OCA MAGAZINE #19 Summer 2015

society culture travel business

RRP: £ 4.95 €5.95

ISSN 2053-1036

oca summer 2015

From Northern Ireland to Azerbaijan: Lord Laird Interview Aral: The Sea We Lost Reflecting on Kyrgyzstan’s Accession to the EEU “Open Eurasia -2015” Literary Contest Now Open!

Azerbaijan * Kazakhstan * Kyrgyzstan * Tajikistan * Turkmenistan * Uzbekistan

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RUSSIAN ENERGY FORUM LONDON 2015

9TH JUNE 2015 CENTRAL LONDON

FINANCE AND INVESTMENT

REGISTER NOW

2nd Russian Energy Forum London 2015 is the only place where you will get both strategic and practical insights from senior industry leaders around key issues currently faced in the Russian Energy industry.

At the Forum, among other great speakers, you will meet and hear: The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson providing an exclusive keynote on Russia-Europe relations

Mr Philip Lambert, CEO, Lambert Energy Advisory, who has worked extensively in the Russian Energy sector, including being lead advisor on the $28Bn sale of BP’s stake in TNK-BP to Rosneft

Dr Sergei Komlev of Gazprom Export, discussing contracts and pricing in Europe and Asia, Turkish Stream and Russian Gas Market

Mr Shao Zheng, Counselor, Embassy of China, focusing on China-Russia economic and energy cooperation, oil and gas pipelines and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Mr Evgeny Gavrilenkov, Chief Economist of Sberbank CIB, explaining the impact of macro economic changes in Russian economy on the energy sector

Dr Nat Moser, Director of P.E. Poltava Energy Company, on valuation trends in the Russian oil and gas and sources of funding and transaction opportunities

If you reserve your place today, you will be guaranteed a special £300 registration rate, discounted from £415. If you are short on time, just reply to this email and I can reserve the place on your behalf.

Click here to download agenda For a full list of speakers click here

For speaking opportunities, to become a partner or sponsor, please contact: Dmitry Elizarov – Event Director +44 20 3397 6587 Dmitry@EurasianDynamics.com

http://eurasiandynamics.com/russian-energy-forum-2015/ Organised by: Eurasian Dynamics Ltd.

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Supported by:

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contents 4

From Northern Ireland To Azerbaijan: A tale of learnings, communication and collaboration

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The Berkeley story

Cover image Aral sea (Rusted ship)

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RAEng Newton Fund: Building Industry-Academia Linkages in Kazakhstan

Editorial Office Silk Road Media Suite 125 43 Bedford Street Covent Garden London WC2E 9HA

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The ABC of Working with Barley...

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A Healthy Engagement with Central Asia

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Aral: The sea we lost

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Reflecting on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to EEU

Publisher - Marat Akhmedjanov Editor in Chief - Nick Rowan Design - Aleksandra Vlasova Advertising Sales-CA - Anastasia Noskova, Shamil Akhmedjanov Circulation & Subscription - Giljamal Pirenova Admin. & Subscription-UK - Anna Suslova

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Central Asian Elections: New terms, old heroes

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Get Ready For The Asian World Film Festival

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London Book Fair Showcases Kazakh Writers

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The Lost World of The Yagnob

Email: publisher@ocamagazine.com www.centralasia.travel www.ocamagazine.com

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Roundtable Considers SCO role in Europe

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Azerbaijan`s Republic Day Marked in London

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Turkmen Kulan

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A Russian Invasion of a Different Kind

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“Open Eurasia -2015” Fourth International Literary Contest - Now Open for Entries!

Crimean Calling

Summer 2015 (#19) 4 editions per year

Contact Information Uzbekistan 100100, Tashkent, P.O. Box 3999 (+998 90) 930 87 04, Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, Suite 343/2. 40, Manas str. (+996) 312 474 175, (+996) 555 20 68 45, United Kingdom Silk Road Media Suite 125 43 Bedford Street Covent Garden London WC2E 9HA

Disclaimer The information contained in this publication is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Open Central Asia and while we endeavour to ensure the information

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A Friendly Walk Through the Steppes of Central Asia Author talk by Nick Rowan.

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Hertfordshire press news

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Fancy a Central Asian? Pasha Kyrgyz Kazakh House Restaurant

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Food corner:

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“Legends of the Kazakh steppe” Ball Honours Nowruz in England

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London Hosts Sixth Central Asian Spring Festival

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Latest events from The European Azerbaijan Society

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Events

up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or suitability of the information, products, services, or related graphics represented for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

All authors provide their own material and any opinions contained within are solely those of the authors and do not neccessarily represent the views or opinions of Open Central Asia. We publish these views as part of our provision of a forum for discussion and readers should be aware that the views may contrast each other in the pursuit of this aim. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of material contained within this publication.

Special gratitude for cooperation and support to Embassy of Azerbaijan to the UK. Embassy of Kazakhstan to the UK. Embassy of Tajikistan to the UK. Embassy of Kyrgyzstan to the UK.

a warm welcome

A friend of mine once said, “Remember, on the other side of that bribe you pay there is a family with needs”. Low pay had led to the desperate need of many to use what little power they had to just provide the basics. Money talked in their desperate lives trying to make ends meet. I felt half angry, half sad.

The issue of corruption is one that this magazine has covered a number of times over the years. Graft, bribery and extortion have long left a devastating mark on individuals and societies. Corruption perpetuates poverty, smothers successful businesses and makes a mockery of the justice system. Corruption poisons human interaction, creates mistrust and undercuts the very basis of a civil society. Like a “reverse Robin Hood”, it squeezes the poor to pay the rich(er) who in turn are squeezed to pay the greedy. When funds are diverted form their desired objectives, corruption will kill far more through lack of healthcare and economic development, for example, than the Al Qaeda or ISIS.

So, when I woke up to read of the arrests and accusations being made against almost every member of FIFA, and especially against the president, Sepp Blatter, who after 17 years at the helm of potentially one of the largest and most high profile corruption cases, I began to wonder.

Is corruption just all around us? Some is bigger, some is better hidden, some is verging on almost being technically legal - “it’s not a bribe, just a payment to help facilitate this or that”. And what if the largest levels of corruption are actually sitting on our doorstep in Europe? Inside the very entities that we believe to hold the highest values and that try and promote the right way to behave. I was, and still am shocked, that the FIFA allegations, but then again wasn’t it almost an open secret that votes were being bought and sold? World cups bought, victory snatched from other nations because one was willing to pay higher bribes? I fear that FIFA will not be the only “western” entity brought into disrepute by blatant corruption. This time I am half angry and half amused – who said corruption only existed in certain strange faraway countries…?

Corruption is a problem that the Central Asian leaders often cite as a key priority in their yearly speeches to their nation and yet it remains wholly acceptable to many in those countries, right down to the lowest, most petty level. Corruption doesn’t have to involve millions of dollars. In many countries it is present at every level of society within organization, so the policeman who charges the old lady selling bread on the street corner a “fine”, then has to pay his supervisor to keep quiet who has to pay the chief of police, and so on up the chain.

Everyone knows it goes on, but it is accepted as a part of being in that society.

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Enjoy the issue.

Yours, Nick Rowan Editor-in-Chief

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interview

From Northern Ireland To Azerbaijan: A tale of learnings, communication and collaboration Interview with Lord Laird, Founding Chairman of TEAS

Lord Laird will be a name known to many in the UK. In 1970, he became the youngest member in the Northern Ireland Parliament, after being elected for the Ulster Unionists for the seat of Belfast Saint Anne’s in a by-election triggered by the death of his father, Dr Norman Laird OBE. Lord Laird is no stranger to controversy, however and his outspoken nature in what he believes in made his public role challenging during the difficult times in Northen Ireland in the 1970s. Following a 6 year parliamentary career and time setting up his own PR company, he became a life peer in 1999. Despite being named as the most expensive peer in the House of Lords in 2009 on account of his expense bill, he has now turned his attention to Azerbaijan, building on his diverse career and experience to found TEAS. This career, also spent in business and commerce, has provided him with invaluable insights and experience that he is applying to a new set of challenges.

OCA caught up with Lord Laird to find out more…

OCA: After your time in parliament, what did you do that led you to setting up TEAS? Lord Laird: I realised that life is all about communication. Whether it is our personal interactions with each other, in the commercial world or between countries, communications are mostly the ‘make or break’ of success.

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So often relationships at every level fail due to poor or inadequate communications.

At the end of the day, it is all about people and how they interact - organisations, governments, NGOs everything - it is all about people.

I therefore decided to start my own Public Relations business in 1976 and ran it for around 26 years before selling the company. It is still in operation and is the longest-running PR company in Northern Ireland!

OCA: Has anything from those times informed your work since?

LL: Of course. So much and I hope I can bring some of that knowledge and experience to help others.

With my own personal background, I realise how critical it is that we all do our best to help resolve problems in the world and people’s lives. Thinking differently is a vital way to find ways to learn, move forward and find new ways of action.

Now we have two important organisations whose aims are just that. The Francis Hutcheson Institute is one named after the 18th century New Light Presbyterian.

The other is the Foundation for International Collaboration (FIC - www.f-i-c.org). Its objectives are to build on the FHI work and to achieve practical

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already believe in what they are doing. This is the real challenge - not only working with people who support and love Azerbaijan like me, but taking the message to a wider audience to create and build networks that can be so useful.

Of course, Azerbaijan and the region are known by a small minority of people in the UK and Europe, but, sadly, not widely appreciated. The related cultural, business and geopolitical issues are increasingly relevant and important to Europe and the world particularly with recent events around Ukraine - and I think that there is still a real and important opportunity to increase the impact of the country here.

If Azerbaijan becomes better known to people in general, to businesses and, indeed, to politicians, it can only help. The country has so much to offer in terms of culture, resources and in general, that it is a shame it is not more widely appreciated.

OCA: Where do you see the opportunities (not just in oil and gas) for the UK to broaden its relationship with Azerbaijan?

and tangible results bringing people, organisations and governments together to collaborate and get better results. Of course, as I said before, it is all down to people in the end - governments and organizations are ‘just’ people!

OCA: You were a founding Chairman of TEAS Advisory Board, why did you think it necessary to start the organisation and what progress has been made as a result?

LL: I felt that starting The European Azerbaijan Society’s Advisory Board would offer an opportunity for the country to have more of a “voice” and public image. As I have already mentioned, communication is the key to success (or failure!), so the idea of an organisation that would promote Azerbaijan for all its positive points seemed like a good idea.

One challenge for all such organisation, however, is that they can sometimes end up “preaching to the converted” - that is, talking to those people who

LL: For me there is still a lot of scope to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Azerbaijan within Europe. Undoubtedly there are things we can exchange in so many areas - ideas, culture, food, business - and exploring them together is the key to widening and deepening the relationship further.

Of course, UK - Azerbaijan relations are good, but there is always scope to improve everything.

Just on a simple issue of the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences, our new Foundation (FIC) is established specifically with such objectives in mind. Encouraging different ways of thinking, looking objectively at the challenges facing us all, discussing them openly and objectively are all possible and could yield exciting and important results.

Azerbaijan is well known for its academic status and there are opportunities there to develop relations further. Young people are the key to all our futures, so exchanges of ideas and knowledge are critical.

Just giving young people the opportunity to travel and experience other cultures is important - meeting different nationalities and even sharing different food are so important in building lasting and meaningful relationships at all levels.

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The areas of scientific research, telecoms and the internet have all grown in importance in recent years and clearly these are top of most people’s agendas these days.

In terms of peace and reconciliation, the interaction with Armenia clearly comes to mind and I would dearly love to contribute even in a small way to the normalisation of relations between the two countries to the benefit of both and the region at large.

Azerbaijan also has an agricultural sector - something overshadowed maybe by its oil and gas resources. Food, medicinal plants and agricultural research all offer good opportunities for collaboration - not to mention the wine and spirits.

The tourist industry was sadly “damaged” by various incidents in the past and I feel that there is a lot of scope to reinvigorate it and bring the country’s assets to people’s attention - such as spas, skiing and even health tourism.

OCA: Azerbaijan has many wounds from its relationships with its neighbours, how do you think in today’s unstable world, these wounds can be healed effectively and sustainably?

This is critical both for Azerbaijan and the world as a whole.

With my own experiences of the “troubles” in Northern Ireland, I fully realise how destructive conflict is to everyone. The “person on the street” is the one

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most badly affected in every way: by the conflict itself and the wider repercussions - financial, political and security. The world is a small place today, it is like a village, so things no longer affect only one country or one region. These things flow over and adversely affect us all which makes it even more vital that they are resolved.

Such conflicts often result from some form of nationalism.

Nationalism often reflects the weak self-esteem of those involved - the confident and well-grounded countries take an international view and, indeed, an enlightened view, realising that resolving matters is to everyone’s advantage. There are a number of examples of places where progress has been achieved - Serbia and, of course, Northern Ireland come to mind. Using these experiences and knowledge (of both things that worked and things that didn’t) would be invaluable to help normalise relations.

