http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/ en Copyright 2010 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:30:45 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Kazakhstan's economy has responded strongly to the return of international demand for its energy, mining and manufacturing exports, growing at an 8% rate during the first half from the equivalent period in 2009. That is helping to fuel optimism that Astana looks like weathering the global financial crisis in much better shape than many other countries. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/kazakhstan_continues_economic.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/kazakhstan_continues_economic.html Central Asia Domestic & Reform Economy & Finance Energy & Policy Policy Analysis Situation Report Alliance Bank (KZ) Astana Finance (KZ) BTA Bank (KZ) Halyk Savings Bank (KZ) Karachaganak Kazakhstan KMG Mynbaev Nazarbaev Samruk-Kazyna fund Temirbank (KZ) Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:30:45 -0500 http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkmenistan_signals_nabucco_i.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkmenistan_signals_nabucco_i.html Central Asia Energy & Policy European Union Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis Russia Situation Report South Asia South Caucasus Southwest Asia Turkey Afghanistan Azerbaijan Berdimuhamedow CCP Central Asia-Center [pipeline] Dauletabad Dauletabad-Khangiran East-West Pipeline Eskene-Aqtau [pipeline] Georgia India Iran Kazakhstan Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Koropeje-Kordkuy Nabucco Nazarbaev Niyazov Osman Pakistan Sarakhs TAP(I) [pipeline] TCGP Turkmenistan-Iran Turkmenistasn Uzbekistan Yolotan (South) Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:45:00 -0500 Whatever doubts Sri Lanka's local and overseas investors had about constitutional amendments reinforcing President Mahinda Rajapaksa's already appreciable powers, they did not show up in the stock market in the week since parliament approved the changes. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/sri_lankan_economy_powers_on.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/sri_lankan_economy_powers_on.html Domestic & Reform Economy & Finance Policy Analysis Situation Report South Asia Rajapaksa Sri Lanka Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:41:00 -0500 The Turkish government's hopes for a victory in this weekend's closely fought referendum on changes to the constitution are being strengthened by an economic performance that in the first six months was possibly second only to China, after expansion of nearly 12% in the first quarter. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkish_strength_fragile_in_re.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkish_strength_fragile_in_re.html Domestic & Reform Economy & Finance Ethnic & Religious Policy Analysis Situation Report Turkey AKP Erdogan IMF Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:37:15 -0500 The world price of copper both reflects and drives the hopes and fears of economic recovery and disaster. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/copper_tells_the_story.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/copper_tells_the_story.html China Economy & Finance Situation Report South Asia United States BHP Billiton Chinalco India Rio Tinto Sterlite Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:31:18 -0500 When Najib Razak took over as Malaysia's prime minister at the beginning of April last year, following the election victory of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the country's main stock exchange index KLCI stood at 901. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/malaysia_reaps_reform_benefits.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/malaysia_reaps_reform_benefits.html Economy & Finance Policy Analysis Situation Report Southeast Asia Malaysia Razak (Najib) Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:17:21 -0500 In mid-August, BP Azerbaijan announced that oil from Turkmenistan is now entering the BTC in Azerbaijan and will constitute between four and five percent of its present throughput of 800,000 barrels per day (bpd), which is being upgraded to 1.2 million bpd with a view towards eventual inclusion of oil from Kazakhstan’s offshore Tengiz field. These practical steps of cooperation with Azerbaijan, combined with the mid-August announcement in Ashgabad of new directions in Turkmenistan’s gas export policy, point the way towards a European direction for future Turkmenistani production, not forgetting China and the possibility of South Asia, while Iran is given only marginal reference and Russia is ignored. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkmenistan_confirms_export_s.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/09/turkmenistan_confirms_export_s.html Caspian Sea (region) Central Asia China Energy & Policy European Union Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis Russia Situation Report South Asia South Caucasus Southwest Asia United States Afghanistan Aqtau Azerbaijan Berdimuhamedow BP BTC CCP Cheleken Chevron ConocoPhillips East-West Pipeline Eni Eskene India Iran Karzai Kazakhstan KazMunaiGaz. TCGP KCTS Medvedev (Dmitry) Mudabala Niyazov SOCAR TAPI [pipeline] Tengiz Turkmenistan TX Oil United Arab Emirates Yolotan (South) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:38:09 -0500 Jakarta's principal stock market index has more than doubled since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won the July 2009 presidential elections with a margin that made a run-off unnecessary. Yudhoyono's comfortable victory came three months after his Democratic Party coalition won 314 of the 560 seats up for election to the People's Representative Council, the country's legislature. The stage was set for a period of political stability that has encouraged investment by local and overseas companies, including South Korean steel giant POSCO, and consumer spending. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/indonesia_to_keep_shining.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/indonesia_to_keep_shining.html Policy Analysis Situation Report Southeast Asia Indonesia Sukarnoputri Yudhoyono Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:51:09 -0500 Bulgaria and Romania have over the course of the summer been setting down their markers as regards the Nabucco and South Stream pipeline projects in an on-again, off-again manner. What they finally decide may determine which pipelines from the South Caucasus and Turkey get built where in Southeast Europe. Major investment decisions are also on the line in coming months. It is consequently little exaggeration to say that the next year, if not the next half-year, will set the main lines of the blueprint for Caspian/Black Sea hydrocarbon development for the better part of the oncoming decade. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/the_black_seas_west_coast_weig.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/the_black_seas_west_coast_weig.html Black Sea (region) Caspian Sea (region) Central Asia Conflict & Security Eastern Europe Economy & Finance Energy & Policy European Union Foresight Briefing Integration & Cooperation Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis Russia Situation Report South Caucasus Turkey Ashton Azerbaijan Baumgarten Belene Borisov (Boyko) Bulgaria Burgas-Alexandropolis [pipeline] Eni Erdogan Gazprom Leterme Medvedev (Aleksandr) Medvedev (Dmitry) MOL Nabucco NEGP/Nord Stream [pipeline] OMV Prodi Romania RWE South Stream [pipeline] Surgutneftegaz Traikov (Traicho) Turkmenistan Van Rompuy Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:43:26 -0500 A "golden decade" lies ahead for Taiwan equities, according to CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets in a report published a day after the island's parliament approved an historic trade agreement with the mainland. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/golden_period_ahead_for_taiwan.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/golden_period_ahead_for_taiwan.html China Economy & Finance Northeast Asia Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis Situation Report Southeast Asia Japan KMT Ma Ying-jeou Singapore Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:44:19 -0500 Singapore's breathtaking economic growth, an annualized 24% compared with the previous three months, is unlikely to continue at the same pace as key trading partners such as the United States and the European Union struggle to maintain recovery momentum, according to the government. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/singapore_shows_its_strengths.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/singapore_shows_its_strengths.html Economy & Finance European Union Policy Analysis Situation Report Southeast Asia United States Singapore Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:51:04 -0500 Belgium’s presidency of the European Council will not suffer from domestic Belgian political turmoil; indeed, the EU’s adjustment to the Lisbon Treaty’s new framework will likely be eased the fact that the Council’s new president is Belgian. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/belgium_guides_new_eu_course.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/belgium_guides_new_eu_course.html Economy & Finance Ethnic & Religious European Union Integration & Cooperation Policy Analysis Situation Report Ashton Belgium G20 Leterme Lisbon Treaty (EU) Van Rompuy Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:23:29 -0500 South Korea's recovery from the crisis of 2007-08 was impressive in its speed, but the country's Finance Ministry this month acknowledges that the economy still faces "downside risks" because of a possible slowdown in the economies of its principal trading partners. Consumer prices rose 2.6% in July over July 2009, within the government's target range, and industrial output was up 16.9% year-on-year, after a revised 21.7% increase in May, according to the national statistics office. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/seoul_questions_recovery_stami.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/seoul_questions_recovery_stami.html Economy & Finance Northeast Asia Policy Analysis Situation Report Korea (South) Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:12:31 -0500 The results of the bank stress test in Europe have been greeted with widespread skepticism; even though financial markets seem calmer, the system is not yet out of the woods. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/stresstesting_european_banks.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/08/stresstesting_european_banks.html Economy & Finance European Union Integration & Cooperation Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis ECB France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Portugal Spain Trichet Fri, 06 Aug 2010 08:55:35 -0500 President Nursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan publicly endorsed the Nabucco natural gas pipeline earlier this month, then criticized Europe for putting too much talk into the project and not enough action. http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/07/nazarbaev_faults_europe_on_nab.html http://www.robertcutler.org/blog/2010/07/nazarbaev_faults_europe_on_nab.html Caspian Sea (region) Central Asia China Domestic & Reform Energy & Policy European Union Plan/Strategy Overview Policy Analysis Russia Situation Report South Caucasus Turkey Aqtau Austria Azerbaijan Baumgarten BTC [pipeline] Bulgaria France Hungary Italy Kashagan Kazakhstan KCTS Kuryk Kyapaz/Serdar Medvedev Merkel Merkel. Germany Nabucco Nazarbaev Romania South Stream [pipeline] Tengiz Total(FinaElf) Turkmenistan United States Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:43:31 -0500