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.
The Kyrgyz government has made its tourism industry a top priority for development. It is looking to upgrade its tourist infrastructure and hoping to attract foreign investment. So it should come as good news that a Chinese company is now planning to build a large resort complex on the shores of Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issykul. But the project is facing stiff resistance from Kyrgyz politicians, residents, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) alike.
After five years, the Uzbek government has finally agreed to help in demining its borders with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The land mines were planted to prevent militants from entering Uzbekistan from the east, but so far appear only to have killed scores of civilians. Though reports this week claim that the process of removing the mines has already begun, residents in some of the affected areas say otherwise.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should consider paying extra attention to Central Asia and the Caucasus. That's the view of the OSCE's current chairman, Solomon Pasi. Pasi, who is also Bulgaria's foreign minister, says it makes sense now to concentrate on those parts of the world, in view of new international realities. He also said it would be "far more useful" to hold the OSCE's major annual economic forum in Central Asia rather than in Central Europe. RFE/RL reports on what looks like a shift in emphasis for the 55-member OSCE, which is Europe's largest security and rights body.
In a little over a year, Kyrgyzstan will hold presidential elections. At present, only a few people have openly declared their candidacy. One of them is Kurmanbek Bakiev, a deputy in the Legislative Assembly and a former prime minister.
Tobacco use kills nearly 5 million people each year around the world. Despite the many health risks associated with the habit, developing countries in recent years have recorded sharp increases in tobacco consumption. A new coalition of Kyrgyz nongovernmental organizations hopes to initiate a national anti-smoking campaign as cigarettes continue to grow in popularity among the nation's youth.
Central Asia is a region where few dare challenge the will of the presidents. Most officials follow their president's lead, and what attempts there are to find an official to act as a bridge, a mediator, between the people and the government are usually made to serve the interests of the authorities. But there is one man, the ombudsman in Kyrgyzstan, who routinely voices opinions that contradict the government's views.
20 July 2004 (RFE/RL) -- The deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan's opposition Ar-Namys (Dignity) party said today that the party's leader should legally have been released from jail days ago and vowed there will be protest actions if authorities do not release the leader within two days.
17 July 2004 -- A senior U.S. diplomat on a visit to Bishkek has expressed hope for a democratic leadership transition in Kyrgyzstan after next year's presidential vote. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said this would set an example for other Central Asian nations.
16 July 2004 -- At an investment forum today, Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev called for greater transparency and less state interference in the private business sector as ways to help attract investors.
Parents around the world have always wanted their children to have a better life than they've had themselves. But in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, this dream doesn't seem to be coming true. Kyrgyz youth are faced with poorer education resources and fewer economic opportunities than the country's older generations. The result, says one Kyrgyz rights activist who spoke in Washington this week, is an apathetic generation that feels increasingly isolated from its government. RFE/RL correspondents Annie Bang and Michelle Townsend report.
Initial reports promised a surefire sensation. On 2 July, news agencies broke the news that Kyrgyzstan's National Security Service (SNB) had arrested 10 high-ranking officials from key ministries on espionage charges. Only a day earlier, a top SNB official had warned parliament that religious extremists pose a growing threat to the country. Suddenly, the air was rife with rumors that militants had penetrated the highest reaches of government. At least one report suggested that extremists were planning to seize power....
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