We should not underestimate how important it is to everyone that such issues are addressed objectively and effectively. It is a matter of communications, establishing a dialogue and, most importantly, a realisation from all parties that overcoming the past will benefit everyone.

Focusing on past problems will do nothing useful.

Focusing on the future, the benefits of working effectively together to a common positive purpose will lead to lasting benefits to the people of the world, the region, as well as the countries involved. Purely from establishing a united stance on regional and wider geopolitical issues, the benefits are immeasurable.

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OCA: What plans do you have to build similar links with the other Central Asian countries?

LL: We are very interested in establishing links with all Central Asian countries through our Foundation. Our objective is to share ideas, develop new approaches to challenges through different ways of thinking and to facilitate collaboration for mutual benefit. We are always open to developing existing relationships and to establishing new ones.

OCA: Do you have any lessons or anecdotes to share from your travels in the region?

LL: I always enjoyed my visits to Azerbaijan, although these days I get others to do the travelling for me due to my health.

The most exciting things were to meet new people and explore ideas and opportunities. For example, with the University, to see if we can establish a link to bring “new ways of thinking” to benefit the students and to share ideas and views in both directions.

We strongly believe that developing human potential is the way forward. That, combined with collaboration, has to be the best opportunity we have to resolve the challenges facing us all today. We all have valuable connections and networks that we can use together in collaboration to help do our little bit towards creating a positive and viable future.

The Alphabet Game

by Paul Wilson With the future of Guidebooks under threat, The Alphabet Game takes you back to the very beginning, back to their earliest incarnations and the gamesmanship that brought them into being. As Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop did for Foreign Correspondents the world over, so this novel lifts the lid on Travel Writers for good.

Travelling around the world may appear as easy as A,B,C in the twenty first century, but looks can be deceptive: there is no ‘X’ for a start. Not since Xidakistan was struck from the map. But post 9/11, with the War on Terror going global, the sovereignty of ‘The Valley’ is back on the agenda. Could the Xidakis, like their Uzbek and Tajik neighbours, be about to taste the freedom of independence? Will Xidakistan once again take its rightful place in the League of Nations?

The Valley’s fate is inextricably linked with that of Graham Ruff, founder of Ruff Guides. In a tale setting sail where Around the World in Eighty Days and Lost Horizon weighed anchor, our not-quite-a-hero suffers all the slings and arrows outrageous fortune can muster, in his pursuit of the golden triangle: The Game, The Guidebook, The Girl.

Wilson tells The Game’s story with his usual mix of irreverent wit and historical insight, and in doing so delivers the most telling satire on an American war effort since M*A*S*H. The Guidebook is Dead? Long Live the Guidebook.

ISBN: 978-0-9927873-2-5

OCA archive & Lord Laird

Available on Amazon, Amazon Kindle www.discovery-bookshop.com by e-mail: publisher@gmail.com

advertorial

The Berkeley story

Berkeley was founded in 1976. We wanted to create a new bespoke house-building company aimed at a niche market. Our first property was an elegant, four bedroom detached house in Surrey, sold for ÂŁ30,000.

There were certain qualities that we held dear from the start and that have been hallmarks of Berkeley ever since: recruiting the best people; a niche strategy; individual service; and good design.

We wanted purchasing a Berkeley home to be like buying a suit in Savile Row. Something special. Particular. A cut above the rest.

We developed fast during the ‘80s and achieved a full listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1985. By 1988, we were the fifth fastest growing company in the country.

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One of the things people have always commented on is our ability to anticipate the market. Property is cyclical and so we employ a strategy that runs against the grain.

We saw the recession coming at the end of the ‘80s, stopped buying land and reconfigured our assets.

Then, during the ‘90s, we started to focus on brownfield regeneration.

British towns and cities in the 90s were full of abandoned sites with huge potential. The trick was to find a good location that was under-utilised. You looked for sites with the potential to be well-connected by public transport and well-served by local facilities. Places with character where you could create the kind of environment that people buy into.

And we found them – at Imperial Wharf in Fulham, Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, and many other locations. We took derelict, contaminated sites and turned them into desirable, high value locations, over and over again.

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advertorial

Good development depends on four things: vision, tenacity, and financial strength, combined with an ability to collaborate. Those are the ingredients at the heart of our success.

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You need the vision to see the potential of a place.

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The tenacity to cope with planning and the long-term nature of development.

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Financial strength, so you make your own decisions and do what’s right at the right time.

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And you must be happy to collaborate: this is not a game you can win on your own.

Berkeley was booming like the rest of the industry just after the Millennium. But we took another crucial decision in 2004 and it happened because of a site in Guildford. We were competing with other developers. We valued it around £8m. Bid about £11m. And it went for nearly three times that amount.

This was a wake-up call. Something was clearly wrong in the market. So we changed strategy. Pulled back and by the time the crisis broke in 2007, Berkeley was not highly exposed.

It meant that once again we could go back into the land market at the bottom of the cycle; and we spent the next few years investing heavily in some fantastic sites in prime locations across London.

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Throughout these years, a philosophy has emerged based on the idea of placemaking. We don’t think of ourselves as housebuilders. We are not a volume business. Our niche in the market is defined by quality and value creation.

Berkeley’s job is to create fantastic homes in amazing places. Our ambition on every site is to build a beautiful, successful place.

Berkeley developments now range in size from a handful of homes in a market town like Cheltenham to complex, mixed-use regeneration schemes with 5,000 dwelllings.

We can take estates in London like the Ferrier in Kidbrooke or Woodberry Down, beset by crime and physical neglect, and transform them into new communities.

This is not just a matter of re-housing people in slightly better homes. It involves reinventing the place. Bringing in shops and facilities. Designing handsome, useful public space. And thinking about how people relate to each other and live in a neighbourhood.

We have done extensive research looking at people’s quality of life and the strength of community in the places we build.

What it shows is that residents in Berkeley developments often feel safer, happier and more neighbourly than people who live in comparable places. They feel they belong. They regularly talk to their neighbours. And they plan to stay in the community.

We think about these issues on every site – whether it’s prime central London or a gentle part of Gloucestershire.

And it matters because, fundamentally, Berkeley is about placemaking. About people and community.

Not just housebuilding.

Telephone: +44 (0) 207 819 45 99 Email: berkeleyinternational@berkeleygroup.co.uk

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This is the chronicle of an extraordinary adventure that led Nick Rowan to some of the world’s most incredible and hidden places. Intertwined with the magic of 2,000 years of Silk Road history, he recounts his experiences coupled with a remarkable realisation of just what an impact this trade route has had on our society as we know it today.

Containing colourful stories, beautiful photography and vivid characters, and wrapped in the local myths and legends told by the people Nick met and who live along the route, this is both a travelogue and an education of a part of the world that has remained hidden for hundreds of years.

Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road Journey reveals just how rich the region was both culturally and economically and uncovers countless new friends as Nick travels from Venice through Eastern Europe, Iran, the ancient and modern Central Asia of places like Samarkand, Bishkek and Turkmenbashi, and on to China, along the Silk Roads of today.

This book is available on Amazon.co.uk ISBN: 978-0955754944 Signed copies available on request from publisher@ocamagazine.com

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education

RAEng Newton Fund: Building Industry-Academia Linkages in Kazakhstan The Royal Academy of Engineering is the UK’s National Academy for Engineering. It brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors to advance and promote excellence in engineering and innovation both in the UK and globally.

The Academy is a delivery partner for the Newton-Al-Farabi Partnership Programme, which builds science, innovation and R&D ties between Kazakhstan and the UK, sponsored by both governments. As part of the Newton-Al-Farabi Programme, the Academy will be implementing its ‘Higher Education Partnership’ (HEP) Programme, which aims to build linkages between industry and academia through sponsoring high level exchanges between both sectors. The HEP is modelled on a highly successful programme run by the Academy in the UK, which has led to curricular change in several leading universities and valuable knowledge transfer into industry.

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In order to initiate the programme, the Academy held an inception workshop on the 18th-19th March 2015 at the Nazarbayev University, Astana.

The workshop convened relevant senior partners across government, industry and academia in both Kazakhstan and the UK to discuss the current challenges of collaboration in skills and technological development within Kazakhstan, share international experience and help inform the path forward in programme implementation.

As chairman of British Expertise’s “Central Asia Transcaucasus Business Information Group” (CATBIG), Peter Lindsay was invited to contribute actively to the workshop. This was an ideal opportunity for Peter to familiarise himself with the programme in order to inform UK industry about this opportunity and facilitate on-going relations between all parties.

The UK delegation included conference Co-Chair, Professor Hugh Griffiths from the Dept. of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London, Dr Siddharth Saxena from Cambridge Central Asian Forum, Dr Liudmila Sheremeteva from Financial Services for Eastern Europe, Mo Alavijeh from Pharmidex and representatives from Brighton, Essex and Strathclyde Universities as

well as the Department for Business Innovation & Skills. Shaarad Sharma from the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Council Kazakhstan team were also on hand throughout.

Air Astana kindly provided the flights in and out of Kazakhstan and the delegation stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. Time was found for a quick photo opportunity in the main hall of the thoroughly impressive Nazarbayev University. Directly across the road from this was what must be the largest building site in central Asia, with literally dozens of construction cranes; the site for the Expo 2017.

Indeed, one of the presentations at the workshop was delivered by Mrs Saltanat Rakhimbekova, Managing Director of Expo 2017. This began with an impressive picture of the Crystal Palace, site of Expo 1851, in London!

Having last visited Astana almost 8 years ago, Peter was amazed by the progress made in the development of this modern convenient city. Peter noted that the wonderful warmth and hospitality of the local people had not changed, however.

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Peter Lindsay

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Interview with the Kazakh artist, Alesya Artemyeva.

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The ABC of Working with Barley...

For many art might be paintings, sculpture or drawings, but for one artist it is about texture and natural materials. Alesyua Artemyeva has tried many forms of art, but her unique approach to art, using natural materials such as barley make her a fascinating addition to the growing Central Asian art scene.

OCA: Please tell us a little about yourself. How did you become and develop as an artist?

AA: I was born in the village of Fabrichniy in Kazakhstan. Although I studied physics and maths at school, I graduated from the “Children’s Art School” in the department of fashion design. After school I studied design further, but as fate would have it in the end I graduated with a degree as a “programmer.” After that I studied a law. I actually have 13 years of experience in the field of marketing, advertising and PR. At the moment, I am an official representative of Karim Rashid in Kazakhstan. I am a member of the board of the “Women’s Leadership Foundation”. However, as an artist I work with the 6-century-old Japanese technique «Oshibana». I have my own small children’s art school, but my dream is to open an Art Institute.

I have been doing arts and crafts since I was two years old. My grandmother taught me to crochet.

In the second grade, together with my older sister, I went to the children’s art school. We studied drawing and painting, arts and crafts, sewing skills, the study of tissues, choreography, fashion show, and etiquette. My sister chose sewing and my choice was decorative arts. I started to do paintings of plants but in 2006, I saw a new direction in art, working with barley. It is not drawing or painting, it is actually arts and crafts, and I really liked it.

First of all it I like using natural materials as they have their own energy and give a combination of different textures. Part of the process is to select your materials - barley, of course, but then things like spices and last time I even used starch. I thought it would dissolve in the glue but instead it makes the snow look more real in the picture. This is a technique I have been working for 7-8 years.

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art OCA: Please tell us how you come up with your creative ideas and what materials and techniques you use in your art.

AA: I always liked experiencing different materials.

In the early 2000s, I was fascinated by the study of Oriental art. And in an article one day I read about “Oshibana”. I tried this technique and just fell in love with it. Grains provide a terrific amount, which cannot be achieved with a pencil or paint.

The range of uses - dried fennel, cinnamon, crushed corn, rolled rice, other grains and spices that are sold at markets and shops.

Of course, there are also the hazards of the trade!

For example, when working with black pepper you have to wear a mask to avoid sneezing all the time.

But in general, this material is very pleasant to work with, as it is alive and has its energy. So I am often in a good mood when working.

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My first picture, “Hercules”, is associated with ancient Greek culture. The second one is an ancient Roman chariot - hanging at home. I used to work only with buckwheat and millet, but then expanded its range. As it turned out, the shades of poppies are stunning. Not too long ago I discovered starch. I work on the floor, spread out buckram and bring grains from the kitchen. After pouring them as prompts fantasy, combining colors and textures I smear glue as a pre-surface. Then I shake off the excess. The final work is fixed with a special varnish that does not shine, but preserves the pictures for a long time.

OCA: What do others think of your work?

AA: When I made my first personal exhibition, I was very worried and what people would say when tey saw my work. They are very unusual pictures and really need to be understood. People are different

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of course. And, like all creative people, I’m a little vulnerable. I was very nervous and afraid to hear criticism. But after the exhibition, I still read and heard positive feedback and admiration for my work.

OCA: What artists do you take inspiration from?

