agreeing to a compromise that would see Azerbaijan receive funds to help with demining territories that came under their control following the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Click here to read... [14]