Kyrgyzstan has followed through on its threat to cancel a cooperation agreement with the US after the US awarded a human rights prize to Azimzhan Askarov, an activist currently serving a life sentence in Kyrgyz prison. Human Rights Groups have recently demanded Askarov’s release from jail, and the deal had granted US personnel connected with aid programmes diplomatic status.

Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Emil Kaykiyev said “we think that when some actions are taken against the strengthening of ethnic peace and harmony in our country and when the resulting situation does not resulting situation does not coincide with the national interests of the country, any help from another state loses its value.” Askarov is an Uzbek national, and was convicted following the interethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010 when more than 400 were killed, and his statements from prison have said that he was tortured by police.

This is only the latest in a completely downward spiral of relations between the US and the Kyrgyz republic, beginning with renegotiation of leasing rates around the Manas airbase in late 2013, to Russian interference in military base renegotiation at Kant, to admittance to the Eurasian Economic Union, and finally to the current situation.

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News Briefs:

• Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been busily defending the Iran deal against critics within his own administration and with the power brokers surrounding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The deal will impose inspections and curbs on the ability of Iran to enrich its nuclear fuel to weapons-grade levels in exchange for the systematic easing of sanctions that have largely crippled Iran’s economy. EU leaders have also needed to patch up relations with entities that were against the deal like Saudi Arabia.

• Turkmenistan may not lead the world in much apart from the fact that it has the fewest number of tobacco smokers than any other country, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Chief Margaret Chan said that only 8% of the population smokes tobacco, which is an odd development considering that post-Soviet countries used cigarettes as secondary currencies.

• Russia has been engaging in a crackdown on NGO groups receiving funding from abroad and is forcing many of the groups to shut down operations within the country, the most recently being the notable MacArthur grant foundation, which gives monetary rewards to those certified as “geniuses.” The new laws require any NGO that receives funding from abroad and engages in political activity to formally register as a “foreign agent.”

• President Barack Obama has praised the peace efforts with Taliban organized by Kabul, stating during a press conference that reconciliation was the only path forward. The White House also noted that Ghani’s administration has been making progress on fighting corruption and improving Afghanistan’s economy. Obama also noted that Mullah Omar’s statement endorsing the talks as “legitimate” is another positive sign.

• The Russian cabinet has at last ratified the Uzbek debt relief deal that was agreed to months ago between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Islam Karimov in Tashkent in December 2014. Putin’s promise in December was to write off most of Uzbekistan’s $920 million in debt to pave the way towards closer economic ties (potentially also as a way to introduce closer associations through the Eurasian Economic Union). The ratification comes several days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Tashkent. The deal will now be presented to the Russian State Duma for approval.