Via East Asia Forum, a look at Laos’ economic future: The economic growth trend in Laos started when it first opened to foreign trade and investment in the early 1990s. Three major economic crises have hit Laos since, profoundly affecting the country’s growth strategies. Laos is a landlocked country whose substantial interaction with the outside world […]
Read more »Via The Frontier Post, an article on new rail and power links between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan: Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have inaugurated new transport, power and communications links, Turkmenistan said Thursday, as the ex-Soviet republic touts its role rebuilding Afghanistan’s conflict-torn economy. A trio of Turkmen foreign ministry statements said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Turkmen leader Gurbanguly […]
Read more »Via The Financial Tribune, a report on contracts recently signed by the National Iranian Oil Company to develop eight fields: The National Iranian South Oil Company, the Iranian Offshore Oil Company and Iran Central Oil Fields Company — all subsidiaries of the National Iranian Oil Company – signed contracts with domestic oil and gas firms […]
Read more »Via Third Pole, an article on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway which – after more than two decades of negotiations – remains stalled on basic issues, with no clear way forward: The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway (CKU) has been under discussion for almost 25 years, but construction may never begin. Despite numerous high level meetings the three countries have failed to […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, a look at how Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have all suffered in recent months from shortages and blackouts, leaving their citizens to experience cold nights and darkened lights: As the new year was just beginning, the lights went dark in Kabul. Afghan media reported last week that in one 24 hour period late in the […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an article on the possibility of Australia purchasing Papua New Guinea’s largest telecom firm: Within Australia, the national security community is abuzz with the prospect of the sale of Papua New Guinea’s largest telecommunications company, Digicel. The Australian government is currently under significant lobbying pressure to provide support to private bidders for […]
Read more »