By Robert M. Cutler (2/3/2010 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The opening of the first segment of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline last month is only one in a series of recent events in Caspian Sea basin energy developments. It signifies Turkmenistan’s first real moves to break its dependence upon Gazprom and the Russian state for international sales of its energy resources. These developments are to the detriment of Europe, which remains dependent upon Russia and Turkey as transit countries and has been unable to push forward the implementation of its Nabucco pipeline project.
By Rafis Abazov (2/3/2010 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Established as a firm presence in the information space in Kazakstan, the new media is increasingly embracing Western-style entertainment and social networking and even Western media content. Though Kazakhstan still lags behind many countries in terms of the number of internet users per capita, the arrival of smart phones, twitting, and file and photo sharing over the mobile-phone networks has helped to change the media landscape, making new media content accessible even in small cities and towns. These changes have intensified the discourse within the country about the future of the media culture: will Kazakhstan’s media be able to compete with the forces of globalization?
BACKGROUND: With the rise of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) literacy, the younger generation of students and professionals in Kazakhstan has begun actively using ICT not only for uncritical adaptation of Western-style entertainment, social networks and Western media content, but also for producing their own cultural and information content using various new media platforms.
By Haroutiun Khachatrian (2/3/2010 issue of the CACI Analyst)
January was marked with events that further complicated the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. The ruling of the Constitutional Court of Armenia was the central event. Although the ruling supported the Turkish-Armenian protocols on normalized relations, improving their chances of being ratified, it led to strong Turkish criticism.
By Roman Muzalevsky (1/20/2010 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The recent U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Hearing on Central Asian Affairs affirmed the significance of Central Asia for U.The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst is a biweekly publication of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, a Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center affiliated with the American Foreign Policy Council, Washington DC., and the Institute for Security and Development Policy, Stockholm. For 15 years, the Analyst has brought cutting edge analysis of the region geared toward a practitioner audience.
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