To Be or Not to Be...? Someone’s grief, and someone’s drinking party

Traditions of the Kyrgyz people were being formed with the help of economic, trade, domestic and other relations with kindred and other tribes that were closely related to the geography of their ha...

Iran of the 60s: unsuccessful attempt to reform

After the coup of 19 March 1953 in the socio-political history of Iran there were fundamental changes: the powers of parliament were limited and the absolute power of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was...

Topic: Regional rivalry in the Middle East.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran are two countries that claim to leadership in the region. With a powerful resources and political potential these countries are the...

Business & Economics

Iran to build another hydropower plant in Tajikistan
22.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Tajikistan

Tajikistan and Iran may sign an agreement in late March on the construction of the Ayni hydroelectric power station on the Zarafshan River in Tajikistan during the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Dushanbe, Fars news agency reported on Monday, citing a diplomatic source.

Iranian experts have developed a feasibility study for the project. The HPP's capacity will be 240 megawatts.

Previously, Sangtuda-2 was built with the assistance of Iran on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. Its launch at full capacity is scheduled for this week.

Russia to pay $4.5 million for military objects in Kyrgyzstan
22.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Kyrgyzstan

Russia will pay $4.503 million per year for its military objects located in Kyrgyzstan, KyrTAG reported. This information is indicated in the note, which is a part of the agreement submitted to the Russian State Duma (parliament's chamber) on Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan.

Fitch downgrades Kazakh ATF Bank to 'BBB-', places on rating watch negative
22.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Kazakhstan

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Kazakh ATF Bank JSC's Long-term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to 'BBB-' from 'BBB' and placed the ratings on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).

Short-term foreign currency IDR: 'F3' placed on RWN
National Long-term Rating: downgraded to 'AA(kaz)' from 'AA+(kaz)', placed on RWN
Viability Rating: 'b-', unaffected
Support Rating: '2' placed on RWN
Senior unsecured debt downgraded to 'BBB-' from 'BBB', placed on RWN
National senior unsecured debt rating downgraded to 'AA(kaz)' from 'AA+(kaz)', placed on RWN

Gas from Iraq's Kurdish autonomy to use TAP pipeline to Europe
22.03.2013
Business & Economics|Middle East|Iraq

Gas produced in the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq can be transported to Europe via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the director of external relations of TAP Michael Hoffman said at a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Energy of Turkey, Ankara agency announced on Tuesday.

According to Hoffman, TAP gas transportation from Russia or Iran is not being considered within the project.

"We are considering gas transportation from the Kurdish Autonomy of Iraq to Europe as plan B. When coming to gas from Russia or Iran, these options are not being considered," he said.

SOCAR announces plans to invest in Turkey
20.03.2013
Business & Economics|Middle East|Turkey

SOCAR intends becoming the largest foreign investor in Turkey with an investment volume worth $17 billion by 2018, Today's Zaman newspaper reported with reference to SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev.

He said that SOCAR's investments contribute to the strengthening of relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"The implementation of such projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has enhanced relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership level," he said.

Great Britain to supply another batch of freight wagons to Turkmenistan
20.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Turkmenistan

The Turkmen Ministry of Railway Transport will conclude contracts for supplying freight wagons with British Wellsford LLP and Stock Plaza LLP, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said today.

Wellsford LLP will supply the carriage defect-scope and track measuring device, whilst Stock Plaza LLP will supply carriages to transport and prepare the track arrays, a complex of carriages to transport seamless rails, as well as special carriages to transport rubble, road equipment and tools.

E-procurement allows savings on budget assets in Kazakhstan
20.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Sovereign Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna has saved 161 million tenge (150.59 tenge=1 dollar) since the start of an e-procurement information system, General Director of Samruk-Kazyna Contract LLP Serikbek Yelshibekov announced at a meeting of the public board on Tuesday.

The total number of procurements from 31 January to 14 March 2013 amounted to 2817, of which 446 have already been completed. Savings on the procurement amassed161 million tenge, or 19 per cent of the planned prices," Yelshibekov said.

Kazakhstan to transport over 1 million tons of crude oil to China for recycling
20.03.2013
Business & Economics|China|Far East

Kazakhstan will reimburse fuel and lubricant shortage due to tolling operations in China, Kazakh Prime Minister's official website said on Tuesday.

"We agreed on the need to transport 1.5 million tons of crude oil to China for processing at the production facilities of the Chinese Dushanzi refinery within the tolling operation," director of the Department of Oil Industry Development under the Kazakh Oil and Gas Ministry Kuandyk Kulmurzin said in an interview with Primeminister.kz.

Kazakhstan plans to expand ferry fleet
20.03.2013
Business & Economics|Cental Asia|Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan plans to expand its ferry fleet, Kazakh Minister of Transport and Communications Askar Zhumagaliyev said at the plenary session of parliament (a lower chamber) today.

"At present, water transport must accelerate the capacity of the ferry fleet and increase the volume of transported goods as domestic shipping companies transport only oil and the whole volume of dry and ferry cargo is transported by foreign companies," Askar Zhumagaliyev said while answering the journalists' questions.

Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan to sign railway construction agreement
20.03.2013
Afghanistan|Business & Economics|Middle East

President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov are expected to sign the trilateral framework agreement on Wednesday following the talks in Ashgabat, CA-News reported with the referrence to Tajik Transport Ministry.

The agreement will defines the terms of construction of the railway between Ashgabat and Dushanbe through Afghanistan. The talks are planned upon arrival of Karzai and Rahmon in Ashgabat.