AA: I am very fond of the eastern artist, Ando Hirosige, the most famous Japanese artist of the 19th century. I really like abstractionism and in this technique I like the work of Piet Mondrian.

OCA: What projects are you currently working on?

AA: At the moment I am working on a very large project. In 2015, I became the official representative of the world renowned designer, Karim Rashid. I’m preparing for his first visit to Central Asia. We will hold a lecture on “Design as the formation of a global culture.” This is a very important project for me.

But there are a number of other creative projects.

For example there is the “Festival of Nations” in Almaty, where residents can see dances in the national costumes of different countries. I’m also preparing for another personal exhibition, which will also take place in Almaty. For this exhibition I have been preparing for more than one year.

It’s called “Children’s Dreams” and will focus on working with children from orphanages and lowincome families. I realised that every child has their own dreams. So my exhibition will be devoted to children from different countries, different nationalities.

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OCA: What would you like to say to your audience?

«Weekend rate» – 20% of discount

AA: I have a motto for my life, which is “smile”.

Smiling is a guarantee of health, happiness and love.

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interview

A Healthy Engagement with Central Asia

Bota Hopkinson’s name may not be familiar, but it should be. An active and experienced development advisor and implementer of policies in Central Asia, Russia and Jordan, she has 20 years of experience working on reform programmes in both the public and private sectors, covering social, health and education challenges; and also parliamentary and commercial practice. Fluent in English, Russian and Kazakh, she has a knack for languages also being able to speak German, Uzbek and Kyrgyz, something that endears her to those with whom she deals with in Central Asia and Europe. OCA sent our reporter to find out more.

OCA: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background prior to coming to the UK Bota Hopkinson: I am proud to be a British Kazakhstani as both countries and cultures presented values that helped me to shape my life. I was raised in a large family where we always felt loved, cared for each other and were supported by our parents and grandparent. Although we didn’t have much money,

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we had much love, help, encouragement, traditional values and a proper education. My mother was a teacher therefore we took seriously our school studies.

Because of my mother’s encouragement to study hard and my person curiosity to education, I was able to enter the Pedagogical Institute when I studied both English and German Languages after the secondary school in Turkestan, Kazakhstan.

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My fate was to hear Margaret Thatcher’s speech during her visit to the Soviet Union and it touched me deeply.

I decided I wanted to be like her. I recall that I spoke passionately about her with my mother when she smiled and said, “if you really wish to become like her then it will happen one day in future”.

In late 1980s, the iron curtain collapsed and it suddenly provided me an opportunity to apply for international jobs. I became an assistant to a British doctor working on family programs on Central Asia funded by USAID and was promoted to manage programs for Central Asia. Soon after, I was destined to meet my English husband, who was working for the World Bank, and moved to the UK. Because of my husband and his family I easily integrated into the English way of living. Although there is a rumor that English people are cold, my experience is different, I have found English people to be traditional, open and supportive.

OCA: Your health systems background has led you to a number of roles, most recently advising the Kazakh parliament on health policies based on UK experience.

What can Kazakhstan, and other countries, learn from the UK system?

BH: The NHS is a great national institution. The principles it was founded on are as important now as they were then: free at the point of use and available to everyone based on need, not ability to pay. It is more accountable to patients. Since 1995, I have worked in a number of projects funded by the DFID and the World Bank. I managed the “Know How Fund” hospital management for the Middlesex University in Kazakhstan in 1996. We trained doctors on management of hospitals and we had a number of exchange programs within the project.

For the last few years, I have been working with the Kazakhstan GP Association and we hope that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the Kazakhstan GP Association and the Royal Society of GPs in London in 2015.

The health systems in Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries have gone through many changes since the break up of the Soviet Union and although the access to health is free at the point of entry, people pay for most health care services and the majority of population cannot afford to meet these payments, especially those with severe chronic conditions.

BH: I personally disagree with this statement based on my experience and I believe that it is one of the most cost-effective health systems in the developed world and the research study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine also proves this.

The “surprising” findings show the NHS saving more lives for each pound spent as a proportion of national wealth than any other country apart from Ireland over 25 years. Among the 17 countries considered, the United States healthcare system was among the least efficient and effective. The results question why we need a big set of health reform proposals. The system works well. Look at the US and you can see where choice and competition gets you. Pretty dismal results.

I do believe therefore that an “NHS” system would work in Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries and hope that these countries will consider implementing such a system.

OCA: We notice there has been a decline of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Central Asia chaired

by Lord Waverley. What have been the difficulties in implementing the MoU signed and how can the UK parliament re-engage with the region politically and economically?

I advised Lord Waverley, the Chair of the APPG on Central Asia. I worked with all the Central Asian governments and organised activities for implementation of the MoU signed between the APPG and Central Asia. A prime objective has been to put into place working-relationship mechanisms between the Parliaments of Central Asia and Mongolia in order to address a missing link to bilateral relationships, and to bring greater understanding of the strategic importance of Central Asia.

I implemented separate MoUs with each of the Parliaments and worked on strengthening Parliamentary cooperation and being committed to political, economic, social understanding and development.

At present, however, I am a founder of the Eurasianvoices.org.uk. I work with British Eurasian communities on various issues related to the community.

OCA: The NHS is said by some to be an inefficient burden in the UK. Could such a system work in Kazakhstan?

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world

Aral:

The sea we lost The Aral was the pride of Central Asians - Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Uzbeks. It had a special meaning to the people of Uzbekistan - a double land-locked country with the world’s fourth largest inland sea. It provided livelihood to millions of people and a diverse wildlife.

I grew up reading stories about the Aral Sea and always wanted to see it. Then in the late 1980s I realised that my chances of seeing were becoming slimmer with every passing year. Suddenly people were talking about the Aral Sea drying up because of the vast cotton production in Central Asia. Cotton growing requires huge amounts of water.

The Kremlin had turned Uzbekistan into a huge cotton-producing country. The waters of the sea’s two main tributaries – Syrdarya and Amudarya – were used to irrigate the cotton fields.

Uzbekistan produced 6 million tons of cotton a year in the 1980s.

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The Amudarya, or the magnificent Oxus mentioned in ancient Greek manuscripts, and the Syrdarya, or the fast flowing Jaxartes that was an obstacle to the forces of both Alexander the Great and Genkiz Khan, were both slowly dwindling. What we have today is the ‘Small Aral Sea’ which has formed in the north, in Kazakhstan. The ‘Large Aral’, mainly in Uzbekistan, has almost disappeared.

Today the Amudarya doesn’t reach the sea from the south. Thanks to the efforts of the Kazakhstan government, the Syrdarya continues to bring its waters to the Small Aral. But the sea’s remaining surface of 23,000 square miles has now turned into a desert, toxic with pesticides discharged by the river which carried them from the cotton fields After Uzbekistan gained independence, its yearly cotton production was halved to 3 million tons.

However, even this reduction hasn’t been enough to save the Aral Sea.

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Kazakhstan started ambitious projects to restore the Aral to its formers shores on the sea’s northernmost tip. Yet the Small Aral barely constitutes 5-6% of the original sea.

“If we want to save the original Aral Sea, then we have to stop cotton production altogether,” says Medad Ospanov, head of the Save the Aral Sea fund in Almaty.

“This is impossible”.

Recent satellite pictures revealed that 90% of the sea has disappeared. We are witnessing the demise of the sea.

I always wanted to meet people who have lived through this unimaginable tragedy and to hear their stories.

In a former fishing village in Kazakhstan I met Khojabay, an 86-year-old former fisherman. Forty years ago his village was a fishing port surrounded by freshwater lakes and fields where watermelons and barley grew. He now lives in the middle of a desert covered in toxic dust.

He says that when the sea was there, he would catch 400 kilos of fish in one go. He had no idea what was going on – that the Soviets were diverting the Amudarya and the Syrdarya to new cotton plantations and reservoirs.

The fishermen were kept in the dark about what was happening with their sea and fish.

“It was in 1976,” remembers Khojabay. “We lifted our fishing net and it was full of dead fish… Then we noticed the sea was leaving us slowly, and the water became too salty. And then the fish died out.”

And it wasn’t only the sea and the fish the people lost.

“I lost my eldest son to a strange heart condition,” says Khojabay. “The very condition that many people around here had after the sea started drying up.”

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He has never been told that his son’s illness was linked to the ecological disaster. But deep inside he knew it was.

“I did hundreds of operations on people who had kidney problems linked to the Aral disaster,” recalls the old professor.

“Why on earth a healthy young man would suddenly die of a heart condition!” the old man snaps after a long pause.

Kazakhstan is trying to cover this toxic desert with water by bringing back the Small Aral Sea. A dam has been built that separates the Small Aral from the Large Aral, and Syrdarya waters are slowly filling the Small Aral. But the main Aral, or 90% of the original sea, is a desert, and winds still spread the toxic dust from the vast seabed.

“Many young people are exposed to these toxic dust and they have heart diseases and strokes,” tells me Yakhshibay Maydanov, a professor whom I met in the main hospital in the town of Aralsk.

“Even now many young people have strokes as the blood circulation in their brains is broken by the toxic salts in our environment.”

He is a patient in the hospital undergoing treatment for his heart condition. He worked in this same hospital as a surgeon for almost 50 years. And he knows the situation first-hand.

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Kazakhstan is trying hard to manage the situation. But there is no way the whole seabed can be covered again with water. It’s a seabed the size of Ireland.

The efforts to cover the seabed with Saxaul trees are struggling. Only 10% of these trees native to Central Asian deserts survive in the toxic soil now called by the locals ‘the Aralkum’ – the ‘Aral Sands’.

Back in his village, Khojabay scans the desert that once was a sea.

It looks like a Mars or the Moon surface or a scene from a sci-fi movie – with few small black dots on the horizon: rusting remains of fishing boats.

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“Every morning I look at the desert to see any sign of the sea,” Khojabay explains his new habit. “The government told us they are bringing our sea back.”

But he knows the sea isn’t returning anytime soon. The multimillion-dollar project launched by the Kazakh government and the World Bank will take many years to complete.

“I’m 86 and I know I won’t see the sea again. I want to see it. So I cannot help myself but look at the desert every day for any sign of the sea.”

Thousands of people on the Kazakh side live with this hope that the sea may return to its former shores and that it will revive fishing and improve local ecosystem and people’s lives. But this is a hope for just is 5% of the Aral Sea. On the southern, Uzbekistan side of the Aral, no one is waiting for the sea to come back. In Uzbekistan, the region’s most populous country, millions of people have been affected by the demise of the Aral Sea. For Uzbekistan, the task of filling the Large Aral Sea is impossible: no rivers reach the sea from its southern side, and water consumption across the region is rising.

The scale of the tragedy on the Uzbek side is huge, and the country needs billions of dollars to sustain livelihoods of people and keep the current situation under control.

Bringing the sea back is out of the question.

The Soviet authorities didn’t do anything while there was still time to reverse the process. For many years, they concealed the problem from their own people and from the rest of the world. Then, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the young independent countries had to pick up the pieces.

In some cases these pieces were too heavy to pick up.

Now everyone has accepted the fact that it is too late to save the whole sea.

I’m 42. When I was born in Uzbekistan, Central Asia had its sea. But it was lost in my lifetime. Cotton soaked up the Aral Sea. We humans killed the world’s fourth largest inland sea. We humans created a desert.

Rustam Qobil, journalist, BBC Central Asian service

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opinion

Reflecting on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to EEU

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In December 2014, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev finally signed the agreement to join the Eurasian Economic Union. A year ago, the government started its large-scale campaign to ensure its public of the benefits of entering Russia-driven economic bloc first known as Eurasian Customs Union (ECU). Subsequently, the customs union agreement transitioned into the EEU on the 1st of January 2015 and Kyrgyzstan has joined the club which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia.

It seems that there were many pros and cons voiced in the Kyrgyz public regarding the country’s membership in this regional integration mechanism. One of the main reasons given by the opponents is the rise in import tariffs. EEU membership requires Bishkek to raise import taxes to comply with the union’s common external tariffs. This means that prices for various good from abroad will inevitably double and lead to a rapid inflation. Cars, for example, it is feared, will cost potentially double their current price.

The country was confirmed as part of the EEU after nearly three years of discussions and hesitations.

Finally, the accession was launched fully on the 9th of May 2015.

Another reason is the fact that Kyrgyzstan will lose its substantial source of income - the re-export of consumer goods, textiles and machines to Central Asian markets. Until recently, the Dordoi market near

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Bishkek, Kyrgyz capital, provided jobs to hundreds of thousands of people. With the country joining the protectionist bloc, the re-export is likely to be lost as Kyrgyzstan would no longer be able to practice re-exporting goods from China, Turkey and other countries. The industry is estimated to make up 20% of the overall GDP. This will change with EEU membership. Inflated taxes will mean minimal profit and lead to a higher unemployment rate.

products sectors, are concerned about competition from Kazakh and Russian imports which could hit their businesses. The integration enthusiasts say that Kyrgyzstan could benefit from its decent textiles industry, selling into Russia and Kazakhstan. In fact, textiles and garment manufacturers of Kyrgyzstan could profit from the customs union, but will this be enough to compensate for the loss of others, critics ask?

