Azerbaijan upstream activities in oil and gas are moving into Central Asia, with two deals recently signed, the last just a few days ago, to build oil refineries in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. New Azerbaijan upstream activities in Central Asia An … Continue reading →
Slower China growth is indicated as the headline figure increased at its lowest quarterly rate in three years, according to official data released at the weekend. Other indicators, however, gave mixed readings, leaving the prospect of further economic stimulus finely … Continue reading →
Keynote speech to the Seventh Annual Eurasian Pipelines Colloquium, “Geo-Eco Politics, Eurasian Energy, and (elusive) Transparency,” School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 16 April 2012. Thank you. I have been asked to make some remarks on the theme … Continue reading →
The debate over Iran and its relations with the international community tends to gloss over how Iran threatens Azerbaijan sovereignty. It has taken on such a character that egregious errors of fact and logic cannot be allowed to stand, especially … Continue reading →
South Korea President Lee Myung-bak returned home last week from a tour of Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan that helped to project South Korea investment and its foreign economic diplomacy across Inner and Central Asia while significantly expanding Seoul’s ties with … Continue reading →
The trip this past week of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be seen in light of the possible emergence of an India Kazakhstan China geo-economic triangle, similar in nature to the one I pointed out seven years ago, long before … Continue reading →
The visit by Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Beijing a week ago, follows by a scant three weeks the visit by China’s prime minister Wen Jiabao’s to Ankara on October 7-8 as part of the latter’s European diplomatic tour … Continue reading →
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev has just completed a two-day official visit to enhance Kazakhstan-European Union relations. He went to Belgium, the present chairman-in-office of the European Union Council, and France. Kazakhstan is itself president-in-office of the Organization for Security and … Continue reading →
Political friction over economic issues between the US and China has faded for the time being, but its sources remain and may reappear at any time. Currency issues have been at the center of relations between the US and China … Continue reading →
The differentiation in Russian policy and politics between the program of President Dmitry Medvedev economic reform vs. Prime Minster Vladimir Putin and his circle is becoming more accentuated. Substance of the Medvedev economic reform proposals The Russian economy and stock … Continue reading →