It’s that time of year again. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Annual Summit! The meeting will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on August 28, and foreign ministers from all six of its member states have already concluded a meeting going over a few topics to be discussed at the larger summit. The group of ministers decided that no new members, not Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia, or India (all have Observer Status), will be enshrined, but that a SCO Dialogue Partners mechanism will be instituted to increase cooperation between the organization and these important neighbors. During last years meeting, the main topic of media/geopolitical debate was the appearance of Iran’s President Ahmadinejad, who brought with him Iran’s ‘right to have nuclear energy’ and his own bombastic style of speaking and railing against the US. Well, he’s back for more. Iran will lose some spotlight this year, as Russia’s actions in Georgia and China&#...
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Afghanistan: Making distinctions, exposing clichésFrom: centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com
Post Date: 2007-05-10 05:32:36
Notes from the blogosphere:
In April, I collected four posts from three blogs that take apart conventional metaphors and assumptions, either in a large way or small. These phrases have taken on the ring of tired, unhappy, and uninteresting truth–but may not be true. Their constant repetition has led to hopelessness and apathy. Yet the issues these generalities embody are among the most vital issues of our day.
Spin may be cynical, but at least it notices this apathy an...
more Tajikistan enters Iran’s NPT fray via economic diplomacyFrom: centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com
Post Date: 2007-05-09 11:35:44
Tajikistan’s President Rahmon has been visiting Iran as head of his country’s economic delegation. It appears to have been a fruitful meeting for both sides:
Transportation and Energy:
New initiatives on land, rail, and air transport were agreed upon between the two countries. This is extremely important news, as transport via Uzbekistan for Tajikistan’s commerce if difficult; Afghanistan remains the alternative middle ground between Tajikistan and Iran.Â
Further discu...
more Umida Niyazova sentence lifted after changed pleaFrom: centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com
Post Date: 2007-05-09 06:37:23
According to BBC, journalist Umida Niyazova has had her sentence lifted because she has changed her trial plea from ’not guilty’ to guilty, and because the judge had compassion over separating a mother from her 2-year-old boy. She recanted her association with human rights groups and others, citing ‘undue influence from her environment’. Â
I remain grateful for her brilliant work through discouraging conditions. Those of us who have not lived in an envir...
more Turkey’s ‘New Policy’ in Central AsiaFrom: centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com
Post Date: 2008-06-25 06:21:21
It is well-known that the Central Asian region is surrounded by Great and Medium Powers who desire influence in the area. Turkey may not be the largest, richest, or closest power to the region, but its historical and ethnic connections to CA and its people loom large. The Journal of Turkish Weekly has written an analysis of the nation’s policy toward CA.
They follow relations between the two groups from the CA states independence to today and what they call Turkey’s ‘New ...
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