Kyrgyzstan may become a new member of the Customs Union in the near future. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev promised to help in removing existing barriers to join this organization. Kazakhstan is one of Kyrgyzstan's major political and economic partners.

• May 12, 2012

The Iranian Energy Ministry said it expects to secure export contracts for electricity with the Syrian and Lebanese governments in the near future.

• May 12, 2012

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during April 2012

Key Points:

• Turkey continues to work with Arab and Western allies to intensify pressure on Syria. After hosting the 1 April 2012, Friends of Syria group meeting, Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan responds to Syrian forces firing on a Turkish refugee camp by openly considering invoking NATO’s Article 5 on mutual defence.
• The Fethullah Gulen Movement’s influence on Turkey is re-examined following a somewhat controversial expose in the 24 April edition of The New York Times.
• A pricing dispute between the Kurdish Autonomous Government in Northern Iraq and the national government threatens Turkish crude supplies, while the TANAP pipeline agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkey should be signed by the end of the month.
• NABUCCO loses a Hungarian stakeholder while Turkish gas pipelines operator, BOTAS, cuts down its own stake in Brussels’ pipeline project. However, all is not lost in breaking Gazprom’s dominant grip on European gas supplies, as TANAP will likely connect to the revamped NABUCCO West project.
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• May 12, 2012

Kazakhstan will provide all needed support to the economical reforms in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakh Prime-Minister Karim Masimov said at a meeting with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atmbayev on Friday, Kyrgyz President's press-service reported.

• May 11, 2012

The process of joining customs union may take an accelerated pace, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during the visit of the President of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev in Astana, Novosti-Kazakhstan agency says.

• May 10, 2012

A small Chinese company has struck oil in Kyrgyzstan, and leaders of the impoverished former Soviet republic said they hoped the first find by a foreign oil firm would encourage investors to explore its undeveloped energy and metals resources

• May 9, 2012

Lithuania's government gave its final approval to several plans aimed at reducing its dependency on Russian energy sources on Wednesday, including a new nuclear power plant which it said could cost up to 7 billion euros ($9.10 billion).

• May 9, 2012

Resisting US pressure to further scale down oil imports from sanction-hit Iran, India today made it clear that it has to look at the issue involved beyond the energy trade as it has "vital" security stakes in the Gulf region.

• May 8, 2012