Turkmenistan and Iran signed a contract on July 3 for the delivery of 10 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas per year, which Iran will then ship to Iraq, RFE/RL reported. Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry announced the deal but did not say what price Iran would pay for the gas. The ministry’s statement said Iranian
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on July 3 held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Astana on a state visit and for participation in a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Tokayev started the talks by saying that China is a strategic partner and one of Kazakhstan’s main allies. President Xi Jinping
At the Kazakhstan-China roundtable in Astana on July 2, 44 documents were signed amounting to over $3.7 billion. The agreements aim to develop joint projects in energy, transport, industry, agriculture, and high technology, Kazakh Invest national company reported. In particular, national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC and Lianyungang Port Group signed an agreement to invest in the construction
During his visit to Tajikistan on July 2, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to discuss issues of development and expansion of relations of friendship and cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the press service of the Tajik president reported. “We consider the commercial and
After participating in the U.S. government-sponsored “Okuu Keremet!” project, more than 450,000 primary school students in 1,679 schools in the Kyrgyz Republic are on track to improve their learning outcomes. The United States Agency for International Development project, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, presented its five-year
The upcoming meeting between the heads of state of Kazakhstan and China will benefit peoples of the two countries, and the agreements to be reached will open a new chapter in the Kazakhstan-China permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an interview with the Xinhua news agency. Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived on
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 1 July said it is providing $50 million to support fiscal and public management reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic to enable more public funding for the nation’s low carbon transition and climate adaptation needs, and integrate gender inclusiveness into budget processes. The funding for subprogram 1 of the Sustainable Fiscal
According to the new research paper “Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation in Central Asia” released by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), almost 10 million people, or 14% of the population, have poor access to safe drinking water in Central Asia. Water withdrawals for drinking and domestic uses increased twofold to reach 8.6 km3 between 1994
The Creative Youth Forum: “Shaping the Science” was held on June 11-12 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This landmark event brought together brilliant young minds from across the globe, fostering an environment of innovation, collaboration, and scientific exploration. The forum kicked off with an inspiring opening ceremony. Nobel Prize Winner Harold Varmus delivered the keynote address via
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released a report titled “The Eurasian Transport Network,” which introduces a new conceptual approach to future developments within the Eurasian Transport Network and outlines key projects and initiatives aimed at improving transport connectivity in Eurasia. The Eurasian Transport Network is a system of interconnected latitudinal and longitudinal international transport corridors
China’s Foreign Ministry announced on June 30 that President Xi Jinping will attend the 24th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana and pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan from July 2 to July 6, RFE/RL reported. “From July 2 to 6, President Xi Jinping will attend the 24th Meeting of the
Speaking in the Mazhilis (the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament) on June 26, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov commented on rumors about the alleged existence of foreign biological laboratories in Kazakhstan, Zakon.kz reported. The issue was raised by Mazhilis deputy Rinat Zaitov, who asked if there are US biological laboratories in Kazakhstan?
On June 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev left his signature on the first electric vehicle that rolled off the assembly line of the joint venture BYD Uzbekistan Factory in the country’s Jizzakh region. In the first phase of the project, with a cost of $160 million, the new plant will have a production capacity of
The grand opening of the Makerspace Learning and Design Center – funded in part by the U.S. government – took place on June 24 at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek. Students and other community members can use high-tech equipment at the new center to develop and produce prototypes of innovative products.
On 27 June, the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, concluded his visit to Kyrgyzstan. The visit aimed to underscore the OSCE’s long-standing commitment to Kyrgyzstan and discuss the achievements of the strong and constructive partnership with the participating State in achieving regional security for all. In
The chief of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, said on June 27 that about 10,000 migrant workers with Russian passports have been sent to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. Bastrykin called the move “a good feature that led to the situation when migrants started slowly leaving Russia.” Bastrykin added that his
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has expressed concern over recently adopted amendments to Tajikistan’s law on the regulation of traditions and ceremonies, saying it worsens religious freedom violations in the Central Asian state, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. The amendments, signed by President Emomali Rahmon on June 20, among other restrictions bans children’s games
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in cooperation with IT Academy on June 25 in Tashkent held an award ceremony for 25 graduates of the “IT4Everyone” regional project tailored for hearing-impaired individuals from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Between March 18 and April 29, 115 participants from these countries received online sign language-adapted
The construction of a garment factory near Bishkek to employ relatives of more than 80 Kyrgyz people killed during anti-government protests in April 2010 began earlier this month, according to factory construction foreman Jenish Nusubaliev, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The unrest toppled then-President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who was later sentenced in absentia to several lengthy prison
Prospects for cross-border transport corridors in Eurasia, realising their economic potential, reducing costs and coordinating efforts of authorities and businesses will be key topics discussed by government representatives, businesspeople and experts at the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Annual Meeting and Business Forum on 27–28 June in Almaty. The session titled “The Eurasian Transport Network: Potential, Challenges
