Via BBC, an article on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline: For many, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline is nothing but a pipe dream. Its starting point is in Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated and closed-for-business states in the world, before it goes through war-torn Afghanistan and then reaches two countries that are hard to describe […]
Read more »Via Eurasia Review, a look at the energy objectives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current tour of the five Central Asian republics: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current tour of the five Central Asian republics will signal whether India has the capacity to become a major power in Eurasia. Occurring half on his way to the July 9-10 […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Financial Times, a report on a British private equity company that has taken a stake in an Afghan pharmacy chain: A British private equity company has taken a stake in an Afghan pharmacy chain in a deal touted as evidence that the country is opening to business and foreign capital in spite of […]
Read more »Via CNN, an interesting article on the economic potential of saffron: It is the most expensive and sought after spice in the world, commonly known as red gold. At $65 per gram for the highest quality crop, Saffron can actually cost even more than the precious metal. Its value has been kept permanently high by labor-intensive harvesting methods […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, a report on how an expansion of the group’s operations in Afghanistan could threaten the fledgling mining industry: According to a recent Pentagon report, the Islamic State’s (IS) activities in Afghanistan remain exploratory, with limited recruiting efforts. Although the capabilities of the Islamic State’s recently minted Khorasan Province may be limited, the group […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Financial Times, a look at Iran, post sanctions: The prospects for an Iranian economic revival and new opportunities for foreign investors hinge on a final agreement at the end of this month on the nuclear deal and United Nations verification – probably at the start of 2016 – of Iranian compliance, after […]
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