While reasserting the policy of neutrality of his predecessor, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has signaled a desire to end Turkmenistan's self-isolation and to repair ties with its Central Asian neighbors. He has also indicated that he is willing to engage more actively with Russia and reach out to the West.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, says countries in Central Asia continue to use the war on terrorism as an excuse to violate the human rights of their citizens. Arbour has just returned from a two-week visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

As the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wrapped up an 11-day tour of Central Asia in Turkmenistan today, her office announced plans to assist the country's Government on rights issues.

Raising questions about the creeping trend of "crony capitalism", the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh said that industrialisation can not depend only on large corporate groups.

The annual global survey of "e-readiness," published by London's Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), shows that the so-called "Asian Tigers" have been the biggest advancers in "e-readiness." "E-readiness" measures the development of electronic communication capabilities on the Internet.

Some 30 human rights and youth activists rallied today in Bishkek to demand the release of detained opposition members, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Among those detained following violence at recent rallies in Kyrgyzstan are opposition leaders Omurbek Subanaliev and Omurbek Abdyrakmanov. Also being held is Adilet Aitikeev, the head of the Kanjar opposition youth movement.

Central Asia is looming large for the European Union, with a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Luxembourg today examining a draft of the first-ever EU strategy for Central Asia. First floated by Germany less than a year ago, the EU's first-ever comprehensive strategy for the region is likely to receive the bloc's leaders' final stamp of approval at their Brussels summit in June.

EU foreign ministers are set to kick off a busy week when they meet today in Luxembourg. Their agenda includes efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and a German-led initiative to boost cooperation with Central Asia.

EU foreign ministers will hold their first debate on the bloc's evolving Central Asian strategy in Luxembourg next week. That blueprint is being pushed by the current holder of the rotating EU Presidency, Germany, and could be adopted at an EU summit in June.

The chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe today for talks with Tajik officials.

The "Navruz 2007" Central Asian theater festival opened today in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. Five professional theater groups from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are participating in the event. Six plays -- comedies and dramas in four regional languages -- are scheduled to be played during the three-day festival.

China has announced plans to build 12 highways by 2010 linking its remote northwest to Central Asia. The Xinhua news agency reported that the planned highways would connect China with Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan.