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Eurasia
December 1, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 21
encounter of leaders of equal standing.
Babanov is currently facing a criminal case in which he is accused of “stoking ethnic, racial, and religious hatred" and "publicly calling
for the violent changing of the constitutional order." The first accusation is based on claims that Babanov tried to gain the support of ethnic Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan by discussing alleged discrimination and inequality they face at the hands of the Kyrgyz government" and then calling for the ethnic Uzbeks to actively fight against this situation."
One of the new president’s first decisions was to award predecessor Atambayev the title of na-
tional hero, granting him the “Hero of the Kyrgyz Nation and White Falcon Medal” on November 27. Some analysts believe Jeenbekov’s term will amount to an unofficial continuation of Atam- bayev’s rule, with the departed president ruling from the shadows. Atambayev himself maintains close ties to Putin. During his lame duck phase, Atambayev paid a visit to Russia, where he self- admittedly “complained” to Putin about the Kazakh-Kyrgyz dispute.
Some analysts see the dispute between Bishkek and Astana as a setback for reform-minded new Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s hopes of reinvigorating cooperation between the nations of Central Asia.