Energy and Economy

 

Azerbaijan Begins Natural Gas Export to Germany and Austria

Azerbaijan has begun supplying natural gas to Austria and Germany as part of its broader expansion in European energy markets. Azerbaijan now provides 16 countries with natural gas. The country’s state energy company, SOCAR, has increased natural gas exports to Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as European states seek to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies.

Source: Reuters, SOCAR 

Almaty Bypass Railway Secures $300 Million in Total Funding

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide a $150 million loan to support the construction of the Almaty rail bypass as part of a broader financing package in which the AIIB, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) will jointly provide up to $300 million for the project. The Almaty Rail Bypass Project involves the construction of a 75-kilometer, single-track, electrified railway dedicated to freight transport. Once completed, the railway is expected to improve freight efficiency and strengthen regional connectivity.

Source: Railwaypro, IFC 

China Deploys New Freight Route from Tianjin to Baku

Freight trains along a new rail route from northeast China to Baku will pass through the Khorgos dry port in Xinjiang before passing through Kazakhstan. Freight will then be transferred to tankers for shipment to Baku across the Caspian Sea. The total distance of this multimodal route is 7,000 kilometers, with a travel time of approximately 20 days—10 days shorter than sea routes.

Source: Caspian Post

Tengiz Oil Field Operations Halted Until Late January

After a fire broke out at turbine transformers within a power station at the Tengiz fields on January 18, oil production is expected to remain on pause for at least the remainder of the week. This has resulted in the cancellation of up to 700,000 metric tons of crude oil shipments from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s Black Sea terminal that had been scheduled for January and February. Sources from Tengizchevroil stated that operations have been suspended “as a precautionary measure,” though one source claimed that production could be stopped until February. While overall output from Tengiz declined in January, production from the Kashagan and Karachaganak fields has risen.

Source: Reuters

TRIPP Implementation Framework Released

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan announced a memorandum of understanding that covers the implementation framework to develop the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). The TRIPP Implementation Framework (TIF) announces the creation of the TRIPP Development Co., where the United States will hold a 74% stake and Armenia will hold the rest. After 49 years, Armenia will regain 49 percent control of the TRIPP Development Co. The document also states that U.S. public or private entities will not obtain extraterritorial rights along TRIPP, with Armenia holding “legislative, regulatory, and judicial authority due to full sovereignty and territorial integrity over all TRIPP areas within Armenia’s sovereign territory.” Although the TIF expands upon the TRIPP plan, the MOU does not impose any legal commitments from either the United States or Armenia. 

Source: U.S. Department of State

Kazakhstan Calls Upon Global Partners to Secure Black Sea Oil Transports

Following a drone attack on oil tankers operated by Chevron in the Black Sea, Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry issued a statement highlighting the risks such attacks pose to global energy infrastructure and calling on international partners to help prevent similar incidents in the future. The three tankers were attacked while en route to a terminal on the Russian coast to load oil from Kazakhstan. This statement is one of several in which Kazakhstan’s government has raised concerns about attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure and their broader regional implications.

Source: Reuters

New American Councils Overseas Program: Yerevan

This fall, the American Councils will begin a new overseas program at Yerevan State University (YSU) focused on the societies of the South Caucasus. The program will provide courses taught in English on the history, economics, and cultures of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Coursework will also explore relations among the three countries and the roles of Russia, the United States, and Iran in the region. A fourth course will be dedicated to Russian-language study, with the option of learning Armenian. No prior language study is required to join the program. Full semester academic credit for the program (16 credits total) will be awarded by Bryn Mawr College. Program participants will live with local host families who will provide private, furnished bedrooms and two meals a day. To further help them adapt to daily life in Yerevan, U.S. students will be matched with YSU peers for social activities and informal language practice. A wide range of cultural activities, including travel to Georgia will deepen and enrich the course curricula.

More detailed information on the program can be viewed here: https://www.studyabroad.americancouncils.org/rlaspcaucasus

Politics and Security

 

Tajik Border Guards Kill 4 Gunmen Coming from Afghanistan 

Tajikistan authorities reported that alleged terrorists had crossed into their country from a village in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, and the assailants reportedly refused to surrender before opening fire on the Tajik border guards. Meanwhile, Afghan authorities and police from Badakhshan stated that the gunmen were drug smugglers, given that this specific area along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border is a frequent route for drug trafficking. Tajikistan’s National Security Committee stated that the attempted crossing occurred overnight on January 19.

Source: Associated Press

Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan Join the Board of Peace

Leaders from all three states have accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace.” Chaired by Trump, the group would be responsible for addressing the Gaza conflict and eventually moving on to other conflicts. The invitation to join was sent to 60 countries. Those that wish to join must pay $1 billion. 

Sources: Reuters, ArmenPress