Pro-EEU voices claim that the entry will not affect the volume of re-exports badly, but add that there will be some increase in prices in the result. They speak of potential benefits to local producers and see the EEU as a stimulus to support local manufacturing goods which will be consumed both internally and abroad. It is assumed that the new initiative will revitalise the economy and reduce the re-export dependency of the country. Supporters of the union also argue that country’s ability to produce and export its own products using cheaper resources will attract significant investments from Russia and Kazakhstan.

Overall, for the supporters of the EEU, there is a hope of a new positive era. Countering the critics’ voices, they say there will be more jobs and lower unemployment rates in the result.

While the public was immersed in debates against or in favour of the accession, the process was pushed from the top both internally and from EEU’s most powerful members. For Russia the EEU is a powerful power projection instrument. Bishkek is aware that Russia will provide capital to facilitate the integration. A fund of approximately one billion USD was reportedly being set up for this goal, and a non-refundable USD 200m of aid for from Russia will be contributed.

Sceptics fear that small local producers of goods will not be able to break through to the ECU markets, leaving only larger organisations to profit. Many industries, particularly the drinks, food and raw

Russia is the main power pushing for this protectionist union, which appears as a geopolitical tool to exert Kremlin’s power over its post-Soviet spheres of influence. In the short term, the union is not going to give many lucrative opportunities to Russia, which remains largely a “sponsor” of the union. Moscow knows that the EEU is an expensive enterprise, however Kremlin’s feeling of “being in control” of its post-Soviet areas of influence, seems to overweigh short-term economic reasoning.

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opinion

Russia may also be in the hope that the union will become a Eurasian equivalent of the European Union in the long-term. Should the initiative turn out to be a success, Moscow could take on a supranational role similar to the powers of Brussels. Giving up on the country’s certain sovereignty aspects is another reason quoted by the Kyrgyz critics against the EEU accession. The opposition politicians and civil society groups fear that the union will eventually lead to a loss of Kyrgyz sovereignty. The nature of the political regimes - largely autocratic, is also expected to have its influence on the civil liberties of the country.

Time will tell whether EEU becomes a detrimental or positive thing for Kyrgyz society. Economically speaking, regional integration could potentially boost local manufacturing and drive the country to be part of a new Eurasian economic force. And yet, Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the union could also signify years of challenges for its economy and people.

Both advocates and opponents of the Kyrgyz accession agree on one thing - they brace themselves for a significant rise in prices and its consequences soon to be evident on the streets.

By Yasmin Masood

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opinion

Central Asian Elections: New terms, old heroes The spring of 2015 brought on political updates in post-Soviet Muslim Central Asian republics. Three of the five “stan” countries had nationwide political elections. The process went with no turmoil and brought results which are not surprising.

Tajikistan had its parliamentary elections on the 1st of March, where the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan won 51 seats out of 63. It was a complete defeat for the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which did not gain a single seat in the parliament this time round, as opposed to 2 seats held previously. Radio Free Europe warned that with IRPT having no seats, and for the roughly 44,000 registered members and thousands of young supporters, “this is going to be a problem”.

In neighbouring Uzbekistan, President Islam Karimov was re-elected as the country’s president, based on votes cast on the 29th of March.

The sitting president ran against four candidates who provded little competition, not contesting the ideas of the current government.

The Economist called it “a managed affair”, suggesting that the candidates were allowed to run rather than genuinily wanting or being able to run. The result comes as no surprise, and power has now been in the same hands since the former First Secretary of the Uzbek SSR - Karimov - was elected as the country’s first president in 1991.

Kazakhstan had its presidential elections for the 26th of April a year earlier than planned. The decision for an early election was explained as being necessary to avoid presidential elections overlap with parliamentary elections that are also scheduled for next year. Other reasons given included that early elections would guarantee stability in a difficult time when Kazakhstan is affected by falling oil prices and Russian economic recession. The thought process is understandable.

Another longest serving ruler in the region, President Nursultan Nazarbayev, won another term of 5 years after running against two rivals.

The outcome of the elections was, perhaps, no puzzle to solve. The current leaders of Central Asia do not show any signs that they will retire from service any time soon and all appear in generally good health to carry on running their countries. Both leaders decided the best course was to run in the elections, despite their country’s constitution preveneting it, in order to provide stability. And yet, the public support for the winners seems genuine. Many outside observers will not accept the reported 90% of the Uzbek votes given for Karimov or the mesmerising 98% of the Kazakh votes given to Nazarbaev, but it is likely that the majority did in fact support these presidents.

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Many pose the question whether it made any sense to hold any elections in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan.

Why the fuss if it is likely that the population will vote for the current president? There is no clear cut answer to that. Is it a nominal adherence to democratic ideals? Does it legitimise the result and demonstrate their citizens’ affection?

Ironically, many of them have hinted that Western models of democracy are not yet suitable for their countries’ own ways of development, yet they support the idea that the Western model of democratic government is the norm they should at least appear to have.

Although the Central Asian political landscape truly tests the definitions of democratic elections, the imitation of a standard democratic process is taking place. The latter makes some political scientists suggest that staged elections still gives the people a “habit” of voting and it is a good thing.

The bad thing is, it’s not what the elections should be about. Elections should not be a mere practicing of voting rights. People need legitimate ways of expressing frustration, without it some people could opt to express their rage in destructive ways.

Too often we hear that people in Central Asia want peace and stability and, therefore opt for the governments in power. Some voters mentioned that they prefer to have Karimov or Nazarbaev instead of an Islamic government. Others fear a major political turmoil if there is choice and change. This immediately explains the reason for such an overwhelming support for the current presidents of Central Asia.

Union’s philosophy. So how could a debate be structured and work to ensure a progression of ideas and ideals amongst the people with accountability and credit?

Many Central Asian men and even women join the infamous ISIS in the Middle East. Bearded Uzbek and Tajik men fight alongside the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan and Pakistan. They dream of having an Islamic Central Asian caliphate, which is an average Kazakh’s and Uzbek’s nightmare.

Simultaneously, many young professionals and skilled workforce from Central Asian countries migrate and work abroad, leaving millions of lessqualified professionals behind. The latter are easy prey for hardcore Islamist ideas given their unmet expectations and the lack of opportunities.

In their new terms, the long sitting presidents will be probably thinking about selecting their successors.

It is no doubt that the succession question is an important issue in the political stability of the region. So, we should ask ourselves, what attention should be given to creating viable democratic institutions to play their part in the region’s future development? With education experiencing tough times and economic problems, how can we avoid the real threat of religious fanatics overrunning the system in the long-term? Without powerful institutions in place, Central Asia may become more vulnerable to a revolutionary turmoil with jihadi elements in it.

By Yasmin Masood

Unfortunately, such philosophy has its perils. It has been a while since the Islamic threat has become a ghost haunting the Central Asian electorate and their governments. Faced with a choice between a stable “enlightened dictatorship” or a potential mess with participation of religious political movement, many prefer to play safe.

But how real are these? What about non-Islamic opposition? Could secular opposition function?

What about creating and sustaining institutions, the true guarantors of development and civil society?

No system is perfect, but should we experiment?

It is true that Central Asia does not have a historical background which allows liberalism to be embedded in their political culture given the Soviet

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Get Ready For The Asian World Film Festival

The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles in order to draw greater recognition to the region’s wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries.

The festival will be held October 27-November 2, 2015 at Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles.

Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, our festival champions films from 50 countries across Asia spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India.

All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films to the Oscar® Academy, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration.

Founded by Sher-Niyaz, the festival adds Emmy and multiple award-winning director Georges Chamchoum as the Festival Director (Executive and Program Director of the Monaco Charity Film Festival), Nadine Jolson as Director of Communications and producer Lani Netter as the festival’s Director of Development and Philanthropy.

“I love that TheWrap really supports our same passion for independent and foreign films and that this is going to be a great partnership to elevate our festival, especially in its first year,” said Chamchoum.

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London Book Fair Showcases Kazakh Writers Elena Bezrukova became the first Kazakh to take part in the London Book Fair in April of 2015. The London Book Fair was held for the 43rd time and is the most prestigious book fair in the world. Before this, only publishers represented Kazakhstan at the fair - the authors have never before participated.

The main aspect of participation at the fair was the presentation of the book of E.A.Bezrukova and V.T.Tihomirova, titled “Projective Drawing: The First Album”. The book was published in 2014 in London by the British publishing house, Hertfordshire Press.

Authors Elena Bezrukova and Valentina Tikhomirova presented a new direction in art to the world, which is called Projective Schedule. Projective Schedule is a continuation of artists’ creative work from the 20th century, as well as a mixture of fine arts and psychology.

The book “Projective Graphics” and the work of the authors has caused genuine interest among English readers.

There were also interesting discussions with the Russian publisher, Denis Lobanov, the famous British poet, David Parry, Professor Shahid Qureshi, the director of the Eastern Theatre «ORZU Arts» in London, Yuldoshev Zhurabaev, and the director of the British office of the television broadcaster “Khabar”, Bella Kudaibergenova. There were negotiations on cooperation conducted with one of the world’s largest publishers «Harper Collins Publishers». Also Bezrukova met with her colleagues: British novelist and dramatist, Tatiana Dietrich, and business coach Olga Smith.

A meeting was organized at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the UK, in which Elena Arkadyevna also held a presentation of her book. The trip and the participation at the London Book Fair were organised by the British publishing house «Hertfordshire Press».

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travel

The Lost World of The Yagnob

There are not many places on our planet which have been untouched by civilisation, where people live by the laws of their ancestors carefully preserving their traditions and culture. It is surprising that one such place is located in Tajikistan, just a few dozen kilometers away from the busy highway between Khujand and Dushanbe.

The Yagnob river has forged a way through the inaccessible mountains of Pamir-Alay and here, in a narrow valley squeezed between the Zerafshan and parts of the Gissar mountain ranges, there live the descendants of the ancient Sogdians, who speak a unique ancient language comprehensible only to them.

Information-note: In the middle of the 1st millennium B.C., Sogd (Sogdiana) with its capital in Marakanda (Samarkand) was a center of a developed ancient civilization with high levels of culture, arts and crafts.

Its people were quite tolerable towards different religious beliefs and frequently selected their rulers on meritocratic grounds.

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But in the 8th century the troops of the Arab Caliphate invaded Central Asia, and with fire and sword spread a new religion – Islam. The Sogdians defended heroically but had to obey the conquerors and those who did not want to surrender – and escaped to the inaccessible mountain gorges.

Today, the Yagnob is still a unique time reserve.

It is surprising but life here has not crossed the boundary between the ancient world and modern civilization.

A traveler to this place never fails to be amazed how with little more than their bare hands the Yagnobians have built houses, plowed the steep slopes, laid on water and even managed to plant potato and wheat all at an altitude of 2,500-3,000 m above sea level.

Previously there were 46 settlements in the Yagnob valley, with a total population of up to 3,000 people and access was only by helicopter or on foot along steep mountain trails. In Soviet times officials brusquely resolved the problem of the Yagnobians: in 1970 they

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were forcibly resettled into the valley of the Zafarabad region. The people were deported by helicopters.

Some Yagnobians did not manage to assimilate into the valley and came back to the mountains, reconstructing houses and settlements.

Today, there are ten settlements left in the Yagnob valley with 3-8 families living in each of them.

It is as hard to reach as ever, via mountain crossings with heights of more than 4,000m or across the Yagnob gorge by mountain tracks.

Having reached the area, we were surprised by the exceptional hospitality of the local inhabitants. We could hardly understand each other and communicated mostly by gestures, but in Pskon settlement we were welcomed as old friends. We were invited into the house at once and enjoyed food from the abundant table (dastarkhan). Right away, big round scones (flatbread) and sour milk appeared and the hosts put special pots on the fire to boil the water. After drinking the traditional tea, we went out to the street. Everybody was busy with work that time of day. Everything was made by hand or by using primitive devices. The women in variegated sun-faded dresses were carrying on their heads the bowls with dry cow dung which is used here for fuel.

appliance which is highly important for the local inhabitants. The mountains are deserted but suddenly we met two women with a child on the pathway.

We greeted them and asked some questions; it turned out that they were going from the valley to their relatives in the Kan settlement to participate in a wedding ceremony. We moved forward and met some new guests. In total, we counted about sixty people including men, women, teenagers and even small children, who were being carried. On donkeys, the people carried gifts to the newly-weds and, making use of the opportunity, flour and sugar.

Traditions are so strong that despite the distance people walk more than 30 km by mountain paths to share the joy of creating a new family and to communicate with relatives.

