10.03.2015–16.03.2015• No: 11

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF THE The Caspian Sea is the largest en- the Caspian Sea was signed. In a frame- their opposition is due to environmental dorheic body of water with a unique en- work of this agreement, a moratorium concerns. vironmental system and abundant natu- banning commercial fishing of the Cas- According to the Iranian Caspian Sea ral resources. Therefore, issues arising pian sturgeon has finally entered into Doctrine, the environment of the Cas- in the area are crucial to the countries force. An initial idea of the moratorium pian Sea is one of the major issues and sharing its waters (Russia, Iran, Azerbai- has been suggested during the Third it should be protected from any sources jan, and ). Caspian Summit in Baku in 2010. How- of pollution, especially production and Concern over the environmental health ever, an agreement to prohibit sturgeon transportation of oil and gas. Iran be- of the Caspian Sea has caused the five catching was reached subsequently dur- lieves that transportation of petroleum Caspian littoral states to adopt (2003) ing the 34th meeting of the Commission products via pipelines on the seabed is a and ratify (August, 2006) the Framework on Aquatic Bio resources of the Caspian major threat to the environment of the Convention for the Protection of the Ma- Sea in Astrakhan in December, 2013. Caspian Sea and it should be avoided. rine Environment of the Caspian Sea, Despite the progress, environmental is- One of the arguments presented is that known as the Tehran Convention, an sues are far from being solved due to the waters of the Caspian Sea are highly agreement that aims the environmental both objective and subjective reasons. corrosive and might cause an irreversi- protection of the Caspian Sea and its re- Thus far, the countries are not ready to ble environmental catastrophe. Iran sug- gions. Nonetheless, the Convention has make final decisions regarding the eco- gested that oil and gas pipelines should more of an informative nature, leading logical problems, especially when the run through the onshore territory of Iran the Caspian countries to address new proposed solutions counter their national instead, making the construction of the guidelines that possessed certain juris- interests. Clear example of the de- pipeline easier and more economically dictional regulations. scribed situation is a delay in signing the sound. Allegedly environmental concern In the last couple years the littoral states Protocol on Environmental Impact As- is a way of veiling Iran’s being excluded have entered to an active phase of the sessment in a Trans-Boundary Context. from projects concerning the gas exports negotiation process regarding the envi- In a framework of the Protocol, the coun- to the European Union due to strained ronment of the Caspian Sea. As a result tries would be able to resolve an issue of relations with the West. of the environmental dialogue, the fol- the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCP) Similarly, Russia argues that the Cas- lowing documents were signed: the Pro- construction without reaching an agree- pian Sea is a closed system and any pol- tocol concerning Regional Prepared- ment about the legal status of the Cas- lution due to TCP will remain in the wa- ness, Response and Co-operation in pian Sea. ters without being able to find an outlet Combating Oil Pollution Incidents (Ak- While and Turkmenistan sup- (which is likely to happen due to high tau, 2011), the Protocol on the Protection port the idea of a construction of the seismic activity of the region). Russia of the Caspian Sea against Pollution TCP, Russia and Iran are strongly op- and Iran want to stay key figures in the from Land based Sources and Activities posed to the idea. On the one hand, oil and gas export of the Caspian gas by (Moscow, 2012) and the Protocol on the Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan believe controlling the distribution of the natural Conservation of Biological Diversity that it is their sovereign right to imple- resources. Ultimately, environmental is- (Ashgabat, 2014). ment the construction of the pipeline. On sues of unsustainable exploitation of the Moreover, during the Fourth Caspian the other hand, Russia and Iran are Caspian resources cannot be separated Summit in Astrakhan in 2014 an Agree- harshly opposed to the construction of from the geopolitical and economical dis- ment on the Conservation and rational the TCP without consensus of all five lit- pute over the territory of the Caspian use of water and biological resources of toral states. Russia and Iran insist that Sea. The Finance Ministry of Tajikistan an- Politics, Foreign Affairs and Security Economy, Finance and Energy nounced that Tajik and Swiss officials

