Only in Kazakhstan

New Yorkers complain about traffic jams during the opening of the UN General Assembly. Spare a thought for the people of Kazakhstan. With 56 OSCE heads of state coming to town for the Astana Summit, not only will ground transport be disrupted. Space travel is also being rearranged. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft, with Russian and American astronauts on board, has been asked to return to earth sooner than scheduled in order to ensure security of the airspace over the summit.
But the news is not all bad for the people of Kazakhstan. While summit participants will no doubt take home Astana Summit souvenirs, a Kazakh entrepreneur has produced a special cottage cheese including the OSCE logo and a seal of approval from the Chairmanship. Let’s hope there will be other deliverables that have a longer shelf life.