Sunday, November 6, 2011

Eurasian News This Week

Russia-China-SCO - Russia and China stand for accelerating the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This was announced this Thursday by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

"The SCO has repeatedly in different formats and at different levels confirmed that the organization's membership is open to other countries in the region which are ready to comply with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the organization and other international documents adopted within it," he said, "We have similar positions with China on this issue, and we actively promote the idea of ​​expansion." "This issue is present in all forums, including the upcoming November 6-8 meeting in St. Petersburg," added Lukaszewicz.

"This is about Pakistan and Iran, who filed the application; and India intended to join the SCO; and Afghanistan expressed the desire to become an observer; Turkey would like to have a dialogue partner status." recalled the Foreign Ministry. "Of course, the expansion of the SCO is not so simple, it requires careful analysis and evaluation", he stressed.

Kyrgyzstan-China - The future president of Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Atambaev, and his political allies seem intent on calibrating the cash-strapped country’s foreign policy so that it aligns with Bishkek’s dire economic needs. This is likely to force Kyrgyz officials into a delicate balancing act in which they are challenged to keep the country’s two largest trading partners - Russia and China – happy. “To win an election without Russian support and the votes of the Russian-speaking population is difficult. But as president he will have to accommodate a quieter, more necessary force – that force is China.” said Osmonakun Ibraimov, who served as a state secretary under former president Askar Akayev and later became an economics professor at Manas University in Bishkek.

Atambayev made membership in a Moscow-led customs union, along with a general orientation toward Russia, a cornerstone of his successful presidential campaign, even though making good on such a pledge could threaten the crucial trade relationship with China by muddling tariff policy. At the same time, Kyrgyz policymakers, including Atambayev’s allies, are taking steps to assuage potential Chinese concerns by helping Beijing fulfill an old dream: construction of a Chinese-Kyrgyz-Uzbek railway.

Chinese officials have long entertained hopes for expanding the Kyrgyz export corridor, underscored by the fact that their plan to lay more than 300 kilometers of steel rails across the heart of Asia dates back to the late 1990s, when Kyrgyzstan’s WTO membership spurred Beijing to mull new export strategies. The railroad would be “like a port for a landlocked country” that would “connect Kyrgyzstan with the global economy,” said Ibraimov. As an early proponent of the rail route, he maintains the project could help unify Kyrgyzstan economically. Currently, only one mountainous highway connects the northern and southern provinces. The train track is planned to run from Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Andijan in Uzbekistan, where it would link into the Uzbek rail network and shave hundreds of kilometers off the existing China-Europe route. Uzbekistan has already agreed in principle to pay for its own section of the track, which would total only 50 kilometers or so.

On the Kyrgyz side, economic necessity is running up against national pride. The idea of a Chinese-owned track slicing through their country sits uncomfortably with many Kyrgyz, who are emotionally averse to an increase in Chinese influence of any sort. Many Kyrgyz look distrustfully at China’s rapid growth, fearing their giant neighbor could swallow the tiny country.

Turkmenistan-EU - The European direction is an important vector of Ashgabat's new energy policy, said President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the International Conference "Global integration of energy markets - ensuring energy security" on Thursday afternoon. Berdimuhamedov in his address said that at present, Turkmenistan is actively developing its own pipeline systems, and "the work of delivering Turkmen natural gas to Europe has become one of the main goals of Turkmenistan's energy policy. And, accordingly, Trans-Caspian pipeline system is an important project that demonstrates the readiness of Turkmenistan to the mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested parties." Turkmen president also stressed that at present there is a discussion of a gas pipeline "Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India."


Articles referred to in this post:

"Россия и Китай выступают за ускорение процесса расширения ШОС" (Russia and China stand for accelerating the expansion of the SCO)

"Кыргызстан: Китай хочет проложить железнодорожный 'Шелковый путь'" (Kyrgyzstan: China wants to pave the railroad "Silk Road")

"Президент Туркмении: Энергетический вектор Ашхабада направлен в Европу" (President of Turkmenistan: Ashgabat energy vector is directed to Europe)

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