Energy and Economy

 

Uzbekistan President Announces Billions in Green Energy Projects

On December 13, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced 18 new renewable energy projects worth an estimated $3.7 billion. The projects include wind and solar energy farms across a number of Uzbekistan’s regions and will generate a total of 2.3 giga-watts. The projects are predicted to provide renewable energy to up to 4 million households.

Source: Daryo

Tajikistan and South Korea to Partner on Solar Plants

On December 9, Tajikistan and South Korea officials signed a protocol on the construction of solar power facilities in Tajikistan. The plants will seek to meet the dire energy needs within Tajikistan’s Sughd region and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). Per the protocol, two 3 mega-watt solar plants will be constructed, one in each of the aforementioned regions. The plants will be the first mega-watt scale solar facilities in Tajikistan.

Source: Daryo

Uzbekistan’s National Railway Freight and Logistics Operator Opens Office in China

During his visit to China on December 14-15, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan’s national railways company UzbekistanTemirYollari JSC, Khikmatulla Rakhmetov, met with the representatives of China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group, and Lianyungang Port Group Co., Ltd. The parties discussed opportunities for collaboration, including the organization of multimodal transport, increasing freight turnover between Uzbekistan and China, and the development of container-block train operations. During the visit, UzbekistanTemirYollari JSC opened its first representative office in China.

Source: Trend News Agency, Railway.uz

World Bank Ready to Support Green Energy Exports from Central Asia to EU

During a session led by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on December 16, Regional Project Coordinator at the World Bank’s Central Asia office Dmitry Petrin said: “"The World Bank is fully committed to supporting green energy and energy-trade initiatives. We are actively engaged in projects across Central Asia, including efforts to create a regional energy-trade market." Petrin noted that thorough economic feasibility assessments still need to be conducted about the project. During the recent COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed a high-level intergovernmental agreement to establish a strategic partnership for the development and transmission of green energy to world markets.

Source: Trend News Agency

IMF Increases Prediction for Tajikistan GDP Growth

The International Monetary Fund has revised its prediction for Tajikistan’s 2025 GDP growth from 4.5% to 6.7%. The projected growth for 2024 is 6.8%. The announcement was made in a December 12 press release that noted reliable growth in recent years and advised that Tajikistan should “aim to strengthen resilience against external shocks and address structural constraints to attaining more sustainable and inclusive growth. Improving revenue mobilization and spending efficiency are critical to increasing space for development priorities.”

Source: Interfax

Tajikistan Official Announces Rare Earth Mineral Deposits

On December 10, the Tajik news agency, Avesta, quoted Mukhtar Fazilzoda, the head of the Tajikistan’s state geological service, announcing that Tajikistan had discovered 15 major deposits of rare earth minerals. Reportedly, the deposits are in the mountainous eastern portion of the country, with natural conditions that will make extraction difficult. Fazilzoda also stated that additional studies were needed to determine the precise quantity of minerals and to attract investment.

Source: Eurasianet

Oil Spill in the Black Sea is Caused by Two Wrecked Oil Tankers

Two Russian oil tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait separating Russia from Crimea, causing an oil spill in the Black Sea. A rescue operation mounted by Russia rescued 13 crew members from one tanker but was called off due to bad weather, leaving 14 crew members aboard the second tanker. Russian authorities are investigating the incident for criminal negligence.

Source: BBC

Electricity Crisis in Abkhazia

TASS has reported that Abkhazia, the Russian-occupied separatist-governed region of Georgia, is currently facing a severe energy crisis due to the Enguri hydroelectric power station, Abkhazia’s main domestic source of energy, shutting down as a result of low water levels. The crisis came amidst an ongoing political confrontation between Abkhazia and Russia that has pressured the territory to accept economic integration by withholding the discounted natural gas Moscow usually provides Abkhazia.

Source: The Kyiv Independent

 

Security and Politics

 

Georgia Elects New President

On December 14, Georgian elections took place with a new format, comprised of voting by  an electoral college, which is made up of members of parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures. As a result of the elections, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player, became the president. Kavelashvili, who has never held political office before, is regarded by many as a GD loyalist[RH1] . Salome Zourabichvili, the head of Georgia’s opposition who was elected to the presidency in 2020, has refused to recognize the results of October 26’s contested national elections and to leave her office.

Source: OC Media, AP News

Azerbaijan FM: “15 out of 17 Articles for the Peace Agreement Agreed Upon Between Armenia and Azerbaijan”

On December 12, during his interview with local journalists, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on 15 articles of the peace agreement between the two nations. He noted that the agreement consists of 17 articles, and assured that the work on the remaining two articles is ongoing. Armenia and Azerbaijan have continued peace negotiations in the post-conflict period, with sides continuing to hold meetings on the peace agreement. “Despite the open questions, there has been noticeable progress," said Bayramov.

Source: APA

Azerbaijan Requests Removal of EU Monitors from Armenia, as Parties Work Towards a Peace Agreement

In December 12 statements to the Azerbaijani press, presidential foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev stated that Baku wishes the European Union monitoring mission to Armenia to end. Hajiyev said, "The deployment of forces of any third country on the territory of Armenia is a worrying factor.... We do not see a need for the deployment of any European Union mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The activities of said mission should be completed by now.” Azerbaijan and Armenia have been working toward a final peace and normalization agreement since September 2023, when Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty over Karabakh.

Source: APA

Armenia and France Sign Defense Agreement

On December 9 in Yerevan, Armenia, French and Armenian officials signed a defense agreement for 2025. According to a statement released by the Armenian Ministry of Defense, the agreement “includes several dozen measures in almost all spheres of the armed forces.”

Source: Hetq

 

United States Adds More Visa Restrictions on Georgian Officials

On December 12, the U.S. State Department announced a new set of visa restrictions on Georgian Officials, stating it would “prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia.” This move comes amidst continued widespread protests in Georgia following allegations of a rigged election in October.

Source: RFE/RL