Headlines from the Caspian: December 4, 2023
Author: Caspian Policy Center
Dec 4, 2023
Energy and Economy
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan Join the Global Methane Pledge at COP28
On December 2, on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, Kazakhstan formally joined the Global Methane Pledge, prioritizing the reduction of methane emissions. Turkmenistan has also joined the pledge, bringing the total participation to 155 governments. Now, four of the five Central Asian governments have joined the pledge, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
China and Turkmenistan Pledge to Increase Cooperation
On November 29, the Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang held meetings with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. According to statements by Xuexiang, Turkmen-Chinese relations had been upgraded to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” during Berdimuhamedov’s January trip to Beijing. This latest visit reportedly resulted in an agreement to “expand security cooperation, further deepen counterterrorism cooperation, and jointly combat the ‘three forces’” - terrorism, religious extremism, and separatism.
Source: South China Morning Post
ACWA Power and PowerChina Commence Construction of Green Hydrogen Power Plant in Uzbekistan
On December 1, China’s state-owned PowerChina and the Saudi-owned ACWA Power began constructing the first green hydrogen power plant in Uzbekistan, marking PowerChina’s first overseas green hydrogen project and Central Asia’s first green hydrogen project to move into the construction phase. This power plant, powered by a wind farm, is set to produce 3,000 metric tons of green hydrogen annually and will be used to produce 500,000 tons of ammonia fertilizer per year.
Azerbaijan and the EU to Update Their Energy Partnership Agreement
According to Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) have agreed to amend the implementation roadmap for the Strategic Energy Partnership Agreement signed between the sides in July 2022. The agreement was reached on the sidelines of COP28, where Shahbazov held a meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.
Source: Trend News Agency
Azerbaijani Energy Minister Shakhbazov Meets U.S. Assistant Secretary Pyatt in Dubai
On the sidelines of the COP28 summit, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Pyarviz Shakhbazov met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt in the United Arab Emirates. During the meeting, the two representatives discussed the reduction of methane emissions, the production of green energies, and the transmission of green electricity through the green energy corridor, from the Caspian Sea to Europe.
Security and Politics
Azerbaijani and Armenian Deputy PMs Hold Talks
Amid stagnant peace negotiations, the Deputy Prime Ministers for Azerbaijan and Armenia headed a meeting on the border of their two countries on November 30. It was the fifth meeting between the border delineation commissions of the two countries, and both Deputy Prime Ministers reported an agreement to intensify future talks and begin establishing joint practices for the border commissions.
Iran Introduces New Warship to Caspian Naval Base Fleet
On November 27, Iran unveiled a new warship to its Caspian Sea fleet. The Deilman, a 1,400-ton destroyer capable of deploying cruise missiles while traveling 30 knots and able to simultaneously detect more than 100 targets, was inaugurated in a ceremony at the port of Bandar Anzali Monday.
China-Based Hackers Target Uzbek Government
On November 30, Cisco published a report on a malicious hacking campaign allegedly targeting the Uzbekistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and citizens of South Korea. The malware, which uses a variant of Gh0st RAT- a tool infamously used by a range of advanced persistent threat (APT) groups for the past decade - had been reportedly sent to several users in the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Because users last modified the decoy files with names written in simplified Chinese, this attack is believed to have come from a China-based hacking group.
Source: The Record
Caspian Foreign Ministers to Meet in Moscow
On December 5, the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Russia will hold bilateral meetings in Moscow. The leaders are expected to discuss Caspian regional security and regional and bilateral cooperation in trade, transportation, energy, and environmental sectors.
Kazakhstan Purchases Russian-Made Su-30SM Aircraft
Despite France’s concurrent offers to sell Rafale fighter jets to Kazakhstan, on November 30, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Chief of Air Defense and head of the primary armaments division announced that Kazakhstan has signed a procurement agreement for 10 Russian-made Su-30SMs. Kazakhstan has contracted 23 Su-30SMs since 2015 through three separate procurement agreements, and as the country has already put some of them into service, this decision was likely made to avoid the costs associated with introducing a new aircraft variant.
Sources: AP News, Astana Times, AzerNews, Bulgarianmilitary.com, The Jerusalem Post, Mirage News, South China Morning Post, The Record, Reuters, RFE/RL, Tehran Times, Trend News Agency