The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin on April 8 held a meeting with the Secretary of Railways of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Syed Ali Shah. During the negotiations, the Pakistani side outlined the ongoing efforts to attract foreign investors for rehabilitation and expansion of the country’s railway networks. Syed Ali Shah expressed
The construction of the Wakhan road connecting Afghanistan and China will soon be completed, the Afghan minister of rural rehabilitation and development announced during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Kabul, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. The Wakhan corridor is a narrow strip of land in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. The corridor stretches eastward,
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon called the current global situation “a new phase of the Cold War” and called on his compatriots to be politically vigilant amid “growing tensions as the process of the world’s repartitioning is intensifying,” RFE/RL reported. “In these difficult and dangerous circumstances, we should not let our citizens, our children, turn into
Construction of a residential project called Nilabagh was launched in Kabul on April 7. The project will be implemented by a Chinese company that has invested $71 million in the construction of 1,400 residential apartments in 56 blocks, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. The construction project is planned to be completed within 3 years. “Today, we
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin held a meeting last week with the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Ali Sher Mehsud. During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects for cooperation in the transport and logistics sector taking into account the North-South corridor being established, for
With its ancient architectural monuments and beautiful natural landscapes, Central Asia is a magnet for travelers from around the world. The British publishing house Silk Road Media, through its publications such as Open Central Asia Magazine and travel guides to the countries of the region, has been promoting Central Asia as an attractive tourism destination,
Dauren Rakhimzhanov, Managing Director of the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Directorate of Digital Initiatives, participated in the United Nations International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Regional Development Forum for CIS, organized in Astana late in March with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry. During the forum, the EDB Fund for Digital Initiatives,
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on March 28 attended the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the Boao Forum for Asia, held annually in Hainan Province, China. This year’s 23rd edition of the Forum was themed “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities”. The President of Kazakhstan spoke at the forum as a guest
According to Conrad Albrecht, Managing Director and Head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Directorate of Sustainability, the EDB, as a financier for regional projects, has a unique mandate with a primary focus on fostering cross-country infrastructure development and business integration among its six member countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. “Our main
China has been strengthening ties with Central Asian nations with the aim to secure access to the region’s energy resources — oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, and renewable energy sources. China needs these energy resources for accelerated economic development in its northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which borders Central Asian countries. This is one of
The death toll of the March 22 attack on a Moscow concert venue claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group has reached 133 and Russian security officials said four suspected gunmen had been detained in connection with Russia’s worst terrorist violence in nearly two decades, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. Russian officials said the suspects
The Navruz and iftar celebrations held in London were a resounding success, marking a vibrant start to the year’s festivities. The event was organized and sponsored by the Eurasian Creative Guild, London (ECG), OCA magazine and Orzu Arts, and served as the inaugural event in a series of celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of OCA
The Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Italy, Taalai Bazarbayev took part in a recent event organized by the Italian Senate jointly with the Italian Institute for Cooperation with Asia (ISIA) on the topic “Middle Corridor: A secure transit route between Italy, Azerbaijan and Central Asia.” The event was attended by deputies of the Italian
On March 11, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Azerbaijan on a state visit. In Baku, Tokayev held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. The two leaders also participated in the first meeting of the Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Tokayev and Aliyev also took part via a teleconference in the ceremony of
On March 4, a high-level meeting was held in the Turkmen capital with the participation of the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Helga Schmid and the environmental ministers of the Central Asian countries. Particular attention of the meeting participants was paid to the issues of climate change in order
In a recent announcement by Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan, the nation revealed plans for an extraordinary international endeavor: the reintroduction of Przhevalsky horses into its national nature reserve in the Kostanay region, “Altyn Dala.” This initiative aims to bring 40 Przhevalsky horses from Europe to Kazakhstan within five years, bolstered
In a significant move to bolster regional collaboration, representatives from Central Asian nations convened at a workshop in Almaty on March 1 to forge a roadmap and action plan for a proposed second phase of the World Bank-supported Central Asia Hydrometeorology Modernization Project (CAHMP II). This gathering underscored an advancement in regional cooperation and modernization efforts in
On February 29, in the Chinese city of Chongqing, Kazakhstan’s national railways company KTZ and the logistics platform Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co., Ltd signed an agreement on the organization and dispatch of 200 container trains through Kazakhstan, including along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, with a cargo volume of more than 20 thousand 20-foot equivalent
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said his country has frozen its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as Yerevan continues to distance itself from Moscow amid a souring of bilateral relations, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. Pashinian said in an interview with France 24 television channel on February 22 that the move comes after
On February 19, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme titled “Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs”. The programme will serve as an online platform for exchange, learning, and dialogue for 21 women-led businesses from Central Asia. Through a series of workshops,