At the end of the pathway one more surprise was waiting for us – a powerful bulldozer was methodically cutting into an almost vertical mountain slope, making a road. Civilisation has come very close to this reserved nook. Whether it is good or bad – the time will tell‌ Andrea Leuenberger

The men in shabby dressing-gowns - chapan - were carrying large bundles of hay on their backs and placing them on the roofs of their houses, children were bringing buckets with water from the brook and dragging sullen donkeys along. It all seemed like something from an old movie when suddenly we noticed a satellite dish and electric wires on self-made raddles. We could hardly believe that one of the men had tried to construct a mini hydroelectric power station and had succeeded. In each house there were some dimly burning light bulbs and even a TV screen gleaming, but this experiment finally failed.

After thanking our hospitable hosts we started on our way down the valley, back to civilization. Each turn revealed another fascinating view: peaked mountaintops, deep canyons and waterfalls. The pathway either climbed up steep hills and cliffs, or descended almost to the river, at some places becoming ovring (man-made trails on the sheer cliffs). We stopped near an old water-mill and were amazed with simplicity and complexity of this

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Roundtable Considers SCO Role in Europe Rosa Vercoe

On 30th April 2015, the London Centre for Social Studies (LCSS) produced a Roundtable Discussion on ‘SCO as a Major Player in Eurasia: What is there for Europe?’ co-hosted with the Russian and Eurasian Security Research Group of the King’s College London (KCL).

The discussion was aimed at exploring various synergies along China’s ‘One Belt, One Road Initiative’ and opportunities it may bring to China, Europe and neighbouring countries including Central Asia.

It also drew attention to the awaited enlargement of SCO (the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation) to be discussed during the SCO summit in July this year in Ufa (Russia), and its possible implications for security and stability in the region.

The keynote speakers were Zhang Jiming, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Stephen Phillips, CEO of China-Britain Business Council, Professor Keun-Wook Paik, Senior Research Fellow from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and Associate Fellow of the Chatham House, and Filippo Costa Buranelli, PHD Candidate from KCL. They covered topics that attempted to address what China’s vision and actions mean for Europe, what the One Belt, One Road could mean for trade and investment and the prospects for the SCO’s enlargement.

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The event was chaired by Dr Natasha Kuhrt, an expert on Russian and Eurasian Security from KCL. The participants included representatives of the Chatham House, KCL, LSE, SOAS, Keele University, Saferworld and Eurasian Dynamics Ltd. The event offered considerable networking opportunities for researchers, academics, business people and practitioners with the interest in both China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and SCO. Rosa Vercoe, the Roundtable convener and coordinator, proposed continuation of this networking to enable cross-border cooperation for researchers, academics and practitioners.

More details about the event can be found here: http://www.socialstudies.org.uk/news/detail/20485/ The-LCSS-Roundtable-on-SCO-as-a-Major-Player-inEurasia-What-is-there-for-Europe

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Azerbaijan`s Republic Day Marked in London

On 28th of May, Azerbaijan marked its Republic Day in London.

The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom hosted a reception.

Among the participants of the event were representatives of the diplomatic corps in the UK, members of House of Lords, government officials, representatives of UK-based Azerbaijani organisations and public figures.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tahir Taghizade, gave the opening address and provided an insight into the history of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. He described the good aspects of the Azerbaijani-British relations and noted that at the moment the United Kingdom is considered a reliable partner of Azerbaijan. He also drew the audience`s attention to the first European Games to be held in Baku on June 2015.

Vice President of Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli project, Carroll Kearney, attended the event and was awarded with the “Taraggi� medal for his contribution to the development of oil industry of Azerbaijan.

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nature

Turkmen Kulan Kulan History The Turkmen (also called Iranian) “kulan� are found in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and East Transcaucasia. The kulans migrated from the central regions of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the XV-XVIII centuries, but largely disappeared from the western regions of Central Asia at the end of the last century. They remained only in the area between the Tedzhen and Murghab rivers (in the Badhyz Reserve). During their first years in the reserve, the kulans numbered just 150-200, but today about 2000 kulan live there. In 1953 they were moved to Barsakelmes Island in the Aral Sea, where about 200 live now. In 1978, 12 kulans were delivered from the Badhyz Reserve to the Meana-Chaachin Wildlife Reserve in the foothills of East Kopet Dagh, where kulans have become well-established and are breeding successfully.

Living in the desert steppes, kulans have acquired an extraordinary endurance to the change from hot summers to icy winter conditions, from droughts to snow blizzards. Kulans are capable of covering huge distances to find good pasture, but they rarely do so. Only in summer do they gather near rivers or springs, coming from tens, and sometimes even hundreds of kilometres away. In winter they stay in ravines or narrow valleys where it is easy to shelter from rough weather. Kulans were often described as a steppe animal, which, displaced by man, found refuge in the desert. This error arose from the fact that kulans, wandering during the summer time in the steppes, were only seen there by travellers and naturalists in the past.

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Like horses, kulans feel perfectly at home eating grasses on the flat desert plains of Central Asia. Kulan forage for many different plants according to the area, season and conditions of the year. In spring, where there are short-lived plants, kulans choose ephemeral grasses, such as meadow grass and brome grass.

In summer, when many plants dry out, kulans try to find more juicy grasses. In autumn, when the pastures again turn green after rain, kulans either feed on grasses, as in spring, or carefully seek the better moisture-retaining saltwort and wormwood. In winter time, where there is little or no snow, animals find all the required forage without much effort.

Watering places play a vital role in the life of kulans.

Animals need to drink regularly during the hot season, when the moisture in forage is low. Therefore kulans try to choose habitats near water sources.

For the first days after birth, kulan foals rest almost all the time and only rise to suckle. The jenny-kulan separates from the herd to feed her foal, which suckles for 8-10 months, and for up to 14-16 months if the mother has little milk.

The foal makes its first attempts to eat grass in the first 3 to 5 days of its life. It chews a blade of grass for a long time before biting it off. Kulan foals begin to graze properly at one month. Kulans live togetherin herds for most of the year, each of which consists of an adult male, females and young 1-2 year olds, on average 5-11 heads, sometimes more.

Conservation Measures Conservation of this animal has become the most important task of Central Asian conservation organizations, which, from the middle of the last century, undertook active measures to rescue the kulan, when it appeared to be on the verge of extinction. The Badhyz Reserve in Turkmenistan was established in 1941 to protect the one remaining population of 200 kulans. Despite the measures undertaken for protection of the reserve, the numbers continued to decline, so that by 1955 only 120-150 animals remained. At this time, scientific and Soviet state bodies carried out their first attempts to restore the borders of its natural range: Fourteen kulans from Badhyz were transported to Barsakelmes Island in the Aral Sea bordering Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. From 1957 up to the start of the 1980s, the population grew to almost 2,000 in Badhyz and up to 200 on Barsakelmes Island.

A large scale programme of kulan dispersal was made between 1979-1989. More than 100 were settled from Badhyz on eight sites within its historical area

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in Turkmenistan. The population of kulan in Turkmenistan was nearly 6000 by1996-1997, including 5000 in Badhyz Reserve and about 1000 in groups in other parts of the country.

The summer migrations of Badhyz kulan to watering places caused a number of problems. The Kushka River, which is the main source of water for the Badhyz population, is located far from the reserve. Numerous herds of kulan had to move through the fields to spend the hot and dry summer season on a small site at the river. The animals were easy prey for poachers (one of the reasons for the reduction in population). The situation became worse because of successive droughts over several years. There was little forage and natural watering places dried up. The population of 5,000 in 1996 was cut in half by 1998, went down to 1,500 in 1999, and was down to 300 by the summer of 2000. In the summer of 2000, an inspection was made in Badhyz, with special attention paid to the areas around the watering places – but observers found less than 300 animals. By this time only 17 kulans out of 600 remained in Meana-Chaachin Wildlife Reserve and 15 out of 150 in Annau (Kalinin Wildlife Reserve).

The Munich Zoo Society first responded to the need for kulan conservation in Turkmenistan, due to the personal efforts of Dr. Gertrud Neumann-Denzo. Dr. Hartmut Jungius, the then Director, East Europe and Central Asia Division, WWF, approached various organizations for urgent aid to restore the powerful pumps for the artificial watering places in Badhyz over a period of three years.

A count made in July 2001 was really encouraging – 600 kulans were counted (these surviving animals had been widely dispersed in the surroundings, but returned to the Badhyz Reserve, once again feeling safe there). The population is growing gradually and has now reached 2000 kulans. Many foals were born and survived.

The protection of crops from the kulans was an important aspect of conservation activity. Huntsmen and volunteers on motorcycles followed large herds of kulan during their migrations outside the reserve, herding them away from cultivated fields and allotments. Later, the kulans, having remembered the routes, themselves avoided agricultural land.

These actions have led to deeper mutual understanding between environment volunteers and the local population.

Discovery Central Asia magazine archive

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A Russian Invasion of a Different Kind

A grandiose expedition along the Silk Road by SUVs and motorcycles is planned for August this year.

The organizers are the Russian representatives with partners from moto- and car- communities: MOTOCITIZEN and Land Rover CLUB Russia.

All participants of the expedition are seeking to act as pioneers of the modern Silk Road. They will cover a circular route taking in the northern and southern parts of this historic route, covering almost 35 000 km.

The expedition is connected with the study of the mysteries of the ancient caravan tracks connecting Asia and Europe from a cultural, commercial and scientific perspective.

The general route includes passing across the territory of the following countries: Russia · Kazakhstan · China · Laos · Cambodia · Thailand · Malaysia · Myanmar · Butane · Nepal · India · Pakistan · Iran · Turkey · Bulgaria · Serbia · Croatia · Italy · France · Great Britain · Germany · Poland · Belarus · Russia The mission of the expedition is to demonstrate that borders and barriers aren’t important for the world and friendship. Further, it is hoped that their efforts will boost international tourism and rediscover the often forgotten route.

The expedition will also mark two anniversaries: the 40th anniversary of the Honda Gold Wing and the 60th anniversary of the first expedition made by a Land Rover from Europe to Asia. The organizers are confident in their plans and the benefits it will bring, constantly encouraging other to join in their discovery of the mysteries of the Great Silk Road.

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coming soon “Open Eurasia -2015” Fourth International Literary Contest

Now Open for Entries!

The Open Eurasia and Central Asia Book Forum and Literature Festival 2015, formerly Open Central Asia Book Forum and Literature Festival, will again host a literature competition among writers in four categories: literary work, translation, illustration for a literary work, and a contest among film directors who create a video or film based on a literary work of Hertfordshire Press’ previously published works or of the works of a previous year’s finalist.

Authors, translators, illustrators and filmmakers from Central Asia and all over the world are invited to take part in the competition with a total prize fund of $ 32,000.

The main prize of the “Open Eurasia and Central Asia-2015” contest is a grant of $ 17,000, which will go towards publishing the book of the winner and launching it at the annual London Book Fair in 2017 by Hertfordshire Press.

Two other prizes have also been established for the 2015 festival: The Nemat Khelimbetov Award of $10,000 for the winner of the category of experimental film and video of Open Eurasia and Central Asia; The Marziya Zakirianova Award of $5,000 for the best female work in any category, which will go towards publishing the book of the winner.

The terms of the contest have changed slightly from last year.

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The categories and entry requirements:

Literary work One entry per participant will be accepted and in electronic form only. The work must not previously have been published in English. Works are accepted in English, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen and Azeri. Preference will be given to works submitted in English, but does not preclude outstanding entries in other languages.

Entries must be in the literary modes of poetry; short stories; full-length novels or essays, but can be on any relevant topic.

After filling out the registration form it should be sent to: konkurs@gorizonti.com with the category name and your full name in the subject line (eg. “ LITERARY WORK, JOE BLOGGS”) and the following documents: a synopsis and / or passage of the work (up to 1500 words) for publication on the website, the full text of the work, author photo of good quality (no smaller than 1 MB). It should only be the author’s photo. You must have all copyrights and permissions for your work to be published.

Literary translation One entry per participant will be accepted and in electronic form only. The work must not previously have been published in English.

The entry must be a translation of one of Hertfordshire Press’ previously published works or of the works of a previous year’s finalist. The list of previously submitted works and links to them can be found on the official contest website and on the Facebook page.

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After filling out the registration form it should be sent to: konkurs@gorizonti.com with the category name and your full name in the subject line (eg. “LITERARY TRANSLATION, JOE BLOGGS”) and the following documents: the passage of the work (up to 1500 words) for publication on the website, the full text of the translated work, author photo of good quality (no smaller than 1 MB). It should only be the author’s photo. You must have all copyrights and permissions for your work to be published.

Please note that when completing the registration form to participate in OECABF, you must write the name of the previous participant whose work you have translated, the year of his/her participation in the OECABF contest and the title of the work that you have translated, or the name of the book published by Hertfordshire Press, on which you have made the translation.

Illustration One entry per participant and in electronic form only.

will

be

accepted

and Azeri. In cases where the film contains English speech, Russian subtitles are required.

If the aforementioned other languages are submitted, English subtitles are required. Movie length is desired to be not more than 40 minutes and not less than 5.

