Eurasia News Digest (16-30 September, 2024)

Russia & Central Asia

Scholz and Mirziyoyev ink migration deal to simplify entry of skilled Uzbek workers

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signed a migration agreement with Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the first day of his three-day trip to Central Asia. The bilateral deal, which was signed in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, is intended to ease the entry of skilled workers from Uzbekistan to Germany, particularly those working in the healthcare sector. The agreement will also speed up and simplify the repatriation of Uzbeks living in Germany without a legal residence permit. The German press agency dpa estimates around 13,700 Uzbek nationals currently live in Germany and while the vast majority do so legally, around 200 are reportedly eligible for repatriation. Click here to read... [2]

Kazakhstan, Germany put pen to paper on joint declaration of cooperation

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz have adopted a Joint Declaration of Cooperation between their respective countries. In addition to the Joint Declaration, the official delegations signed several key documents including a Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation between the Deutsche Bundesbank and the National Bank of Kazakhstan and a Memorandum of Intent to establish the Kazakhstan-Germany Institute of Science and Technology at the East Kazakhstan Technical University named after Serikbayev. This agreement was made between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and Germany's Federal Foreign Office. Click here to read... [3]

Dmitry Medvedev spoke about migrants: “Why the hell is he dragging his family with him?”

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev proposed to ban migrants from bringing their families to Russia and “force migrant children to learn Russian”. He stated this in an interview with TASS. “What, in my opinion, needs to be done, I am a supporter of this, in relation to schools, migrant families, enclaves. Of course, we will not be able to overcome certain trends there, but what can be done: if a person comes to us for seasonal work, well, why the hell does he drag his family with him?” - said Medvedev. In addition, according to him, migrant children should be forced to learn Russian, but schools, in turn, should do this gradually and “without rudeness”. Click here to read... [4]

Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan Expand Cooperation in Gas Sector

The Kazakh Energy Ministry signed a Memorandum of Intent with Turkmenistan’s national gas company, Türkmengaz, to strengthen cooperation in the gas industry on Sept. 11. According to the ministry’s press service, the agreement was reached during a meeting between Kazakh Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev with Deputy Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers Batyr Amanov and State Minister of Turkmenistan, Türkmengaz Chairman Maksat Babayev. The parties also discussed the possibility of participating in joint projects. Satkaliyev expressed confidence that through combined efforts, the countries will be able to bring mutually beneficial cooperation to a new level of strategic partnership. Click here to read... [5]

Volunteers die more often than prisoners: what is known about Russia's losses in Ukraine by September

Using open data, the BBC, together with the publication Mediazona* and a team of volunteers, identified the names of 68,011 Russian soldiers killed during the invasion of Ukraine. More than half of them were not connected with the army when the war began. This week, for the first time, the category of volunteer servicemen came out on top in terms of the total number of losses – those who decided to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense or the Russian National Guard after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Click here to read... [6]

KIGAM intends to develop lithium deposit in E Kazakhstan region

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has indicated its willingness to commence the development of a substantial lithium deposit in the East Kazakhstan region in 2025. Kanat Sharlapaev, the Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction, has stated what type of an agreement the Government will conclude with the potential investor, Kazinform News Agency reports. “A geological study of these reserves is currently in progress. Thus far, no confirmation has been obtained regarding the existence of these reserves. Once the Korean investor has provided confirmation, a discussion will ensue regarding the proposed development plan. In this case, we are discussing the matter somewhat prematurely," Kanat Sharlapaev stated. Click here to read... [7]

Rosatom to carry out $1.5bn renewable energy projects in Kyrgyzstan

The Russian Rosatom State Corporation has announced plans to carry out projects in Kyrgyzstan worth $1.5bn, according to Dmitry Konstantinov, Director General of Rosatom’s representative office. As part of these projects, a symbolic capsule was recently laid in the Issyk-Kul region, marking the beginning of construction on Kyrgyzstan’s first wind power plant. The 110MW wind farm, which will be the first of its kind in the country, is expected to cost $110mn. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, with completion set for 2026. Additionally, Rosatom has signed agreements with Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Energy for the implementation of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 1 gigawatt. These include contracts for the design of hydropower facilities with a capacity of 400 megawatts, valued between $400mn-450mn. Click here to read... [8]

