Foreign Policy Blogs

Central Asia

Dariga Nazarbaeva and Kazakhstan's Media

Dariga Nazarbaeva and Kazakhstan's Media

"more than words can wield the matter"  Dariga Nazarbaeva, the eldest daughter of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev, continues to be the most influential word-wielder in Kazakhstan.  Ms. Nazarbaeva is the Founder, previous President, and Chairperson for Khabar, Kazakhstan's media conglomerate.  According to BBC, Darigha Nazarbaeva and her husband, Rakhat Aliev, own a media empire that […]

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Solidarity

Mongolia Web reports that New York's Lincoln Center Fest will present the Secret History of the Mongols July 22-29, 2007.  Nine musicians and storytellers will perform the work at the Clark Studio Theater. This passage is from The Secret History of the Mongols: In time Dobun passed away and after he was gone Alan the Fair, without a […]

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That "early, meaningful, and regular" human rights dialogue

That "early, meaningful, and regular" human rights dialogue

Human rights groups have recently come forward to ask that the European Union (EU) continue to implement sanctions against Uzbekistan in response to the Andijan Massacre of May 12, 2005.  The EU met on March 5, 2007, to review the sanctions, which have not thus far borne any positive behavioral results.  They called for Uzbekistan […]

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Turkmenistan: Lost in the Pageant, part 2 of 2

Turkmenistan: Lost in the Pageant, part 2 of 2

The pageant's focus now turns again to domestic considerations.  As suitable for a seamless transition, the new policies thus borrowed heavily from the old.  The new President of Turkmenistan has announced the commissioning of a new statue of Turkmenbashi, to honor in death a man who has had countless statues of himself erected already; raising […]

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Turkmenistan: Lost in the Pageant, part 1 of 2

Turkmenistan: Lost in the Pageant, part 1 of 2

Saparmurat Niyazov, Leader and Showman, Turkmenbashi the Great and President for Life of Turkmenistan, passed away on December 21, 2006.  Turkmenistan's constitutionally-mandated succession was bypassed in favor of the Acting Presidency of Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the Minister of Health and Pharmaceutical Industries.  The legal successor, Ovezgeldy Atayev, the Speaker and Deputy Chairman of the 2,500-member legislature […]

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Dossyz omir bos: Without friends, the world is empty-

Dossyz omir bos: Without friends, the world is empty-

Hello, Central Asia Watchers, and welcome!  This quotation comes from the Say It In Kazakh Web page of the Kazakhstan Embassy to the United States and Canada. Click here for a table of Central Asia Flash Facts; go to the “Worth Reading” Page of this blog for a kind of running bibliography of non-Internet source […]

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