After filling out the registration form it should be sent to: konkurs@gorizonti.com with the category name and your full name in the subject line (eg. “VIDEO, JOE BLOGGS”), film maker’s photo of good quality (no smaller than 1 MB). It should only be the author’s photo. You must have all copyrights and permissions for your work to be published.

During the festival the 5 top finalists’ films will be shown. The organisers reserve the right to ask the director to provide a better quality format for such presentation purposes.

The deadline for all submissions is September 15, 2015. Late entries will not be accepted.

We welcome your participation in our contest and wish you luck!

The entry must be of illustrations to accompany one of Hertfordshire Press’ previously published works or of the works of a previous year’s finalist.

The list of previously submitted works and links to them can be found on the official contest website and on the Facebook page.

After filling out the registration form it should be sent to: konkurs@gorizonti.com with the category name and your full name in the subject line (eg.

“ILLUSTRATION JOE BLOGGS)” and the following documents: Illustration in JPG format, resolution 300 dpi, author’s photo of good quality (no smaller than 1 MB). It should only be the author’s photo. You must have all copyrights and permissions for your work to be published.

Video One entry per participant will be accepted, based on a literary work in one of three categories: 1) Works published by Hertfordshire Press.

2) Works, entered in the OCABF competitions of 2012, 2013, 2014.

3) Works submitted to participate in OECABF 2015.

Works are accepted in any genre: video art, fiction, documentary and experimental films in English, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen

Literary Almanac “Tvorcheskoe sodrujestvo” A collection of works submitted to the OECABF - 2014 contest, as well as information about the participants and the contest itself, reports from the programme of events, a list of sponsors and other useful information.

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Available on Amazon NOW!

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interview

Crimean Calling

ork male W Best Fe tral Asia en Open C orum k Boo F Festival erature and Lit 014 2

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Lenifer Mambetova (Memetova) is a Crimean Tatar, she is a teacher of Russian language and literature and winner of the best female work category at the 2014 Open Central Asia Book Forum and Literature Festival, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

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OCA: Please tell us a little about yourself.

LENIFER MAMBETOVA: My birthplace is a small Uzbek town called Chirchik, which is close to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. My parents Izzet and Maksud moved there as a result of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people in May 1944. Falsely accusing all my people as traitors, Stalin ordered the deportation of my parents ... they were just thirteen years old.

I graduated from the Russian Philology department in Samarkand State University named after Alisher Navoi. I began my career in the Chirchik industrial technical school. I worked first as a librarian and then as a teacher of Russian language and literature. In 2006 I moved back to Crimea with my family.

OCA: Why did you start writing poetry?

LM: It just happened... I always feel the need to write and express myself in this way. I took up the pen when I felt the love of my mother, her grief of separation, a longing for the native land and the tragic fate of my people. I believe that it is necessary to have a deep inner feeling, which creates both an image and a need to express the feelings and images on paper. There is no doubt that poetry is a confession, a deep confession of the soul.

It must be condemned by the world community and it should never be forgotten. The deportation of my people was a crime that should never happen again.

OCA: How have the recent events in Crimea impacted you and your family? How do you see the future of the peninsula?

I’m not a politician and not a sociologist ... The future of my people I can only see in the Crimea, in their native land, in the land of their ancestors.

I wrote some lines:

Along the shores of my homeland Noise and splashing water.

It caresses the ear and beckons the heart Yeshil ada... Yeshil ada Likewise a flock of cranes The years fly in homeland And heart sinks from happiness Yeshil ada... Yeshil ada ***Yeshil ada means Green Island in Crimean Tatar language.

OCA: You won the Marziya Zakiryanova price at OCABF for the best female work. What is it about your work that you think persuaded the judges to award the prize to you?

OCA: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline that you can share with us?

LM: I will not praise my poems. Let the readers give their assessment. It was a choice of the jury, and I’m very glad this happy turn of circumstances.

I hope my creative flight will last a long time, and that I can write lines about eternal values such as: compassion, kindness and love. Everything that helps us survive both as the whole of humanity and as individuals.

OCA: Your poems reflect the emotions of deported countrymen. Was it hard to reflect this in the poems?

LM: Memories of my parents underlie my poems. I have carried these in my heart since my childhood.

When I was a child, I had to go along a tragic path of exile from my native land, together with all the Crimean Tatar people who were forced to leave in May 1944.

It was hard to write about this difficult period in the life of my people. My eyes were dimmed with tears, but the voice of the soul stubbornly dictated to me the stitches I needed to sew and told me “Write…” Through tears I saw the images of innocent women, children and the elderly. People suffering from thirst, hunger, injustice... Forced deportation was genocide against my people, against humanity.

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hertfordshire press news

A Friendly Walk Through the Steppes of Central Asia Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road journey - Author talk by Nick Rowan.

Nick Rowan presented his book Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road Journey in UCL’s famous Gustav Tuck lecture theatre. The book recounts Rowan’s adventures in Central Asia, where he travelled in 2006 after graduating from university.

In his talk, Rowan explained how the idea for his travel and, eventually, the book came about. “I actually wanted to go and do something different and I thought where should I go in the world? I got out my big map and asked myself, “where are the countries in the world I’ve never heard of?” And so, when his eye fell on the “Stans”, which up until then Nick knew nothing about, his dream travel started to conjure up in his mind.

“It wasn’t a conscious evangelical decision to go and bring back stories.

But I just couldn’t help meeting people when I travelled along this route.

And the people I met were actually simple, modest people but whose stories and challenges fascinated me and I wanted to bring those stories back home to show the splendour of these unknown places,” said Rowan.

Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road journey

by Nick Rowan Soft back RRP: 14.95 GBP ISBN: 978-0-9557549-4-4

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The author then talked about his experiences during his travels and told some of the, often amusing, stories that he shares in in Friendly Steppes.

Feeling like “a modern day Marco Polo”, Nick started his journey in Venice and, in the six months that followed, he travelled through Eastern Europe (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria), Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Friendly Steppes: A Silk Road Journey is a vividly written travel diary, where the author describes the exotic lands of the Silk Road region, the fantastic people he met along the way, their customs and traditions, and, of course, their delicious cuisines.

What was initially just a manuscript Rowan wrote for pleasure, turned into a colourful tale about the seemingly mysterious Asia. One of the main things Rowan wanted his book to clarify was to “humanise these countries that we are all so afraid of.” “People often asked me if I was afraid to travel to these countries. And actually no, I wasn’t. I’ve had different experiences along the way, many good, some occasionally bad, but it was much safer than everyone, including myself, thought,” said the author.

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In Friendly Steppes Rowan’s travel notes demystify many misconceptions a Western reader may have about Central Asia and show its bright, hospitable side. “I was surprised how nicely the people in Asia treated me, how easily they invited me, a complete stranger, to their houses for tea or even dinner. It really made me think of the way we, as Europeans, treat foreigners when they come here,” admitted Rowan.

The narrative of the book offers a modern perspective on Central Asia interwoven with historical interludes to put things into context. The author describes the balance of century-old traditions that are still being carried on by the modern people of Central Asia along with the impacts of modern technologies.

The evening ended with an engaging round of questions from the audience after which guests had a chance to buy the book and to chat with the author in person.

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hertfordshire press news

Azerbaijan:Bridge between East & West

by Yury Sigov

On 6th March 2015, the journalist and writer, Yury Sigov, presented his latest book at London’s prestigious Kensington Close hotel. Representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United Kingdom hosted the launch and the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom, Tahir Taghizadeh, opened the presentation.

In this new book, Azerbaijan: Bridge between East and West, Yury Sigov narrates a comprehensive and compelling story about Azerbaijan. He balances the country’s rich cultural heritage, wonderful people and vibrant environment with its modern political and economic strategies. Readers will get the chance to thoroughly explore Azerbaijan from many different perspectives and discover a plethora of innovations and idea, including the recipe for Azerbaijan’s success as a nation and its strategies for the future.

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During his stay in Azerbaijan, Sigov was amazed by hospitality and kindness of the Azerbaijani people.

“They don’t care about religious differences or different nationalities, they host everybody as a real guest,” SIgov said in his presentation speech. “And a real guest is sometimes more important than a family member.

The people are the most important wealth of this land.

It’s not the oil, nor the gas, but the people.”

Sigov reflected that Azerbaijan appeared to be among the lesser known of the former Soviet countries, so with his book he wanted to tell British readers about this beautiful country and show them many sides of it: the fantastic people, the extraordinary lushness

Hard back RRP: 19.50 GBP ISBN: 978-0-9930444-9-6

of its culture, the traditions that have been present for many centuries and the strikingly modern technologies employed by the booming oil and gas industries.

The book also explores the history of relationships between United Kingdom and Azerbaijan.

Being a unique place where the established traditions of the East and the modernity of the West coexist in harmony, Azerbaijan is certainly worth a visit.

It will be great to travel to Azerbaijan this summer, when Baku will be hosting the first European Games and this book should do more than enough to inspire you to go.

The event gathered people from Azerbaijan and many other countries and finished with a reception and a book signing ceremony with the author.

Karina Nigmatullina

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The Land of Forty Tribes

by Farideh Heyat Hard & soft back RRP: 24.50 / 14.95GBP ISBN: 978-0-9930444-4-1

On 12th May 2015, Hertfordshire Press Publishing House held the book launch of “Land of Forty Tribes” by the Dr. Farideh Heyat, the author of numerous articles on women’s issues in Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.

The presentation was opened by the publisher, Marat Akhmedjanov, followed by the author’s presentation of her book. The author shared the secrets of writing a book based on her personal experiences.

Farideh Heyat is an anthropologist based in London, but born in Iran. She is the author of numerous articles on women in Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and also the book, “Azeri Women in Transition”. Her current book, “Land of Forty Tribes” is based on her observations and experiences of working and travelling in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and her research on the history of Central Asia.

«A scintillating story of love, adventure and cultural discoveries set in the heart of Central Asia. This is a unique book covering a range of subjects, including the often-neglected historical connection between Iranian civilisation and Central Asia.» said Nick Rowan, editor-in-chief, Open Central Asia magazine.

The book tells about Sima Omid, a British-Iranian anthropologist in search of her Turkic roots, takes on a university teaching post in Kyrgyzstan. It is the year following 9/11, when the US is asserting its influence in the region. Disillusioned with her long-standing re-

lationship, Sima is looking for a new man in her life.

But the foreign men she meets are mostly involved in relationships with local women half their age, and the Central Asian men she finds highly chauvinistic and aggressive towards women. Soon after her arrival, one of her students is kidnapped for an arranged marriage and is killed in an attempt to escape. When she questions the girl’s sister and her friend, they respond, “What can we do? It’s our culture”. This impels her to pursue a research journey to the far corners of the country, gaining a shocking insight.

Sima also explores the spread of radical Islam in the country, meeting with fundamentalist women and attending indoctrination meetings at the mosques.

These reveal disturbing aspects of Islamisation in Kyrgyzstan and many of the modern issues that concern the disaffected religious youth of today. More generally, her observations illuminate different lives and cultures in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, in particular the position of women and gender relations.

The event was held in a friendly atmosphere in one of the most beautiful hotels in London The Trafalgar Hotel.

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we reccomend

Fancy a Central Asian?

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Pasha Kyrgyz Kazakh House Restaurant For many people a Saturday night might start with the phrase, “fancy and Indian tonight?”, or “let’s grab a Chinese”. It is a British thing to embrace the cuisines of other countries as their own. Indeed Manchester has a whole mile of restaurants that only serve Indian curries. Although the London restaurant scene is enormous, Central Asian cuisine has yet to really break through. However there are now a growing number of such restaurants in the capital and the Pasha Kyrgyz Kazakh House Restaurant is one such place beginning to see the fruits of its labour. As I sampled the delights of its kitchen the restaurant owner, Farukh Rasulov, stopped by to chat.

My first question is to ask him why he opened the restaurant given that few Londoners will be aware of what Central Asian food is really like.

“In fact this is an intriguing story,” Farukh starts “The restaurant was already opened and I came here to work as a kitchen assistant. At the time I had no money but the job was a lifeline for me.”

He pauses, and then smiles. “To be honest, I also really liked the girl who was working her, so I did not care what kind of work I had… That’s the way it all began.”

Farukh was clearly ambitious and put heart and soul into his work. “I wanted to prove to the world I can be number one in this business and I knew if I lost that job, that restaurant, I would lose almost everything. I became a manager of the restaurant after a month of working here, thanks to my previous experience. I had worked in plenty of other places, including another Central Asian restaurant, “Dastarkhan”. When our restaurant opened, its dishes were from different cuisines.

After a while, the owner of the hotel complex offered me the opportunity to step up and manage the whole place as he travelled a lot and didn’t have time to deal with the business properly.

I decided, therefore, to take over the business and have owned the restaurant for the last five years. We’ve developed a lot and have had many achievements.”

