Field Reports
KAZAKH FOLK POETRY SLAMS CORRUPT ESTABLISHMENT
By Marat Yermukanov (2/21/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Over the recent years, Kazakhs have seen a rapid revival of traditional aitys. Every Sunday, Kazakh television gathers millions of its viewers for aitys contests which keep people glued to the screens for hours. What makes the aitys so popular among the Kazakh-speaking audience is that folk poets (aqyns) during these contests publicly lambaste social ills, such as deep-rooted corruption, mismanagement, disrespect for national interests and missteps in foreign policy.AZERBAIJAN’S NEW ECONOMIC ICON: THE IT SECTOR
By Fariz Ismailzade (2/21/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
However, a closer look at the latest developments in Azerbaijan’s economy shows that this statement might not be unrealistic. While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 26-28, President Aliyev met with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, as well as the CEOs of CISCO, INTEL and other hi-tech companies and invited them to invest in Azerbaijan. Following that, Gates announced that Azerbaijan seemed to be an attractive country for his company to work with.FELIX KULOV JOINS THE KYRGYZ OPPOSITION
By Nurshat Ababakirov (2/21/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
At a long-awaited press conference on 14 February, Kulov spoke about his reasons for joining the opposition and why he does so when already out of power. First, Kulov claimed that by voting for Kurmanbek Bakiev in the presidential elections of 2005, the electorate voted for the tandem between Bakiev and himself. He underlined that his supporters played a significant role and, therefore, he still bears obligations before his voters on achieving his objectives.NEW PRIME MINISTER CHOSEN IN KYRGYZSTAN
By Joldosh Osmonov (2/7/2007 issue of the CACI Analyst)
On January 29, acting Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry Azim Isabekov became the new Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. 57 of the 61 deputies who participated in the voting supported his candidacy. Many politicians feel that Azim Isabekov is a “technical†Prime Minister, meaning that he is under the total control by President Kurmanbek Bakiev.Visit also
Staff Publications
Silk Road Paper S. Frederick Starr, Greater Central Asia as A Component of U.S. Global Strategy, October 2024.
Analysis Laura Linderman, "Rising Stakes in Tbilisi as Elections Approach," Civil Georgia, September 7, 2024.
Analysis Mamuka Tsereteli, "U.S. Black Sea Strategy: The Georgian Connection", CEPA, February 9, 2024.
Silk Road Paper Svante E. Cornell, ed., Türkiye's Return to Central Asia and the Caucasus, July 2024.
Book Svante E. Cornell, ed., "The Changing Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus" AFPC Press/Armin LEar, 2023.
Silk Road Paper Svante E. Cornell and S. Frederick Starr, Stepping up to the “Agency Challenge”: Central Asian Diplomacy in a Time of Troubles, July 2023.
Silk Road Paper S. Frederick Starr, U.S. Policy in Central Asia through Central Asian Eyes, May 2023.