US President Barack Obama has ex- The International Monetary Fund as- signed an agreement on the $9 mil- tended political and economic sanc- sumed that because of its bailout pro- lion aid to improve its water system. tions against Iran for another year. gram for Ukraine Kiev would be able This project, which could benefit to get $15.4 billion from its creditors. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan 140,000 Tajiks living in northern cities approved the concept of constitu- The euro has fallen to its lowest level and in Khorog, would be completed in tional reforms, which implied a transi- against the US dollar in 12 years after 2018, tion to a parliamentary system of gov- the European Central Bank began its The Euratom refused to approve ernance. Reform would be approved government bond buying program. It Hungary’s plans to expand Paks nu- during the national referendum, the fell as low as $1.0560. clear power plant and import nuclear date of which has not been deter- The KazMunaiGas announced that fuel exclusively from Russia. Accord- mined yet. Exploration and Production profit of ing to the European Commission The government of Iceland has for- the company amounted to 47 billion Spokesperson, Hungary was going to mally withdrawn its application for KZT in 2014, which was 67 percent appeal against this decision. membership in the European Union, less than in 2013. In 2013 the profit Society and Culture submitted in 2009. was 142 billion KZT. Coast guards have rescued at least During the meeting the Board of the The production of natural gas in Turk- [Belgeden bir alıntı veya ilginç bir Eurasian Economic Commission min- menistan increased by 5.2 percent in 51 Syrian migrants after their boat noktanın özetini yazın. Metin kutusunu istries and agencies of the Eurasian the first two months of 2015, com- sank off Turkey’s western Aegean Economic Union approved the draft pared to the same period of 2014. coast. The group comprised 38 men, belgede istediğiniz yere Concept of a common power market. two women and 11 children. yerleştirebilirsiniz. Kısa alıntı metin During the official visit of Iranian Pres- The second High Level Security Dia- ident Hassan Rouhani to Ashgabat, Iraqi fighters have begun battling Is- kutusunun biçimlendirmesini değiştirmek logue between the European Union heads of two states agreed to in- lamic State militants inside the strate- için Çizim Araçları sekmesini kullanın.] and the Central Asia countries of Ka- crease their bilateral trade from $3.7 gic city of Tikrit as a coalition of gov- zakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, billion up to $60 billion during the next ernment troops and Shiite militia Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan took 10 years. forces tried to uproot the militant in- place in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. surgency from its strongholds. Germany's second-largest bank, Afghanistan also was invited as a Commerzbank, has agreed to pay a Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly special guest to the Dialogue, which total of $1.45 billion to US authorities Berdymukhammedov has signed a was held at the level of deputy foreign for violating economic sanctions law that allows holding "peaceful" ministers. against businesses in Iran and Su- public rallies in the country starting Russian President held dan. from July 1. The new law would be talks with Kyrgyz counterpart Almaz- aimed at “realizing the constitutional Russian analytical agency stated that right of citizens to peacefully gather”. bek Atambayev. This has been the money remittances from Russia de- second meeting of leaders since early creased by 10 percent to Uzbekistan The 9th National Garment Trade Fair 2015. and by 6 percent to Tajikistan in 2014 “Fashion Industry 2015. Manufactur- Factions of People's Democratic compared to 2013. In 2014 the Rus- ers and Equipment” took place in Party of Uzbekistan and the Social sian market of trans-border money re- Bishkek, hosted by the Kyrgyz Asso- Democratic Party of Uzbekistan mittances by private individuals ciation of Light Manufacturing Enter- “Adolat” have announced that they amounted to $25 billion, with $20.9 prises and supported by the USAID would be in opposition to the Bloc of billion remitted from Russia, including Women’s Leadership in Small and Democratic Forces. $18.3 billion remitted to former Soviet Medium Enterprises program. republics. The United States has started deploy- ing a 3000 strong infantry unit in the Kazakh Minister for Investment and Baltics. They would hold a three- Development Asset Issekeshev an- month exercise with Latvia, Lithuania nounced that 3 billion KZT would be and Estonia. Latvia has confirmed invested in new regional exploration more than 120 armored vehicles in- works on oil and gas from the public cluding tanks have been delivered by budget and National Fund in 2015. the US in the port of Riga.

Prepared byby LidiyaLidiya Parkhomchik,Parkhomchik, Hayal Ayca Simsek, ZhuldyzZhuldyz Kanapıyanova,Kanapiyanova, KanatSaule AkhmetkaliyevaMakhanov