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I am still intrigued as to why he thought that developing Central Asian cuisine would be a formula for success. He has no hesitation and answers confidently. “Central Asian cuisine is very peculiar. Although Europeans have heard about a pilaf, “beshbarmaq” and “boortsog”, these are still considered to be exotic for them. For example, let’s compare the Central Asian cuisine with French cuisine. French cuisine consists of a bit of meat, a side dish and, of course, beautiful presentation.

Everything is pretty much easy and miniature.

“Concerning our Central Asian cuisine, everything is much more heavy and bulky – a pilaf in a large cauldron comes with its own decorations. Asian cuisine is more rich for Europeans. To make it more acceptable to the British therefore, we have made small changes, adapting and modernising it. We decided to replace some ingredients which, we believe, make the dishes lighter and more suitable for our UK customers without losing the primordial Central Asian authenticity.”

I can immediately see this in my own food. The pilaf has lost its association with the traditionally fatty meat served on the plains of Central Asia. The taste is cleaner perhaps, but is still appetizing.

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“To introduce and promote our cuisine,” Farukh continues, “I believe, we have to make a fusion style.

As you can see on the menu, we also have a Russian cuisine and a Turkish cuisine.”

So, next time you are thinking of what to eat one night, make it a Central Asian and do try something new!

So what is the restaurant’s most popular dish? “Our manti (oriental dumplings) and samosas. There a lot of different options with various spices and additives.

We make them the most. By the way, khachapuri is also a popular dish, which is always fresh, since we make them specially to every single order. We, Uzbeks, have one single dish that is pilaf, and which you can have every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can be bored with everything else, but not with pilaf, because it can be very diverse. A wedding pilaf is my favourite.

There are a lot of ingredients: raisins, peas, barberry, and, the most interesting thing, it has kazi and quail eggs. In my opinion, the best pilaf is cooked by my mother.” He smiles, remembering perhaps family times back home.

The future is clear for Farukh and the recent restaurant re-branding, improved service and collaboration with similarly minded entities is paving the way for further growth and recognition. “This year our restaurant was one of the main sponsors of the CA Nowruz festival at UCL. We cooked all the food for the event. Further we are planning to expand the menu of our restaurant and many different nice surprises for our frequent customers.”

Ann Lari Pasha Restaurant archive

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food corner For too long now, Central Asia has been overlooked as a viable travel destination. Despite being at the heart of the ancient Silk Road trade for millennia and profoundly shaping the world we live in today, Central Asia remains one of the earth’s most misunderstood places. This book seeks to use food to provide you with a unique window into these fascinating, and largely unexplored cultures, and then equip you with the knowledge to cook up a little of Bukhara or Mary in your own kitchen. I want to help you use your taste buds to explore the richness of Central Asian history and tradition, and provide a gastronomic tour around cities that have played, and will continue to play, a key role in the region’s drama-laden narrative.

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100 Tasters of Central Asia

Qurutob

While Tajiks talk about both plov and qurutob being national dishes, qurutob is specifically Tajik in a way that plov is not. Qurutob is really a combination of central Asian tastes, using both qurut and fatir in the creation of the dish. Making everything the traditional way is certainly difficult in a western context (though not impossible), which is all the more reason to calibrate your taste buds by sampling this delight in its cultural home.

Ingredients 1 lamb shank (about 650g) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/8 tsp chili pepper 50ml olive oil 450g tomatoes, quartered 200g onions, finely sliced Salt 4 qurut balls (about 30g each) 1/2 fatir 2 tsp parsley chiffonade 2 tsp basil chiffonade Serves: 4 Portions Method Mix the salt, cumin, coriander, and chili pepper in a container. Season the lamb shank thoroughly with this mixture.

Sauté the meat in oil over a high heat. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook in a 150°C oven (2½ hours). Uncover, and cook for another 30 minutes, flipping the shank halfway through. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Take the meat from the bones in large chunks and remove the skin from the tomatoes. Pour the residual juice in container and set aside.

In a pan sauté the onions with olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt, and stir regularly until golden.

Crumble the qurut into the pan, add the saved juices and 60ml water, then simmer for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Tear the fatir into small squares, and toss into the pan to soak up the flavour.

Arrange the meat and tomatoes on the fatir in a deep dish. If necessary, reheat in a 150°C oven for 5 minutes. Top with the parsley and basil. Eat with your fingers.

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“Legends of the Kazakh steppe” Ball Honours Nowruz in England

A “Legends of the Kazakh steppe” gala ball was held at one of the leading universities in the UK in April.

It provided the ideal opportunity to learn more about history and culture of Kazakhstan and introduce this to a British audience.

This year the event was dedicated to the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate and attracted a record number of participants. The Scottish waltz, played by freshmen of the University of Warwick, marked the opening of the fourth annual Warwick ball. This traditional student event was held on the eve of Nowruz and uniquely intertwined European and Eurasian.

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Preparation for the holiday had begun several months earlier. Students had been learning to dance, preparing quiz questions on Kazakh history and picking out the best student communities. According to Warwick student, choreographer Erkenaz Arinova, “demonstrating both Scottish and Irish dances is an aim to show the unity and equality of the British and Kazakh repertoire: the popular “Quy”, folk dance is loved for its patriotism and demonstrates the best things in Kazakh culture.”

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An awards ceremony to celebrate the best of Khazakhstan’scommunities was held with support of the Kazakh Embassy in Britain, representatives of the “Center for International Programs Bolashak” and Open Central Asia magazine. The winners of the Warwick Ball 2015 trophy were the Kazakh Students Community of Britain for their fruitful charity work. They had collected significant sums of money to support orphanages in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, the Newcastle University team enjoyed victory in the annual British soccer match called “Dostyk”.

The ball was completed by the selection of Mister and Miss Warwick Ball 2015. Through secret ballot, the honorary titles were awarded Aigerim Bolat and Nasygazy Balkenova.

The ball was dedicated to the beginning of the spring with the Nowruz holiday and sets the tone for future years.

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London Hosts Sixth Central Asian Spring Festival This year UCL hosted the biggest Central Asian Spring Festival in the UK to celebrate the traditional awakening of spring.

On Sunday 22nd March, the UCL Main Quad was transformed into a little corner of Central Asia in order to provide support to a number of handpicked charitable programmes across the region.

Novruz (also known in various countries as Neuruz, Nauryz, Navruz, Novruz, Nooruz or Nowruz), is a renowned day with a rich heritage that has been celebrated through the centuries. At its core, the event encompasses concepts of peace, charity, purity and love. Historically, the this holiday was at par with the celebration of the coming of a new year the blossoming and awakening of nature is treated as the period of rebirth and a time of new beginnings.

This year’s event followed on from the success of the previous year, and was represented by 6 member countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tatarstan (a federal subject of Russia) and Uzbekistan. It was the sixth annual CASF celebration and over 1,000 attendees were expected to attend.

On the day guests were entertained by a variety of performances, various fun cultural activities (including a Koresh wrestling competition, tug-of-war and backgammon championship) and a cultural exhibition. Guests were offered a variety of remarkable and exotic dishes of Central Asian cultures - plov, cooked by an Uzbek cook on the spot, samsa, manty, qurutob, pakhlava and much more. So popular was the food that queues grew very long to sample the cuisine on offer.

Most of the profits generated from the festival are donated to charities in the Central Asian region. Historically, the CASF Team has made donations to orphan homes, educational programmes and disadvantaged children with various medical conditions.

One of the prime objectives of CASF is to promote Central Asian culture in the UK through the organization of such events and there are plans for the rest of 2015 that include organising cultural workshops in an attempt to educate attendees about Central Asian music, literature, cuisine, art and other parts of culture.

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Latest events from The European Azerbaijan Society

The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) is a UK-registered pan-European foundation dedicated to raising awareness of Azerbaijan and fostering closer economic, political and cultural links between that country and the nations of Europe.

In addition to promoting the positive aspects of Azerbaijan, TEAS also highlights the plight of the 875,000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the country.

These people are unable to return to their homes and lands due to the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions by Armenia’s armed forces – in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions.

TEAS was launched in November 2008, having initially been established as the London Azerbaijan Society four years earlier. The organisation now has offices in the UK, Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey, along with a representative office in Azerbaijan.

TEAS has three main facets to its operations:

Culture – TEAS raises awareness of Azerbaijan’s rich and vibrant culture to a worldwide audience by organising cultural events and operating as a networking centre.  Business – TEAS supports its membership of European and Azerbaijani businesses. It provides a platform for organisations to establish links and strengthen their existing business relationships via a programme of networking opportunities across the regions.

Public Affairs – TEAS works to increase awareness about Azerbaijan amongst key opinion-formers, key decision-makers and other political, academic and civil society stakeholders.

For more information on all TEAS events, both past and future, go to www.teas.eu

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(from left) Marie-Laetitia Gourdin, Head, TEAS France and Irena Bilic, Director, Europe by Europe Film Festival, open the evening of acclaimed contemporary Azerbaijani short films

Thought-provoking Azerbaijani films screened to Parisian cinephiles TEAS France organised a special event dedicated to Azerbaijani cinema on 8 April at L’Entrepôt Cinema in Paris as part of the 10th annual Europe by Europe Film Festival. The cinephiles enjoyed four short films – Offside directed by Thomas Goltz, Yara: The Wound

by Teymur Hajiyev, The Last One by Sergey Pikalov and Torn by Elmar Imanov and Engin Kundag. Around 40 Parisian movie aficionados attended the screening, alongside film directors from Hungary and Spain, whose short films were also selected for the Festival.

The evening started with the opening words of Irena Bilic, Director of the Festival and Marie-Laetitia Gourdin, Head, TEAS France. Mrs Bilic expressed her delight at having the opportunity to present Azerbaijani films for the fourth consecutive year.

She commented: “First of all, this collaboration gave us opportunity to discover a country – Azerbaijan – through its cinema. During four years of collaboration, we presented eight films, four of which you will discover tonight. These four years of collaboration also allowed me to witness the ongoing revival of the Azerbaijani film industry, exemplifying the work of an emerging generation of artists.”

The selected films this year presented many diverse facets of Azerbaijani society – Offside showcased the Qarabagh Agdam football team, which is obliged

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events to play outside of its city following the Armenian– Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh; Yara – The Wound provided an illustration of the gap between the old generation of Azerbaijanis who lived under Soviet rule and the younger generation, who have completed the transition to capitalism and the western way of life; The Last One covered the topic of the generation gap in a more metaphysical way; and lastly Torn gave a vivid picture of a family in Baku, where a father and son try to overcome the death of their wife and mother – a societal subject ably interpreted by Mir-Movsum Mirzazade, a young talented actor whose career is currently in its ascendance in Azerbaijan.

The screening was followed by a debate between the audience and directors – Elmar Imanov, Teymur Hajiyev and Engin Kundag. They responded to questions about the making of their films, the choice of location and actors, the current situation of the film industry in Azerbaijan and their forthcoming projects.

In his keynote speech, Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy and Industry, commented: “Azerbaijan is working to diversify its economy and the non-oil sector now accounts for 32 per cent of GDP. Royal Dutch Shell is currently involved in the Southern Energy Corridor, which is the largest pipeline project under construction anywhere in the world and is worth $45bn. Altogether, 125 Dutch companies are active in Azerbaijan, and the Netherlands has proven to be a reliable partner to my country. There is plenty of scope for future collaboration.”

Shahmar Movsumov, CEO, State Oil Fund of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOFAZ), explained: “Natural resources can be both a blessing and curse.

Azerbaijan is currently passing through its second oil boom. SOFAZ has created around $40bn of revenues, and is a global investor in all asset classes.”

H.E. Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs reflected: “Whilst geographically distant, our countries have much in common. We both have a strong agricultural industry, and the energy industry has had a major impact on both our economies. Azerbaijan is trying to diversify its economy and stimulate rural development. The Netherlands is trying to recover from the financial crisis by investing in industries with great growth potential. These mutual interests are the basis of our ties.”

During a networking lunch, delegates had opportunity to view the Azerbaijan – Sport in Focus exhibition, comprising 65 images submitted by photographers based in 10 countries for a TEAS competition of the same name. This reflects Azerbaijan’s forthcoming hosting of the inaugural Baku2015 European Games from 12– 28 June.

Keynote papers were presented by (fourth from left) Shahmar Movsumov, CEO, SOFAZ; Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy and Industry; H.E. Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs; and René van der Linden, Dutch Senator; Chairman, MSM; and former PACE President

Dutch–Azerbaijani economic relations forged in Maastricht The strength of Dutch–Azerbaijani relations was acknowledged during the inaugural Netherlands– Azerbaijan Business Forum on 23 April at the renowned Maastricht School of Management (MSM), organised

by MSM, The Province of Limburg, TEAS, AZPROMO and the Netherlands Council for Trade Promotion (NCH). Around 250 delegates attended the event, including more than 50 Azerbaijani business leaders drawn from all sectors of the country’s economy.

