Domestic Politics
In light of the coronavirus pandemic and the fall of global oil prices, Kazakhstan revised its economic projections to predict a 0.9% contraction of its GDP, which was earlier expected to increase by 4%. On Thursday, National Economy Minister Ruslan Dalenov announced that the big hit to the country’s exports is likely to see a $10.6 billion decline in the overall GDP forecast. [Kursiv]
As part of their COVID-19 response, Azerbaijan is planning to impose a strict self-isolation system, where residents will be required to get special police permission every time they want to leave the house. [Eurasianet]
The Armenian Parliament gave the government the authority to track residents’ cell phones as a measure to slow down the coronavirus spread in the country. The surveillance will include collecting user data like their location and call logs. [Eurasianet]
International Relations
Following a phone call on Monday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, a Russian military transport plane on Wednesday departed to the United States with medical equipment and masks to aid Washington in fighting their massive COVID-19 outbreak. [Al Jazeera]
Global oil prices have come back up to more than $30 a barrel for the first time this month on Thursday after a possible truce in the ongoing price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with Trump fanning hopes of a new deal between the two countries to help stabilize the international oil market. [The Guardian]
Society
In Tajikistan, where not a single coronavirus case has been reported yet, life and sports continue as normal. Football fans supporting Dushanbe’s FC Istiklol–owned by the President’s son Rustam Emomali–are especially excited. Albeit without spectators, the country’s football Super Cup and the 10-team Higher League are expected to kick off this weekend. [Eurasianet]
Health
Belarus restricted the import of poultry from certain provinces of Poland and Germany after the World Organization for Animal Health reported cases of avian influenza from the above-mentioned areas. [BelTA]
As per the World Health Organization’s situation report on 2 April, the total number of coronavirus cases in the Eurasian region is as follows:
Image Source: Eurasianet