Bishkek, 14 October 2004 -- The Kyrgyz parliamentary commission investigating the legal case that sent opposition leader Feliks Kulov to jail says it has found shortcomings in the trial.
Bishkek, 10 October 2004 -- Kyrgyzstan held nationwide local elections today, polls that President Askar Akaev said were a perfect rehearsal for general elections scheduled to be held in 2005.
Thirteen years after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the economies of Central Asia are still struggling. One problem is that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are not relying enough on one another for the boost necessary to start their economies after 70 years of central control. Corruption is another problem, as is a lack of economic innovation. These were among the conclusions drawn at a daylong forum in Washington earlier this week.
The Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met today in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. Officials from the member countries -- Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and China -- discussed plans to develop regional economic cooperation and signed an economic agreement. The group was formed in 1996 to fight terrorism and Islamic extremism, but now is taking on other priorities aimed at regional development.
Bishkek, 22 September 2004 -- A number of political parties and movements have joined forces in Kyrgyzstan, creating a new political bloc called the People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) face a double challenge in Central Asia. Not only must they carry out their difficult mission, but they must also contend with often-hostile authorities. The Central Asian countries are in the processes of a radical transition and suspicions of the motives of foreign NGOs are easily aroused among officials. In the second of a two-part series, RFE/RL correspondent Bruce Pannier looks at the trials and tribulations of foreign NGOs in Central Asia. To see Part 1, click here --> /featuresarticle/2004/09/521ae994-dbf2-4ea3-a36a-c9d3215ea1f4.html .
Working with refugees is one of the many areas NGOs focus on in the region In free societies, individuals and groups often pursue their interests -- and safeguard them -- in ways that are independent of the state. Collectively, their private actions belong to what is termed "civil society" -- and are the foundation of any democracy. Yet while vital to helping repressed peoples achieve greater political freedom, civil society is not born overnight. It takes time -- and hard work -- to develop. And that's where nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are playing a key role in Central Asia and Afghanistan as they seek to overcome decades of authoritarianism and war. This is the first of a two-part series on NGOs in Central Asia. To see Part 2, click here --> /featuresarticle/2004/09/4ad7f4c1-8aad-481a-a6b3-d7d3201dc023.html .
15 September 2004 -- A Polish human rights activist was barred today from entering Kyrgyzstan because he was on a blacklist in Belarus that denied him entry there.
6 September 2004 -- Kyrgyz Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev told a session of the country's parliament today that an Uzbek enclave should rightfully be Kyrgyz territory.
The U.S. State Department's former top human rights official, Lorne Craner, spent much of the past three years grappling with the challenge of pressing reforms with new U.S. allies in the war on terror. During his final few months in office this year, the State Department de-certified Uzbekistan for economic aid and helped censure Turkmenistan in the UN Human Rights Commission. Craner says such actions demonstrate that, despite accusations to the contrary, the Bush administration has maintained human rights as a foreign policy priority. Craner talked with RFE/RL on the sidelines of the Republican Party convention in New York.
Thirteen years ago today, Kyrgyzstan became the first Soviet Central Asian republic to declare its independence from the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan followed the next day, and Tajikistan about a week later on 9 September. By the end of that year, all five Soviet Central Asian republics were free nations. After years of Soviet domination, independence was hoped to usher in a period of rapid political and economic development. But RFE/RL spoke with two analysts who say the reality hasn't yet lived up to the expectations.
Japan's Foreign Minister Yokiro Kawaguchi arrived in Uzbekistan today, starting a tour that will take her to four Central Asian states and Mongolia. Kawaguchi is due to give a speech in Tashkent that will articulate Tokyo's new policy toward the Silk Route countries. Kawaguchi's trip was already something of a success even before she left Japan, considering the Japanese Foreign Ministry has arranged a rare event in Central Asia -- a meeting in Astana that will include the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states. RFE/RL correspondent Bruce Pannier looks at Kawaguchi's tour and Japan's new strategy in the region.
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