Professor Arif Aziz enjoys well-earned adulation during the retrospective of his work in Berlin

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Comprehensive overview of Arif Aziz’s art shown in Berlin

Azerbaijani jazz master Emil Afrasiyab to play concerts in France

On 24 April, the Berlin-based Gallery Schulz hosted the private view of the Dance of Spirit exhibition, comprising works by Professor Arif Aziz, the renowned Azerbaijani artist, who presented his own work. More than 100 VIP guests attended the view, including representatives from politics and culture, art aficionados and those specialising in the South Caucasus.

From its inception, TEAS France has consistently supported the new generation of Azerbaijani artists, including jazz musicians, by introducing them to wider audiences and supporting the development of their careers.

Michael Schultz, Owner, Gallery Schultz, commented: “Foreign cultures that were previously unknown to me have always exercised a special fascination. During my trip to Azerbaijan, a country of which I knew little, I was impressed by the genuine diversity of history and the breadth of contemporary art.”

Born in Baku in 1943, Arif Aziz is one of the most important Azerbaijani artists of his generation. The richness and variety of his work has impacted the development of post-war Azerbaijani art. By hosting this major exhibition, the Gallery Schulz encapsulated his multi-faceted oeuvre, which combines the artistic heritage of the Islamic pictorial tradition with elements of western contemporary art.

During the outset of his career, Mr Aziz conformed to the concepts of approved Soviet-era socialist realism. However, he soon began to incorporate his own elements, and his work evolved its own language, achieving a great deal of respect in Azerbaijani artistic circles. From early in his career, Mr Aziz merged the human image with the ornamentation found in the varied architectural styles of Azerbaijan. This synthesis resulted in a new abstraction that influenced many young artists in his homeland.

This year, TEAS is proud to support the renowned Azerbaijani jazz pianist Emil Afrasiyab, who will perform at three leading French jazz festivals – the Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris, the Sunnyside Festival in Reims and the Festival de Jazz de Colmar.

Born in Baku in 1982, Emil is a leading figure in the Azerbaijani contemporary jazz scene. His compositions combine jazz and mugham, a traditional Azerbaijani musical genre that incorporates a high level of improvisation. His unique technique features contrasts in intonation, harmonic fluctuations and rhythm, and derives influences from both classical and jazz music. Since he created his own band in 2002, Emil’s reputation has been acknowledged beyond his native country. He won the Public Prize for Solo Jazz Piano at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2011, and graduated with honours from the famous Berklee College of Music in 2012.

The French festival tour will comprise a number of concrts between 27th May and 7th September in Reims, Paris and Colmar. To book tickets, go to http://bit.ly/emilsunnyside (Reims) and http://bit. ly/emilstgermain (Paris).

Upcoming Events 5–28 June: Azerbaijan – Sport in Focus (Paris) CNOSF, Maison du sport français, 1, avenue de Pierre du Coubertin, 75640, Paris, France. 10.00–17.00hrs.

Admission Free.

Seven days prior to the opening of the inaugural European Games in Baku, TEAS Paris showcases 65 stunning sporting images from around the world submitted for a TEAS competition.

Emil Afrasiyab’s innovative dexterity took his audience to a new level of excitement at the 2013 Baku Jazz Festival

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This book is based on research carried out since 1988 on territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan, which led to the escalation of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. This escalation included acts of terror by Armenian terrorist and other armed gangs not only in areas where intensive armed confrontations took place but also away from the fighting zones.

This book, not for the first time, reflects upon the results of numerous acts of premeditated murder, robbery, armed attack and other crimes through collected material related to criminal cases which have been opened at various stages following such crimes. The book is meant for political scientists, historians, lawyers, diplomats and a broader audience.

ISBN: 978-1910886007 RRP: 9.99GBP Avilable on Amazon & Kindle

events

CATBIG Roundup Tajikistan On June 9th the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in London, in collaboration with “British Expertise International” - the leading UK private sector organisation for British companies, held a seminar for the UK business community.The main purpose of the event was the introduction of a new Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) between Tajikistan and the UK., the presentation of the investment opportunities in Tajikistan, implementation of DFID projects and programs in the country and review of the EuropeAid project, Development of the Fruit & Vegetable Processing Industry in Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan. The Ambassador Erkin Kasymov, welcomed participants and gave an overview on bilateral trade and economic relations between two countries. Second Secretary of Tajikistan Embassy, Mr.Asliddin Rakhmatov, presented details of the wider benefits and advantages for the UK companies following from the DTA provisions.Head of “Astelios Ltd.”, Mr.Muboriz Muborakshoev, then talked on investment opportunities in Tajikistan based on good practices of some international companies working in the Tajikistan market. Ms.Emily Grey, Policy Officer for Central Asia of the UK Department for International Development talked about the DFID programme, which focuses on encouraging good governance and creating a favourable investment climate in Tajikistan.

Meet the British Ambassadors to Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan

In June there will be a meeting with the British Ambassadors to Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Alexandra will speak about her impressions of Georgia. Dr Carolyn Browne has spoken at GATBIG a number of times, and her insights into the politics, economy and commercial opportunities in this key emerging market, a critical player in energy supplies to Europe, are always most sought after.

CATBIG have worked closely with Sanjay and his team on a range of commercial initiatives, including the Turkmenistan-UK Trade & Industry Council (TUKTIC), and focus events on technical and vocational education, and business resulting from Ashgabat holding the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in 2017.

London Hosts First European Games Presentation

On 27th of April the presentation of The First European Games was held during a gala evening at The Dorchester Hotel in London. The President of the European Olympic Committee, Patrick Hickey, and the head of the British Olympic Association, Lord Sebastian Coe, gave a speech during the presentation.

During the presentation, the guests had an opportunity to watch the video footage about the 2015 First European Games to be held in Baku. Guests also enjoyed a concert program and a photo exhibition reflecting Azerbaijan’s history and culture.

Baku 2015 is the first ever European Games, an exciting and innovative multi-sport event for the continent which will take place on June 1228, 2015. Baku was awarded the games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012.

25 Years On: The Shymkent and Stevenage Twins

From 6th to 11th June 2015 the British-Kazakh Council (a non-profit organisation, from Hertfordshire, England), together with the city council of Stevenage and Forum Conference Center (Stevenage, England) held a forum titled Stevenage -Shymkent 2015 to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment the twin cities status between Shymkent and Stevenage.

The establishment of such status was an important event in the context of the development of relations between the UK and Kazakhstan, as it is the first and only occurrence in modern history, where one of the cities of Central Asia became a town twinned with a town in the UK. The partnership with Shymkent was installed in 1990. At that time Shymkent was a part of the USSR, but a year later became a southern city of the independent Kazakhstan. Educational and cultural ties were established as well as strengthened cooperation between the cities.

Residents of Stevenage hosted a delegation from Shymkent. There were businessmen and cultural figures among them and they visited the town and held meetings with the Kazkah Ambassador, Lord Laird and Nigel Peters of CATBIG. Finally an author talk was given by Robert Wight, the author of ‘Vanished Khans and Empty Steppes’ after a London partners networking session.

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events

5th Investment Forum ‘Baikonur’ Success

Prospects for the development of tourism, attracting foreign investments and the development of new technologies and innovations were discussed at the fifth Investment Forum ‘Baikonur’ in Kyzylorda.

It was attended by over 400 delegates from countries both near and far.

Experts announced concrete proposals on the creation of eco-tourism in the region, as well as the organization of exhibitions of traditional crafts and cultural heritage of the Turks.

Krymbek Kusherbaev, the governor of the region said, “We believe that the development of tourism infrastructure at ‘Baikonur’ will give a new impetus to the development of the tourism industry in the region. After the establishment of appropriate infrastructure, we will create one of the most successful tourism products in both Kazakhstan and Russia.”

A number of agreements and memorandums of cooperation have now been signed between the Kyzylorda regional authorities, domestic, foreign companies and international organizations.

Uzbek International Tourism Fair 2015

The latest tourism fair called, World of Leisure 2015, was held in Tashkent on April 27, 28. During two days more than 140 tour companies, air companies, hotels, guesthouses and resorts from Uzbekistan, Turkey, Singapore, Indonesia, Switzerland and the Maldives had the chance to communicate and make acquaintances with the nearly 5000 visitors who came to the National Expo Center.

This time the fair had very rich agenda. Artisans from every region of Uzbekistan presented their works, including traditional clothing, musical instruments, paintings and embroidery.

UN World Tourism Organization held a conference on the development of the gastronomical tourism in Uzbekistan and among its experts from all over the world were the Chefs Association of Uzbekistan, Uzbek cuisine Centre, universities and touristic companies. The conference was a perfect platform for discussion of the development of gastronomic tourism as a fundamental element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (the preservation of cultural diversity and intercultural communication among countries).

The fair ended with a grand and spectacular Festival of Pilaf, where more than 20 varieties of pilaf were demonstrated.

Fifth Kyrgyz Tourism Development Forum

The fifth development of tourism in Kyrgyzstan forum was held by the Tourist.KG information centre. This time the forum was dedicated to the problems and perspectives of the development of the tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan. The representatives of the ministries,international organisations, touristic companies and government officials discussed current issues of the industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, such as security, service, development and the promotion of inbound and outbound tourism.

One of the aims of the event was to create an efficient platform for cooperation and interaction of the state authorities and representatives of the tourism industry. The organisers of the event succeeded in this – by the end of the day participants of the event had enjoyed a productive engagement among themselves.

TurizmExpo 2015 Bishkek

The TurizmExpo 2015, the first event that united Kyrgyz touristic companies, hotels, guides and everyone who offers services in this industry took place on May 24, 25 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The organizers, Bishkek Park shopping mall and Residence Centre, were also hosts of the event – the exponents comfortably settled on the second floor of the Bishkek Park shopping mall. During the two days of the Expo more than 5000 visitors – Bishkek citizens and guests – had a chance to talk to tourism companies officials and get the information about their future vacation.

These two days were full of events on different topics such as educational tourism, the process of applying for visa, the latest industry tendencies, booking systems, selection of the right equipment for such trips, like backpacks, shoes, bicycles and tents and many other useful tips.

The TurizmExpo 2015 had many positive responses from the audience.

The visitors emphasized the importance of these kind of events in the developing of outbound tourism.

The organisers plans to hold this kind of events on an annual basis every year at the threshold of the holiday season.

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Themes, so stated, clearly explored in my own work and unexpectedly shared by the remarkable poetess Lennifer Mambetova. In which case, introducing My Homeland, Oh My Crimea in its first English language edition is not simply an honour, but equally a reminder of our common human concerns. Moreover, as the first Crimean-Tartar poetry collection ever published in the English-speaking world, it is an extremely rare privilege to represent her work to my countrymen.

Certainly, Lennifer’s terse and highly evocative style will delight new readerships. Reminding them through politicized image and lamenting symbol that writer’s “learn” prose, although they “express” poetry. The latter being an act of healing, along with the possibility of genuine transcendence.

All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone interested in listening to one of the leading versifiers from Central Asia translated into our native tongue.

—David Parry

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ISBN 978-1-910886-04-5

RRP:17.50 GBP

Sima Omid, a British-Iranian anthropologist in search of her Turkic roots, takes on a university teaching post in Kyrgyzstan. It is the year following 9/11, when the US is asserting its influence in the region. Disillusioned with her long-standing relationship, Sima is looking for a new man in her life. But the foreign men she meets are mostly involved in relationships with local women half their age, and the Central Asian men she finds highly male chauvinist and aggressive towards women. Soon after her arrival, one of her students is kidnapped for marriage and is killed in an attempt to escape. When she questions the girl’s sister and her friend, they respond, “What can we do. It’s our culture”. This impels her to pursue a research journey to far corners of the country, gaining shocking insight.

Sima also explores the spread of radical Islam in the country, meeting with fundamentalist women and attending indoctrination meetings at the mosques.

These reveal disturbing aspects of Islamisation in Kyrgyzstan and many of the modern issues that concern the disaffected religious youth of today.

More generally, her observations illuminate different lives and cultures in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, in particular the position of women and gender relations.

About Author

Land

OF FORTY TRIBES

Farideh Heyat is an anthropologist based in London, born in Iran. She is the author of numerous articles on women in Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and the book, Azeri Women in Transition. Her current book, Land of Forty Tribes is based on her observations and experience of working and travelling in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and her research on the history of Central Asia.

by Farideh Heyat Available on Amazon RRP: £14.95 ISBN 978-0-9930444-4-1

HERTFORDSHIRE PRESS

Hertfordshire Press 9 Cherry Bank, Chapel Street Hemel Hempstead, HP2 5DE www.hertfordshirepress.com

9 780993 044441

Phone: + 44 (0)7412551553 E-mail: publisher@hertfordshirepress.com

Literary Almanac “Tvorcheskoe sodrujestvo” A collection of works submitted to the OECABF - 2014 contest, as well as information about the participants and the contest itself, reports from the programme of events, a list of sponsors and other useful information.

Available on Amazon NOW!

RRP: £20.00 ISBN 978-1-910886-01-4

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