President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev during bilateral meetings with the heads of leading economic unions, banks and companies of Germany, actively engaged in the process of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, called the heads of the German companies to more actively use existing reserves and potential of cooperation, the press-service of the president said on Wednesday.

• February 8, 2012

Over the past year the US has courted the former Soviet states of Central Asia as it bolsters its supply line to its forces fighting in Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, once considered a pariah state for allegedly shooting demonstrators and torturing prisoners, has become an important ally.

• February 8, 2012

France and Britain have expressed doubts about Russian efforts to mediate in the Syrian crisis. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he does not believe any commitments announced by the Syrian regime, including those made on February 7 to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Damascus.

• February 8, 2012

Turkmenistan has reduced its gas exports to Iran due to very cold weather in Central Asia but there have been no supply problems yet, the head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said. In a statement posted on the NIGC website on Monday, NIGC Managing Director Javad Owji said no Iranian city had so far experienced any disruption in gas supply because of the reduction in Turkmen gas exports. He did not quantify the cut. Iran exports gas to Turkey when it can but relies on Turkmenistan to supply the extra gas it needs during cold winter months for heating.

• February 6, 2012

The breach among the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council in Saturday’s vote on Syria’s increasingly bloody power struggle could have profound implications for Syria’s immediate future.

• February 6, 2012

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, amid continuing violence between Syrian government forces and antiregime militants.

• February 6, 2012

Turkey's gas imports from Azerbaijan and Iran tumbled on Tuesday due to technical problems in both countries, Turkish officials said, slashing supply to the country of 75 million people as it faces growing pressure to meet high winter demand.

• February 6, 2012

Amidst increasing pressure from the US to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil, India on Tuesday said its ties with Tehran is neither inconsistent with non-proliferation objectives nor is in contradiction with its relationships with the West.

• February 6, 2012