Central Asia
Elmar Mammadyarov : Azerbaijan’s EU relation is of strategic nature
In a wide-ranging interview, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov discussed his country’s relations with the EU, major energy and transport projects, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and relations with global players.
ASEM comes to town
Apart from the UN General Assembly, the biggest gathering of world leaders takes place in Brussels this week, the biannual Asia-Europe meeting, known as ASEM. Representing two-thirds of the world’s population, trade and GDP, Europe and Asia have lots to discuss, writes Fraser Cameron.
Church leader: John Paul II left a legacy in Kazakhstan
Religious dialogue in the service of peace is a brainchild of the President of Kazakhstan, inspired by the visit of Pope John Paul II to Kazakhstan in September 2001, a Catholic priest who helped organize the visit told EURACTIV.
A message from Astana: EU, be alert, the fascists are coming
Marek Halter, a Jew and Holocaust survivor, used the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions to warn Europeans that there is a high risk that fascists campaigning on the Islamophobia ticket win big in next year's European elections.
Inter-religious dialogue
Located at a crossroads of different civilizations, Kazakhstan has placed great importance on promoting religious harmony and mutual respect. This year, the country is hosting the sixth edition of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, an initiative which has its roots in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Religious leaders raise their flags at Astana gathering
Kazakhstan got praise today (10 October) for hosting for the sixth time the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which traditionally issues messages of peace, mutual respect and tolerance. A few religious leaders however defended their countries controversial policies.
Kazakh researcher: EU is like a dog with an Elizabethan collar
Kazakhstan has succeeded where the EU has failed - creating a society based on multiculturalism, Saginaty Berdaulova told EURACTIV in an interview.
Religion should not be used to sow divisions
In recent years, many thousands have died and millions more had to flee their homes due to conflicts in which religion has been used to justify discrimination and violence. Countering these dangerous distortions is one of the challenges that religious leaders will address in Astana on 10 and 11 October, writes Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Currency crisis comes to Uzbekistan
A weak currency could have negative implications for Uzbekistan’s still struggling economy, such as reversing some of the progress made by the reforms, writes Ekaterina Zolotova for Geopolitical Futures.
Kazakh families torn apart in China’s Xinjiang crackdown
When he looks back on his youth in China's far-west Xinjiang region, Akikat Kaliolla, an ethnic Kazakh, recalls the place's natural beauty and the big, colourful weddings typical of his majority-Muslim community.
Parliamentarians: Europe and Asia are the two pillars to take world forward
Multilateralism is the most effective mechanism to deal with climate change, said, participants of the 10th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting held in Brussels on 27-28 September.
Mogherini unveils EU response to New Silk Road
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini announced on Wednesday (19 September) the Commission’s vision on how to better connect Europe and Asia, in what appears to be a reply to China’s Belt and Road initiative, and also an effort to prepare the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in October.
EU counters China’s Silk Road Initiative
Today’s adoption by the European Commission of a new ‘Connectivity Strategy’ linking Europe and Asia throws down the gauntlet to an increasingly assertive China, writes Bart Broer.
TRACECA could have been the backbone of Belt and Road
In the early 1990’s, the EU had actually paved the way for Euro-Asian connectivity programmes with TRACECA, a programme meant to promote regional transport dialogue. However, its attention to the initiative dwindled over the years, writes Nicola Contessi.
China’s ‘Silk Road’ project runs into debt jam
China's massive and expanding "Belt and Road" trade infrastructure project is running into speed bumps as some countries begin to grumble about being buried under Chinese debt, says an analysis by AFP.
A day to reflect on our nuclear weapon-free future
29 August was chosen by the United Nations to commemorate the anniversary of the closure of the Semapalatinsk nuclear test site, and to promote the initiative for a nuclear weapon-free world, writes the Astana Times in an editorial article.
China defies US pressure as EU parts ways with Iranian oil
China, seeking to skirt US sanctions, will use oil tankers from Iran for its purchases of that country's crude, throwing Tehran a lifeline while European companies such as France's Total are walking away due to fear of reprisals from Washington.
Caspian Five settle row over sea’s legal status, demarcation pending
Leaders of the five Caspian littoral states met on Sunday (12 August) for the Fifth Caspian Summit in Kazakhstan's port city Aktau to sign a landmark declaration determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea and aiming to end the legal limbo over its resource-rich waters.
Tajikistan attack reminds of Islamist terror threat in Central Asia
Islamic State sought to bolster its claim of responsibility for an attack which killed four Western tourists in Tajikistan, releasing a video on Tuesday (31 August) purportedly showing attackers pledging allegiance to the militant group.
Uzbekistan opening up
External observers welcome the opening of Uzbekistan under its new leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev, but they are also aware that further reforms could be stalled, write Jos Boonstra and Andreas Marazis.
Fraser Cameron: I don’t think the EU is hostile to New Silk Road
As long as the principles of the OECD, the World Bank and the IMF on transparency, public procurement and sustainable development are observed, the European Union is not hostile to China's New Silk Road project, Fraser Cameron told EURACTIV.
Kazakhstan is the buckle of the Belt and Road initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government which focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries. BRI largely replicates the Silk Road, a common historical heritage of China, Kazakhstan and all countries along its path.
Silk Road financial hub inaugurated in Kazakhstan
The “Astana International Financial Centre” or AIFC, was inaugurated today (5 July) at a lavish ceremony in the Kazakh capital.
