Eurasia News Digest(16-30 November, 2024)

Russia & Central Asia

Turkmenistan tightening exit rules for citizens seeking to travel to Uzbekistan

Turkmen authorities are cracking down on cross-border tourism with Uzbekistan reportedly because it highlights Ashgabat’s inability to provide basic goods and services to its citizens. Tourism involving Turkmen citizens traveling to Uzbekistan has been on the rise in 2024. Many have used the trips to buy up foodstuffs and wares not readily available in Turkmenistan, which has been gripped by a severe economic crisis in recent years. Over the past month, Turkmen customs officials have introduced new rules designed to discourage quick cross-border trips. The new rules require would-be travelers to present an array of documents, such as marriage certificates and proof of residency, before being allowed to proceed on their journey. Click here to read... [2]

Cryptocurrency making inroads in Central Asia and Caucasus

Cryptocurrency ownership is gaining popularity across Central Asia and the Caucasus, according to a report prepared by a group of financial services companies. Uzbekistan has the highest adoption rate for crypto assets in the regions and ranks 33rd globally. The Russian-language report, titled Digital Assets in Central Asia and the Caucasus, shows that almost 1.5 percent of Uzbekistan’s population, or roughly 512,000 individuals, owns cryptocurrency. The 15 licensed cryptocurrency exchanges and outlets operating in Uzbekistan handled over $1 billion worth of transactions in 2024, the report adds. Click here to read... [3]

Central Asia Is Investing in Itself

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Astana in August 2024 marked the inaugural meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. As both parties celebrated strides made in bilateral cooperation, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for the accelerated development of an International Center for Industrial Cooperation, located in the border regions of Syrdarya and Turkestan. The center, with special economic zone status in Uzbekistan and industrial zone status in Kazakhstan, offers significant investment appeal through tax and regulatory incentives designed to draw greater foreign capital. Click here to read... [4]

EU To Target Chinese Firms with Asset Freezes, Visa Bans for Aiding Russia In Ukraine

The European Union has proposed for the first time to target Chinese companies and individuals with visa bans and asset freezes over their dealings with Russian firms linked to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. The new measures, which are laid out in a draft proposal reviewed by RFE/RL, are part of a proposed 15th sanctions package recently put forward by Brussels that aims to target six China-based companies with asset freezes and one Chinese citizen with a visa ban, among other entities. While the EU has hit Chinese entities in the past with sanctions as part of Brussels' effort to curtail evasion, those measures have consisted of bans that prevent EU companies from having business dealings with those firms. This proposal marks the first effort to blacklist Chinese companies or individuals with visa bans and asset freezes over helping Russia procure dual-use goods that can be used on the battlefield. Click here to read... [5]

Caspian Sea water level could drop by 18 meters

Caspian Sea is at the center of a triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stated at COP29. UN News reported. Andersen warned that if the current situation persists, the water level in the Caspian Sea could drop by as much as 18 meters by the end of the century. Inger Andersen noted that this is not just an environmental disaster but a socio-economic crisis that could force the displacement of 5 million people by 2050. The region is already experiencing declining fish stocks, soil salinization threatening agriculture, and the gradual extinction of certain species, such as the Caspian seal. The head of UNEP emphasized that despite the alarming situation, the Caspian Sea has a chance to be saved, and this will be a unique opportunity for international cooperation. Click here to read... [6]

US Congress Considers Granting Kazakhstan Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status

The U.S. Congress is exploring ways to strengthen ties with Kazakhstan, including granting the country Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. However, progress is stalled by the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, a Cold War-era policy enacted in 1974. Some lawmakers believe the amendment could be repealed as early as January 2025. Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United States Yerzhan Ashikbayev highlighted the importance of repealing the outdated amendment. He emphasized the country’s transformation into Central Asia’s leading nation for foreign investments and its critical role in regional stability and security. “Over the past 30 years, Kazakhstan has grown into the second-largest economy in the post-Soviet space, contributing two-thirds of Central Asia’s GDP. Repealing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment is a strategic step to strengthen ties and provide stability for American investors,” said Ashikbayev. Click here to read... [7]

The CSTO heads of state endorse the CSTO Targeted Programme on Strengthening the Tajik-Afghan Border

A meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Collective Security Council took place in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on November 28. The meeting reportedly focused issues related to the military-political situation in the world and collective security zones, strengthening cooperation within the Organization and prospects for the development of the collective security system, as well as the progress of preparations for the joint celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The heads of state also exchanged views on ways to strengthen and expand cooperation within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, relations with other regional and global organizations, and the Organization's Action Plan for 2025. Click here to read... [8]

Russia Looking to Export Gas to China via Kazakhstan

Russia continues to try to reorient its natural gas exports from Europe to Asia and is planning a new pipeline route to China that would pass through Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan stands to benefit not only from transit fees, but could also import some Russia gas for regions in northeastern Kazakhstan that are desperately in need of more energy sources. The Russian plans are bad news for Turkmenistan as China is Turkmenistan’s main gas customer and Turkmen authorities were hoping to sell China even more gas. On November 15, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak mentioned the pipeline plan on the sidelines of a Chinese-Russian forum in Kazan, Russia. Novak said such a project is still only being discussed, but Russian media outlet Kommersant wrote on November 18 that there are already three options for the pipeline. All three possibilities pass though northeastern Kazakhstan, but Kazakhstan’s level of participation in the pipeline is different in each variation. Click here to read... [9]

Iran and the South Caucasus

Abkhazia: Lots of drama unlikely to produce change

A political crisis in the Russian-dominated, separatist entity of Abkhazia has been defused, but the underlying issue that prompted the unrest – legislation that would grant Russians favourable real estate investment privileges – remains unaddressed. In the end, Russia, the territory’s financial sponsor, is likely to end up getting what it wants. Opponents of the legislative measure to grant Russians insider access to real estate and other investment opportunities occupied the de-facto government’s offices in the Abkhaz capital Sokhumi on November 15, aiming to block passage of the bill. After a more than four-day standoff, the leader of the self-proclaimed republic, Aslan Bzhania, announced his resignation. In return, the protesters ended their occupation of government buildings, and an early election for the leadership of the territory, which broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s amid a civil conflict, was announced. Click here to read... [10]

Pashinyan’s cabinet reshuffle promoting gender equity

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is making history as he refashions his government by promoting gender equity in the top echelons of power. For the first time, women will hold at least one-third of ministry portfolios. The reshuffle began in mid-November with the forced resignations of six top officials responsible for overseeing law enforcement and the judiciary. The highest profile replacement so far is Arpine Sargsyan, who was elevated to serve as Interior Minister after holding a deputy ministerial role. Click here to read... [11]

Russia seeks to transform '3+3' platform on S. Caucasus into organization

Russia is actively working on transforming the '3+3' platform on cooperation for the South Caucasus into a fully established organization, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said. "We believe the '3+3' regional cooperation platform to be important for harmonizing the interests of all countries of the region. We are working on its transformation into a full-fledged organization for interaction in the South Caucasus," the senior diplomat said at the Second Russia-Armenia Public Forum, News.Az reports, citing TASS. Galuzin pointed out that Moscow, "as before, does not shy away from supporting Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization in all its tracks." Click here to read... [12]

Russia says US seeks to bring Armenia under its full control

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused the United States of attempting to exert full control over Armenia. "Reliable information once again makes it clear that the US continues plans to impose the so-called democratization on the country, seeking to bring Armenia entirely to heel," the SVR said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing TASS. "However, the use of this practice in other countries and regions has proven that it brings destruction. The Middle East, Latin America, and Africa offer numerous examples of this, with the current situation in Ukraine being the most vivid one," the intelligence agency pointed out. Click here to read... [13]

Iran, India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan discuss boosting transit via Chabahar Port

Officials from Iran, India, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan convened for the third joint working group meeting in Mumbai to explore strategies for enhancing commercial transactions and facilitating the transportation and transit of goods through Iran’s Chabahar Port. Hossein Shahdadi, Deputy Director of Port and Economic Affairs of Chabahar, represented Iran at the meeting, which also included senior officials from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, as well as ambassadors and diplomats from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The discussions centered on leveraging Chabahar’s strategic position as a vital trade and transit hub connecting Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Participants reviewed the port’s current infrastructure and operational capacity while addressing key obstacles to trade, including bureaucratic challenges, logistical inefficiencies, and infrastructure gaps. As part of the agenda, the officials also proposed measures to streamline customs processes, enhance multimodal transport connectivity, and expand investment in Chabahar’s development to unlock its full potential as a regional trade gateway. Click here to read... [14]