BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Caspian Basin: Ukrainian Geopolitical Shift Could Have Energy Export Implications
A EURASIANET Q & A WITH MYKHAILO CONCHAR
CONDUCTED BY REGIS GENTE
New Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych recently paid a visit to Moscow, during which he vowed to reorient Kyiv's foreign policy in the "right direction" toward Moscow. The budding revival of a special relationship between Russia and Ukraine could have significant economic ramifications for energy exports from the Caspian Basin to the European Union.

Caspian Energy: Washington Trying New Tack on Nabucco Project
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
The United States wants to "depoliticize" the proposed Nabucco pipeline project, and might welcome Russia's participation in the pipeline, Washington's Eurasian energy envoy, Richard Morningstar, recently announced. The Kremlin, however, is likely to interpret this outwardly magnanimous gesture as a sign of Nabucco's weakness, some experts say.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev Sets Ambitious Development Agenda for Astana
BY JOANNA LILLIS
With Kazakhstan's economy on the up-tick, President Nursultan Nazarbayev is setting some ambitious development goals for the Central Asian state.

Armenia: Gas Price Hike in Yerevan Likely to Have Social Repercussions
BY GAYANE ABRAHAMYAN
Already struggling to scrape by amid the global economic downturn, many Armenians are confronting a new and daunting challenge - a 46-percent increase in natural gas prices.

Azerbaijan: Baku Set to Quadruple Gas Exports to Russia by 2011
Having significantly lowered natural gas imports from Turkmenistan, Russia's state-controlled energy conglomerate Gazprom is turning to Azerbaijan to make up some of the difference.

Turkmenistan: Gas Flows Again to Russia, while Discontent Simmers
BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
Natural gas may be flowing again from Turkmenistan to Russia, but the two countries' pricing dispute is not over, analysts are predicting.

Georgia: Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement Could Have Significant Economic Impact on Tbilisi
BY NINO PATSURIA
As prospects dim for a quick reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border, Georgian business executives remain quietly content. Trouble with the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process can mean continued economic benefits for Georgian traders.

Tajikistan: Forced Rogun Payments Sowing Discontent Among Impoverished Tajiks
Tajik authorities appear intent on redefining the concept of volunteerism. Under the guise of public spirit, the government is using a variety of methods to compel citizens to contribute funds to the construction of the long-stalled Rogun Dam.

Turkmenistan: Western Firms Shut Out from Development Deals
BY REGIS GENTE
Turkmenistan appears to be implementing an eastern strategy in order to export natural gas to the West.

Uzbekistan: International Institutions Skeptical on Uzbek Economy
BY LAURIE RICH
Uzbekistan has weathered the global financial crisis and is projecting a robust 2010 -- or so says Uzbek President Islam Karimov in his new book, The World Economic Crisis. But a December 17 report published by the credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's paints a much darker picture of the Uzbek economy.

Russia: Moscow Embraces New Initiative to Forge Post-Soviet Trade Bloc
BY SERGEI BLAGOV
Russia wants to turn a newly minted Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan into its major vehicle for post-Soviet economic integration in Central Eurasia.

Kazakhstan: Battle over Flagship Bank Illustrates Volatile Mix of Business and Politics
BY JOANNAÊLILLIS
The erstwhile flagship of Kazakhstan's banking sector, BTA Bank, is wrapping up a turbulent year: embattled by the credit crunch, dogged by allegations of massive fraud, nationalized under duress and forced to default on its debts. The bank is now at the center of an acrimonious legal battle in London while simultaneously negotiating with creditors to restructure debts.

Georgia: Government Plans Makeover of Get-Tough Financial Police
BY MOLLY CORSO
A proposal to revamp Georgia's aggressive financial police is raising red flags among some Georgian economists, who see the planned restructuring as contradicting the Georgian government's libertarian economic outlook.

Azerbaijan: Baku Sees Turkey as Tough Customer on Gas Exports
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Amid a diplomatic chill, Azerbaijan and Turkey opened a new round of talks November 16 on an energy export price. Recent agreements on gas supplies to Bulgaria, Iran and Russia suggest that Baku is exploring alternative export routes as a means to pressure Ankara into paying significantly more for Azerbaijani natural gas.

Kyrgyzstan: The Sprawling Dordoi Market Now Struggling to Stay Open
BY ALINA DALBAEVA
For traders at the Dordoi Bazaar, a sprawling hub of wholesalers and retailers near Bishkek, the global financial crisis is taking a severe toll.

Georgia: Using Tea to Promote Peace in the South Caucasus
BY NINO PATSURIA
One of the few things that all residents of the South Caucasus have in common is a love of tea. Betting on local tea-drinking customs, a group of regional manufacturers hopes that a joint tea brand -- involving individuals and entities from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, as well as the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh -- may help ease feelings of enmity in the region.

Turkey: Central Istanbul Residents and Merchants Glad IMF Meeting is Over
A EURASIANET SLIDESHOW BY JONATHAN LEWIS
From the perspective of those inside the conference hall, the just-concluded Istanbul annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank was a success. But for thousands of Turks who live and work near the conference venue, it was an ordeal.

Azerbaijan: Baku Proclaims a Desire to Become a Green Energy-Export Machine?
BY JESSICA POWLEY HAYDEN
Energy-rich Azerbaijan is embracing the international green movement, with officials in Baku promising substantial investment in renewable energy sources, including wind and solar energy. Some experts suggest that by going green at home, Baku is trying to conserve hydrocarbons for export.

Mongolia: Canadian Mining Firm Inks Blockbuster Deal with Ulaanbaatar
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Mongolia's agreement with mining companies Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto to develop the largest copper mine in the world should transform the country's economy and spur a huge wave of internal migration to the remote Gobi Desert area around the mine.

Armenia: Is Yerevan Caught in a Trade Trap?
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
With less than a week to go before Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian signs protocols to normalize Yerevan's relations with longtime foe Turkey, attention is focusing on what an open Turkish border will mean for Armenian businesses. Many entrepreneurs worry that the prognosis is unsettling.