Archive for January 29th, 2008
News Roundup - January 29, 2008
Financial Times: Kazakhstan hopes for price fall, not meltdown
Kazakhstan’s economy will grow by 5 per cent in 2008 – the lowest rate this decade – as the global liquidity crisis spills over into the oil-rich central Asian republic, according to the Kazakh prime minister…
Reuters: Kookmin to buy $1 bln stake in Kazakh bank-report
Top South Korean lender Kookmin Bank is buying up to half of Kazakhstan’s No. 6 bank, CenterCredit for 1 trillion won from its top shareholders, a newspaper said on Tuesday…
CACI Analyst: Selective implementation of anti-money laundering regimes in Central Asia
Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes in Central Asia are in their infancy. Several of the region’s countries still lack the basic legal and institutional tools to counter informal and illicit money flows…
CACI Analyst: Identifying priorities: Uzbek gas - for export
If in energy-importing Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, people are quite familiar with constant shortages and limits of using gas, electricity and water, one would expect that in resourceful Uzbekistan it should not be the case…
Kazinform: Kazakhstan to take part in OSCE economic-ecologic forum in Vienna
“The delegation of Kazakhstan will take part in the OSCE economic-ecologic forum in Vienna”, official spokesman of the Kazakh MFA Yerzhan Ashikbayev said today at a briefing in Astana…
EurasiaNet: Central Asia: Looking at language politics
Political shifts and economic factors are exerting considerable influence over language policies in Central Asia. Some nations, especially Uzbekistan, that just a short time ago were vigorously striving to reduce Russia’s cultural influence, are now experiencing a modest revival in the use of the Russian language, some regional experts say…
The Georgian Times: Big oil and gas game in Eurasia
Central-Asiatic countries have not been pawns in the geo-economic games for a long time. They are independent and sharp-toothed players. That is why it is hardly possible to get anything from them just for nothing. Sharp price increases for carbohydrates at the international market result in greater interest by various powers in Central Asia with its vast oil and gas sources…
“Foreign Affairs Minister of Kazakhstan Marat Tazhin and head of “ONGC Videsh Limited” company Mr. Butola will discuss a wide range of issues on further development of bilateral relations”, Yerzhan Ashikbayev underlined…
Hemscott: Caspian Holdings says 2008 started well, production strong at 9 wells
Caspian Holdings PLC said it has made a positive start to 2008 with strong production at its nine wells in its Zhengeldy field in Kazakhstan…
The Moscow Times: CIS gas cartel could come in April
Russia is planning to unite with other countries in the former Soviet Union to increase its clout in a planned OPEC-style natural gas cartel, Kommersant reported Monday…
Kommersant: “Gas OPEC” drawing closer
As a preliminary step to the formation of “a gas OPEC” out of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Russia is preparing to create an organization of that type within the CIS. That idea was first proposed by the Russian Gas Society, a Gazprom lobbying group in the State Duma headed by MP Valery Yazev, in 2006…
Kommersant: EurAsEC returns to customs union
The interstate council of the Eurasian Economic Community met on January 25 in Moscow. Normative documents for the establishment of a customs union were considered and the prime ministers of three of the six member states signed nine documents…
TREND: 2nd Caspian Oil and Gas Trade and Transport Conference to be held in Baku
The 2nd Caspian Oil and Gas Trade and Transport Conference will be held in Baku on 23-25 April focusing on the oil and gas sphere of the region as part of the world energy sources market…
SkiRebel Magazine: Kazakhstan plans major resort development
Kazakhstan’s leading resort of Chimbulak is to be developed to international destination resort standards ahead of the country hosting the Asian Winter Games in 2011.
AgriMarket.info: Kazakhstan: customs duties on imported agricultural machines would be reduced
According to the press-service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, in the beginning of February the resolution of the Government of Kazakhstan comes into efficiency, according to this resolution, the customs duties on imported agricultural machines are cancelled or reduced…
Caspian Services, Inc. announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Caspian Services Group Ltd., has taken delivery of a subsea cable deployment vessel…
