Caucasus

Dangerous Professions: Journalism in Central Asia & the Caucasus

by Joshua Foust

*Updated* Since the Fall, the Former Soviet Union has seen a shocking number of dissidents and reporters murdered: over 31 37 by my count. Naturally, the vast majority of the murderers remain eternal mysteries unless an appropriate scapegoat is found, but let’s be frank: it is no surprise that countries run by the KGB, or [...]

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The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine

by Joshua Foust

For well over a century, the Caspian basin has been “the next big thing” for energy, a potentially wealthy region crippled only by its inaccessibility. This was the result of technology in the nineteenth century, when oil was exported on muleback, and later ideology, when the Bolsheviks seized Western assets, and the Soviets later denied [...]

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Solving Central Asia’s Poverty with Cellphones and Laptops

by Joshua Foust

I’ve mentioned it in passing before, but Kiva deserves a more explicit endorsement. Basically a peer-to-peer lending service, it connects Internet users with local Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and can dramatically expand the funds pool available for the poor. Of particular interest to Registan readers are the dozens of businesses in Azerbaijan—including a number operated by [...]

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Creating a Culture of Giving in the NIS

by Nathan Hamm

At neweurasia, Marianna writes about NGO funding in the former Soviet Union. She points out that legislation and rhetoric in many of the newly independent states is directed against foreign funding of NGOs. Outside funding makes it easy for political elites to cultivate the impression that NGOs receiving it pursue goals alien, if not outright [...]

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The Wild Wild West. In Almaty.

by Joshua Foust

What’s with the 200-person brawl in Almaty this past weekend? And what’s with the Chechens causing problems there? I thought they only liked antagonizing Russians… unless darling Ramzan is truly inspiring his people around the globe.

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They ‘Won.’ Now What?

by Joshua Foust

President Lukashenka was able to score a major concession from Russia in getting it to reduce export duties on oil transiting Belarus. While it looks like a significant victory—other instances of Gazprom relaxing fees seemed far more calculated—Lukashenka is actually in a desperately weak position. Commonly derided as “the last dictator in Europe,” he has [...]

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Some Interesting Updates to Russia’s Gas Games

by Joshua Foust

In a bulleted list, because I don’t feel like writing paragraphs. The No Duh Award goes to Christopher Weafer, chief strategist of Russia’s Alpha Bank. “According to Weafer, Belarus may even have deliberately sparked the shutdown by siphoning off oil in the hope that Europe would intervene.” Oh, Sherlock Holmes. In Weafer’s defense, I think [...]

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Situating the Caucasus

by Nathan Hamm

A Fistful of Euros has an interesting post by Doug Muir about whether or not the states of the Caucasus are part of Europe. There are numerous ways of dividing geographical Europe and Asia, but looking at where that line runs through the Caucasus is sure to leave most people a tad off-kilter. This map [...]

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Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus

by Nathan Hamm

…runs through the South Caucasus, where, according to RFE/RL, Kazakhstan is showing signs of having a more assertive regional foreign policy. How far though is Nazarbaev prepared to go? A small sign perhaps was the agreement earlier this month to increase the import of Georgian wines — this at a time when Russia has banned [...]

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Ken Silverstein Attacks CACI

by Nathan Hamm

And also some other academics. Continuing his earlier attack on Fred Starr, Ken Silverstein attacks the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and other academics for defending Central Asian governments, advocating good relations with them, or accepting funding from energy companies. The bulk of Silverstein’s attack this time around is directed at CACI and comes as a result [...]

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