Ahead of ratification in the US Senate, Russia cautions US lawmakers that any change in the new START treaty between the two countries could destroy the pact;
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    • As the new arms control START agreement to be shortly put up for ratification in the US Senate, Russia has cautioned US lawmakers that any change to the new nuclear arms disarmament treaty between the two countries could destroy the pact. The new treaty requires US and Russia to bring down their arsenals to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads, deployed ballistic missiles or nuclear bombers to 700 and establish a new mechanism for sending inspectors to the other country's nuclear sites. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the New Start treaty "cannot be reopened, becoming the subject of new negotiations", according to remarks reported by Interfax news agency.1

    Central Asia's first parliamentary democracy materialized in Kyrgyzstan on 17 December when Kyrgyzstan's parliament elected a speaker and approved a new government2. As the parliamentary elections held in October did not give rise to any single majority political party, the three Kyrgyz parties have agreed to share power after much political wrangling.3 The three political parties are Social Democrats (polled 7.83% of vote with 26 seats), Respublika (polled 6.93% with 23 seats) and Ata Zhurt (8.47% with 28 seats). The other two parties who participated in the elections held in October were Ar-Namys (7.57% with 25 seats) and Ata-Meken (5.49% with 18 seats). Ata Zhurt faction leader Akhmatbek Keldibekov was elected speaker by a 101-14 vote in the 120-seat legislature; and Deputies approved Social Democratic Party leader Almazbek Atambayev as Prime Minister and Respublika leader Omurbek Babanov as first Deputy Prime Minister.4 Under the new Parliamentary system, the Prime Minister will have more powers than the President.

    Reports noted that Kazakh company KazTransGas and China’s Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Co Ltd will establish a partnership this week to implement the Beineu – Bozoy – Shymkent Gas Pipeline, which is the second stage of the Kazakhstan – China Gas Pipeline.5 The Kazakhstan – China Gas Pipeline is the second stage of the Central Asia Gas Pipeline (CAGP). The latter starts at Gedaim on the border of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and extends 1,130 miles across Kazakhstan east to the Chinese border6. The pipeline is the first significant independent gas link connecting the former Soviet region with eastern markets while bypassing Russia7.

    Reports noted that Kazakhstan has agreed to resume crude supplies via the Druzhba pipeline to Ukraine which was suspended in February as Ukrainian operator Ukrtransnafta transferred tariffs for pumping oil from dollars to euro that increased its cost by 20-25%8. This was announced by the Kazakhstan ambassador to Ukraine Amangeldy Zhumbayev. Agreements were reached between both the countries in September during President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s visit to Kiev. Zhumbayev noted that the tariffs and volumes would be determined according to September agreements9. The Druzhba pipeline is currently the biggest carrier of Russian and Kazakh crude to Europe through Ukraine and Belarus and onto Poland, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.10

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