May 14, 2018 | Caspian, Menas Associates
The past is looming large in Georgia. Former president Mikheil Saakashvili (2004–2013) and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (2012–2013) have both clearly indicated their return to Georgian politics. Since Saakashvili’s involuntary deportation from Ukraine in...
Apr 22, 2018 | Caspian, Kazakhstan, Menas Associates
The government and National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK – central bank) have begun working on an action plan to deal with possible negative impacts on the Kazakh economy from the latest round of US sanctions against Russia. US sanctions have been made on a number of...
Mar 27, 2018 | Caspian, Menas Associates
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili made a direct appeal to Russia to normalise bilateral relations. His statement appeared on 9 March and immediately caused an uproar amid the opposition. As Kvirikashvili wrote directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin,...
Mar 2, 2018 | Kazakhstan, Menas Associates
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice filed a draft law with the Mazhilis — the lower chamber of parliament — which is aimed at transforming the Security Council into a permanent agency that is protected by the constitution. The Security Council is a consultative...
Jan 27, 2018 | Azerbaijan, Menas Associates
The Azeri economy grew only modestly in 2017. This month the State Committee for Statistics reported that GDP expanded by 0.1% year-on-year after a 3.1% contraction in 2016. The non-oil economy grew by 2.7% while the oil sector shrank by 5%, mostly due to falling...
Dec 20, 2017 | Kazakhstan, Menas Associates
The fuel crisis has passed, but an aftertaste remains. This month Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbaev said that petrol and diesel prices are unlikely to rise any further during the remaining weeks of 2017 but could increase again in 2018 as global oil prices gradually...
