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Kazakhstan Going Into Soft Power Overdrive

Screen Shot 2017 02 08 at 7.33.30 pmKazakhstan made the front pages of international newspapers last month when it hosted the first round of Syria peace talks. The diplomatic initiative is kicking off a year that will see a major PR push to portray Kazakhstan as a global player.

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White Collar Crime in Central Asia: The Case of Kazakhstan

images 7Editor's note: This is the fourth part of a series of four articles on white collar crime in Central Asian countries. The first article, on Kyrgyzstan, can be read here. The second article, on Tajikistan, can be read here. The third article, on Uzbekistan, can be read here.

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Kazakhstan: Trial Drives Accused to Self-Immolation

imgres 6Self-immolation has in recent times become a recurrent gesture of ultimate despair in Kazakhstan.

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How To Get Back A Lost $10B: One Bank's Tale In Europe's Biggest Alleged Fraud

images 6Few people have much time for banks right now but spare a thought for BTA Bank of Kazakhstan. Like many other banks it has lost billions of dollars over the last decade.

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Group of Experts Meets in Kazakhstan to Discuss Syrian Crisis

4F8558F0 6D86 459A AAD9 8A4B6477C925 cx0 cy4 cw0 w987 r1 s r1A delegation of experts is meeting in Kazakhstan's capital to discuss the cease-fire agreement in Syria.

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Kazakhstan: 2 Union Leaders Arrested

imgres 4Police in western Kazakhstan arrested two trade union leaders on January 20, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today.

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Are Political Reforms Afoot in Kazakhstan? Not so fast; Nazarbayev will remain the “supreme arbiter.”

thediplomat 2016 11 23 18 55 59 386x230Wednesday, Central Asia watchers were all atwitter over a surprising announcement by Kazakhstan’s long-time president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, that he would aim to devolve some of his powers to Parliament.

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Norway: American Executive Sentenced to Seven Years for Bribery

A Norwegian appeals court said Tuesday it extended the prison sentence for an American who served as chief legal adviser of fertilizer giant Yara International to seven years for aggravated bribery in India and Libya.

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Corruption: A Danger to Democracy in Europe and Eurasia

FullSizeRender 768x576On December 7, 2016, KI Executive Director Charles Davidson testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats. Watch the opening statements and first questions here.

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Kazakh Shuffles: 2 Ministers Dismissed, 1 Reportedly Under Investigation

thediplomat 2016 12 30 15 20 42 386x292Idrissov is headed back to London, as Astana gears up to host Syria talks and takes up a seat on the UN Security Council.

How a Chinese company exports the Great Firewall to autocratic regimes

How a Chinese company exports the Great Firewall to autocratic regimes

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Kazakhstan diverting crude to Russia’s CPC as Azerbaijan deals with tainted oil

Kazakhstan diverting crude to Russia’s CPC as Azerbaijan deals with tainted oil

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The future of US and Japanese engagement with Central Asia

The future of US and Japanese engagement with Central Asia

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