By Haroutiun Khachtarian (10/28/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On October 10, Turkey and Armenia signed Protocols on establishing diplomatic relations and opening their common land border in Zurich, Switzerland. To enter into force, the Protocols must be ratified by the parliaments of both countries; however, tension around the issue has already risen. The key problems which have so far prevented normal relations between the two neighbors, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (which involves Armenia and Azerbaijan, while Turkey has supported Azerbaijan through closing its border with Armenia and embargoing Armenian imports), and the issue of international recognition of the massacres of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, surfaced even before the Protocols were signed.

By Roman Muzalevsky (10/28/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The October 20-22 visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Somanahalli Krishna to Russia and the October 27 trilateral meeting of Russia, India, and China in Bangalore overshadowed the minister’s meeting with his Uzbek counterpart and President Islam Karimov in Tashkent on October 22-23. The meeting was largely unnoticed, drawing only short and vague statements from the respective foreign ministries and the press. So has India’s policy in Central Asia that seeks to combat terrorism and drug trafficking, secure export markets, promote energy transit and security, and become an active player in a region threatened by developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

By Erica Marat (10/28/2009 issue of the CACI Analyst)

China recently suggested Kyrgyz oral epic Manas be included into UNESCO’s World Heritage list. However, China’s proposal has provoked a debate among Kyrgyz NGOs.