Even if the Kazak government succeeds in winning greater control of Kashagan, the country’s largest oilfield, NBCentralAsia analysts say it remains unclear when commercial extraction might get under way as the economics of this giant project are uncertain.

At last, after two years of argument about the constitution, President Bakiev is pushing through a quick solution – although not everyone is happy with his vision of how Kyrgyzstan should be governed.

After days of negotiations, on Friday Ankara and Baghdad eventually signed a counterterrorism agreement targeting members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)