E-Bulletin – Page 33

February 17, 2016

The Central Asian Countries’ Electric Power Sector and the Problem of Energy Inefficiency

Central Asian countries’ electric power sectors were initially designed during the Soviet Union to operate within a unified Central Asian Power System (CAPS). After gaining independence Central Asian governments started pursuing independent energy policies, which strained the coordinated operation of the system. Turkmenistan left the CAPS in 2003. Withdrawal of […]

February 10, 2016

New Prospects of Grain Exports of Kazakhstan

Nowadays grain is the third most important commodity that Kazakhstan exports after oil and gas products, and metals. Kazakhstan is one of the major players in the world grain market. Vast plains with an appropriate soil type and climate in the northern regions of Kazakhstan allow to harvest many millions […]

February 9, 2016

A Brief Look at the Fiscal Management of the Economy of Turkmenistan

Among the Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan has grown significantly due to the high amount of natural resources, mainly hydrocarbons. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, having great natural gas deposits, Turkmenistan improved its economy by implementing structural reforms. However, since 2014, like the other Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan has […]

February 2, 2016

MILITARY CONFLICTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND ONGOING IMPORTANCE OF TERMEZ AS A SPRINGBOARD

The necessity for a comprehensive review of armed conflicts that lasted in Afghanistan for centuries is caused by the need to identify both the current situation and the possible prospects of development in the region. Being a strategic springboard on the Amu Darya’s shore the Termez city, located on the […]

January 27, 2016

Military Cooperation between the United States and Kyrgyzstan: The Case of the Manas Airbase

Since gaining independence in 1991 Kyrgyzstan has officially been globalized. The relations of the United States (U.S.) with Central Asia commenced in the early 1990s, entailing diplomatic recognition and opening of embassies. According to the agreement between the governments of the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan regarding cooperation to facilitate the provision […]

January 19, 2016

NEW EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY: KEY POINTS FOR AZERBAIJAN

Successful eastern enlargement brings the borders of the European Union (EU) close to the Post-Soviet countries, namely, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova. In order to ensure close political association and high degree of economic integration with their eastern neighboring countries the EU members launched the European Neighborhood Policy […]

January 13, 2016

Rogun Dam Project: Challenges and Prospects

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union there have been an ongoing competition between the energy generation and irrigation sectors of the upstream and downstream countries in Central Asia. Hence, the downriver countries, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, mainly consume water for agricultural purposes, while the upstream countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, use water as a source of hydro energy. In the past, […]

January 5, 2016

Energy Relations between China and the Caspian Littoral States

Over the past few years China has been ranked at the top of the world’s top energy consumers. China’s total energy consumption increased from 1,470 million tons of coal equivalent (Mtce) in 2000 to 4,260 Mtce in 2014. Coal that accounted for about 66% of total energy consumption by the […]

December 24, 2015

Current Energy Relations between Turkmenistan and Russia: Trends and Prospects

Turkmenistan is one of the most important energy-rich countries not only in Central Asia but also in the whole world regarding its oil and natural gas reserves. According to the BP World Energy Statistics Report 2014, while the amount of proven natural gas reserves in the world is 187 trillion cubic meters, Turkmenistan is the fourth country in the […]

December 22, 2015

PROSPECTS FOR NUCLEAR POWER DEVELOPMENT IN KAZAKHSTAN

For a number of years Kazakhstan has seriously been considering a construction of a nuclear power plan (NPP) on its territory. It was not an unexpected development for a country that hosted the BN-350 fast reactor in Aktau (formerly Shevchenko) in western Kazakhstan during the Soviet times. The reactor that […]