Uzbekistan begins construction of $18.3mn terminal in Poti Free Industrial Zone to boost European trade

Uzbekistan has officially launched the construction of a large multifunctional terminal within the Poti Free Industrial Zone. This project spans an area of 30 hectares, with a total investment estimated at GEL 50mn ($18.3mn). The construction will unfold in three stages. The first phase focuses on building a warehouse for frozen products, boasting a capacity of 1,000 tons. The second phase will introduce a closed warehouse for general cargo, covering 5,000 square meters. Finally, the third phase plans for the construction of a warehouse for bulk cargo, along with a terminal dedicated to oversized and container cargo. Click here to read... [9]

Turkmenistan suffers energy-export setback as Turkey opts for new LNG deal

Turkmenistan’s hopes of arranging a swap deal to carry the first small volumes of its gas to Turkey, and possibly on to Europe, have been dealt a blow, as Ankara has inked its third long-term LNG purchase agreement in five months. September 18 saw Turkey’s state gas importer Botas agree with France’s TotalEnergies to import 1.6 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year of LNG from the United States, starting in 2027. The new deal follows a similar Botas agreement with Shell signed earlier in September covering 4 bcm per year also beginning in 2027. A third deal was inked last May with ExxonMobil; details of that agreement have yet to be released. Click here to read... [10]

Iran and the South Caucasus

Pakistan Signs Contract to Sell JF-17 Fighter Jets to Azerbaijan

Pakistan's military said on September 26 that the country has signed a contract to sell JF-17 Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan. The aircraft is co-produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and developed jointly with China, with whom Islamabad has grown increasingly close as ties with its traditional military ally, the United States, have weakened over the last few years. The military did not provide the cost or quantity of jets agreed to, but said in a statement that the sale was part of Islamabad's efforts to enhance defense cooperation with friendly countries and bolster the air-power capabilities of Azerbaijan. Click here to read... [11]

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

On September 16, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. Antony Blinken stressed the importance of achieving lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and said that the United States of America will continue to spare no efforts to achieve this goal. He assessed the achievements in the field of border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the signing of the Regulation on the joint activity of state border delimitation commissions on August 30, 2024, as a positive step. Saying that there is already peace in the region, the head of state emphasized that new realities and status quo based on justice and international law have emerged in our region as a result of Azerbaijan's efforts. President Ilham Aliyev noted that the initiator of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was our country, and for the signing of this treaty, Armenia needs to put an end to its territorial claims against Azerbaijan based on its Constitution and other legislative acts, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group, which is a remnant of the past, and all its related institutions. stressed the importance of ending its activities. Click here to read... [12]

Turkic states reach agreement on common 34-letter alphabet

Seeking to strengthen understanding and cooperation among the world’s 170 million Turkic people, the international bloc of Turkic states agreed on a proposal for a common 34-letter alphabet. “As a result of this dedicated work, a proposal for a Common Turkic Alphabet consisting of 34 letters was agreed upon. Each letter in the proposed alphabet represents different phonetic sounds found in Turkic languages,” the Turkic Academy Organization of the Organization of Turkic States said in a statement. The proposal was agreed upon at the third Turkic World Common Alphabet Commission meeting held in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Click here to read... [13]

Azerbaijan, Israel ink memorandum on military co-op

The cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan continues to grow, also in the field of defense industries, said the Ambassador of State of Israel to Azerbaijan George Deek on his X account, News.az reports. He noted that AS Holdings and its subsidiary, Ari Arms—an international company specializing in the manufacturing and development of NATO-standard light arms— signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with Azersilah, a state-owned company under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence Industry. Click here to read... [14]