Stories about Tajikistan from August, 2007
Tajikistan: Trade
Plenty of trade-related news from Tajikistan – and Bonnie Boyd has them all.
Russia: Mistreatment of Foreigners
Window on Eurasia reports: “Foreigners working in the Russian Federation are far from likely to be mistreated by government officials and employers than they are to be attacked by skinheads and other Russian nationalist groups, according to a poll of Tajiks now living in Tajikistan with direct experience in the...
Tajikistan: Getting a haircut
John Musarra retells his ordeal of trying to get a haircut in downtown Dushanbe. Tajikistan's summers are hot, dusty and difficult to cope with. The barbershop John chose, however, proved equally difficult to cope with.
Tajikistan/Afghanistan: Bridging two nations
A US-funded bridge connecting Afghanistan's north with Tajikistan was officially opened last weekend. Both Mohammad Fahim Khairy and Vadim at neweurasia offer their mostly jubilant commentary.
Tajikistan: Beating the US
One of the most discussed topics on Tajik blogs recently was the loss of the US U-17s to the Tajik team in the Under–17 Football World Cup. This and much more in this week's blogosphere roundup.
Central Asia: Clan-tastic
Christine Quirk looks at how clans shape political behaviour and in how far they make it difficult to enfranchise groups who might have different viewpoints or are far down on the clan power structure.
Tajikistan: Infrastructure development
Ian at Beyond the River says that Chinese infrastructure development in Tajikistan is more likely to win the hearts and minds of the local population.
Tajikistan: New legislation
At neweurasia, Madina lists several of the new laws and regulations that were stipulated by the Tajik government recently. Many of them are absurd and remind Madina of an 18th-century caliphate.
Central Asia: Which port to choose?
As a landlocked region, Central Asia is reliant on other countries’ maritime infrastructure to integrate with world markets. On Registan.net, Kayumars Turkistani evaluates two potential seaports, Gwadar in Pakistan and Chabahar in Iran.
Tajikistan: Discussing Russian xenophobia
Vadim and his readers at neweurasia discuss the racist murder video which appeared on Russian websites last week (GV reported).
Uzbekistan: Against Tajik plans
Uzbekistan stands out to loose most if Tajikistan was to go ahead with the construction of new hydro-power plants. The two rivers in question, Syr Darya and Amu Darya, provide most of the water for Uzbekistan's cotton sector. Jamiyat wonders about the potential consequences.
Tajikistan: No more tangems
Vadim notes that Chinese minivans that have become popular means of transportation in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe recently are being banned by the local government.
Uzbekistan: Getting a Tajik visa
Joshua Kucera writes about his ordeal of trying to get a Tajik visa in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent.
Kyrgyzstan: SCO summit
The members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will send their heads of state to Kyrgyzstan next week. While the Kyrgyz bloggers are amazed by the beautification of their capital ahead of the summit, Western bloggers ponder the significance of the SCO's growth.
Central Asia: Cultural intelligence
Nathan Hamm shares his thoughts on a New York Times article which argues that while knowledge of the nomadic social legacies of the Central Asian countries is important, an overemphasis on “cultural intelligence” can lead to misguided and stereotypical policy analysis of the region.
Tajikistan: Rising prices
Vadim looks at possible reasons behind the recent price hikes for basic foodstuff. In the comments Tajik Boy says that the problem might be due to macroeconomic imbalances.
Tajikistan: Development is the top priority
The buzz from the Tajik blogosphere: Donors discussing aid effectiveness, new forms of transportation in Dushanbe, increasing basic food prices and toughening legislation governing religious groups.
Tajikistan: Drug trafficking
Having just toured the Afghan-Tajik border area, Ian at Beyond the River has some thoughts on the cross-border drug trafficking so rampant in this area.
Tajikistan/Afghanistan: The Wakhan valley
Ian of Beyond the River has just come back from the Wakhan Corridor, which separates Afghanistan and Tajikistan (photos).
