Russia on the move to re-shape Central Asian security
In response to the increasing instability in Northern Afghanistan, Russia has bolstered its diplomatic and security activities in Central Asia, grasping the opportunity to endorse its vision of "greater Eurasia". Russian grand strategy of reshaping security dynamics in the region has already included strengthening its existing alliances while vying internationally to be considered a great…
October 16, 2015 in Central Asia.
US to Delay Withdrawal of US Troops from Afghanistan
US President Barack Obama announced the extension of the current presence of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan into 2016, with a drawdown to 5,500 through the end of his term in 2017. The announcement is contrary to the administration's earlier plans to withdraw the majority of US military forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2017,…
Moldova and Turkmenistan introduce alternatives to Russia-EU pipeline politics
Europe and Central Asia are experiencing multiple parallel developments in their respective energy markets. Russian energy company Gazprom is currently fighting to safeguard its market share in Europe by pushing for new projects and diversifying transit routes. Russia provides about a third of the EU natural gas energy supply, about half of which is shipped…
Iranian Parliament Passes Bill Supporting Nuclear Deal
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on October 12 that the Iranian Parliament passed a bill supporting the country's participation in the nuclear deal reached in July. The legislation approves Iran's future fulfillment of stipulations in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated between President Hassan Rouhani's government and the P5+1 (China, France, Russia,…
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko wins his fifth-term victory in presidential elections
The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won the presidential election on Sunday with higher than ever votes of 83.5%. The representative of the opposition movement, Tatiana Korotkevich received only 4.4% of the vote and the other two pro-governmental candidates an even smaller percentage. Opposition politicians and several hundred…
Russian cruise missiles land in Iran, sparking incident
Four Russian cruise missiles intended for launch into Syria, landed in Iran instead. Russian officials hastily released a statement saying that the missiles did not cause any damage and instead focused on the 26 other missiles at 11 targets in northern Syria, reiterating that those hit all their targets. NATO members, in particular border nation…
October 9, 2015 in Central Asia.
IMF encourages economic reform in Iran post-sanctions
Already, Iranian officials are planning for the new post-sanctions economic order, but many obstacles remain in their path. The first is the impact of low oil prices – which severely hampers the short term revenue that can be raised from re-entry into the global oil markets. The second is the sanctions relief schedule, which is…
Krygyzstan: Pro-Russian parties win majority in Parliamentary elections
President Almazbek Atambaev's pro-Russian Social Democrats won the Parliamentary Polls this past Sunday, along with other loosely aligned parties to form the new government. With most votes counted, the Social Democrats won almost 27% of the vote, with the nationalist opposition party winning 20%. Parties that supported closer relations with Moscow all won more seats…
Russia Commits 'Volunteer' Ground Troops to Syria
The Kremlin announced that Russian "volunteer" forces could soon join forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the battlefields of Syria. Russia has publicly supported the Assad regime for years and recently amplified its support for the regime through airstrikes purportedly directed at extremist militias in the county. The latest announcement augurs a potential…
October 5, 2015 in Russia.
Kazakhstan raises key interest rate to 16%
Kazakhstan's currency, the tenge, has the ignominious honor being the world's most volatile currency this year after the free-float shift in August caused a record devaluation of some 23%. The governor of the Central Bank, Kairat Kelimbetov, has struggled to keep the value relatively stable since the devaluation, using the overnight repurchase rate as a…