CSTO hopes to implement automated border patrol system in Central Asia; Kazakhstan, South Korea to develop “Green Economy” techniques; Drugs Control Official: Drug smuggling in Kyrgyzstan is being taken over by large cartels;
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  • The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional security group, hopes to implement an automated system to better patrol borders between its members—Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Armenia and Belarus. This would include modern technical means of verification of identification documents for all CSTO states and will help member states combat organized crime, trafficking and illegal migration.1

    Kazakhstan and South Korea have agreed to work together to develop “green economy” techniques that strive for growth while safeguarding the environment, According to a memo signed in Almaty on February 25, Kazakhstan aims at embracing environmentally-conscious business developments into their own economy, while incorporating ecological concerns into professional education. Kazakhstan will take part in the UN held’ Rio+20’ session in 2012, Brazil where program documents regarding the green economy will be adopted.2

    Deputy chief of staff for the State Service for Drugs Control, Urmat Abrybekov said that drug smuggling in Kyrgyzstan is being taken over by large cartels with international connections which further aggravated due to the political unrest of last year. Kyrgyzstan had eliminated the drug control agency in October 2009 while it was still under the control of former ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who many believe profited from the illicit drug trade.3

    Meanwhile, Russia, whose forces are currently training and arming drug law enforcers in Afghanistan, will widen anti-drug operations in Central Asia and Afghanistan as part of a five-year plan to “liquidate” the Afghan drug threat. Reports noted that Moscow will provide targeted help for Kyrgyzstan which is a major traffic route for Afghan heroin and opium that finds markets in Russia and Europe, to fight against the drug trade with technical and financial assistance.4

    Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister on February 21 called on international donor organizations to provide badly needed financial assistance to reduce the national budget deficit where he said that the "assistance strategy to Kyrgyzstan, which was developed by international organizations in 2010, helped Kyrgyzstan. We hope that the next strategy will also be based on the priorities of the Kyrgyz Republic." Official Kyrgyz government statistics forecast the national 2011 budget deficit at around $445 million.5

    Meanwhile, political parties who did not clear the 5 percent vote hurdle required to gain seats in Kyrgyzstan's new parliament have banded together to create a shadow government under the banner of the ‘National Congress of Political Parties’ to provide opposition to the official government. Serving as the shadow government’s PM, Akiykat party leader, Alikbek Djekshenkulov said “In order to avoid the role of passive observers, we decided to take active political actions. On February 20, we decided to create alternative government and parliament.”6

    Reports noted that Tajikistan to seek Russia’s help to bring its 21 citizens in Libya, including 14 students, to safety. It may be noted that Tajikistan does not have a diplomatic presence in Libya.7 Russia has already evacuated more than 560 of its own citizens and will subsequently send in a passenger ship to evacuate Russian, Serbian and Turkish nationals working with a Russian state company in two other Libyan cities. However, Kyrgyz students in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have refused to be evacuated from the strife-torn country.8

    India’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Asith Kumar Bhattacherjee said that he is interested in helping Indian investors develop Tajikistan’s tea industry. He made these remarks during a meeting with Tajik Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) leader Said Sharif on February 21. However, Sharif emphasized the need of investors who are ready to cooperate in the sphere of light and processing industries, construction, tourism and training of business personal. Sharif also emphasized that the resumption of regular flights between Dushanbe and the Indian capital New Delhi to improve business relations between the two states. He agreed to visit India in April to meet with Indian business entrepreneurs and potential investors for joint ventures in Tajikistan.9

    An Iranian trade delegation visiting Ashgabat has urged for the creation of a Turkmen-Iran trade council to speed up the development of economic ties. Iranian Minister of Commerce Mehdi Ghazanfari made the proposal at a session of trade officials from both countries that explored bilateral cooperation in technical and engineering services and construction, as well as fish farming and forestation. "Iran is a gate for Turkmenistan's access to the high-seas and Turkmenistan is a gate for Iran's access to the Central Asia," Ghazanfari added."10

    Meanwhile, reports noted that Uzbekistan officials proposed the creation of a ‘full-fledged’ free trade regime with Turkmenistan. The proposal came on Tuesday in Tashkent during the sixth session of the Uzbek-Turkmen Commission on Trade-economic, Scientific-Technical and Cultural Cooperation. Both countries have growing economies as a result of their massive hydrocarbon energy reserves and are developing international trade relationships.11

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