The First High-Level Committee Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alibek Bakayev was held on February 3 in Tehran. The meeting brought together deputy foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to
In an interview with Xinhua news agency ahead of his state visit to China, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov lauded strategic partnership between the two countries and said that China is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trade and investment partners. The text of the interview was published on Japarov’s official website. President Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan deeply
From January 31 to February 1, Almaty hosted Digital Almaty 2025, a forum focused on artificial intelligence and its pivotal role in the new industrial era. Under the theme “Industrial AI: Technologies for a New Era,” participants explored AI integration in industry, finance, healthcare, education, and ESG, along with emerging opportunities for digital transformation. The forum was organized
On January 30 in Almaty, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held talks with the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliyev to discuss cooperation in trade, economy, water, transport and logistics, energy, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and tourism. Bektenov noted that bilateral trade for the first 11 months of last
On January 28-29 in Turkey, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, participated in a meeting with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Transport from Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. He also attended a trilateral business forum with the participation of over 400 representatives from the business communities of the three
Rare earth metals (REM) are becoming one of the most valuable components of the global economy, playing a key role in the development of mechanical engineering, defense, aerospace, medical, and other industries, reads an article published by Al Jazeera. New oil According to Research Nester forecasts, in 2023-2035 the average annual growth rate of the
On January 24, the European Union Delegation to Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held a joint press conference to reflect on their partnership in 2024 and outline strategic priorities for the year ahead, the EU Delegation reported. Ms. Beata Peksa, Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan, expressed her gratitude to
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov has signed into law amendments to the country’s legislation regulating the religious sphere. The amendments were passed by the Kyrgyz parliament on December 26, 2024 with the purpose to ensure the rights and establish the responsibility of citizens and religious associations in their religious activities in accordance with the Law “On
Kyrgyzstan Sanctions: Discussions on Removal Progress On January 22, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov invited U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie to a meeting to discuss issues related to the inclusion of Kyrgyzstan’s Keremet Bank, Gazprom Neft Asia LLC, and Munai Myrza CJSC in the U.S. sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State Advocates for Kazakhstan Repeal The recent comments of Marco Rubio, the new U.S. Secretary of State under the Donald Trump administration, regarding the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, a law that imposes restrictions on trade with several countries in Central Asia, raise hopes that the new U.S. administration will take steps to repeal this
The Satpayev City Court in Kazakhstan has sentenced a native of Kazakhstan’s Ulytau region to four and a half years in prison for his participation in the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict. The man served in Russian private military company Wagner, which fought in Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation, Orda.kz reported. According to the
During his first visit to Tajikistan on January 16, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian held negotiations with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. Welcoming the high-ranking guest, Rahmon noted that “the people of Tajikistan and Iran are united by an inextricable historical, cultural and civilizational commonality”. The leaders discussed expansion
On January 16, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko met with British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kathy Leach. The parties reviewed the results of the two countries’ interaction in 2024, highlighting the meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku. The discussion also focused
On January 15, in Abu Dhabi, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed Al Nahyan held talks to discuss key issues of further deepening Uzbek-Emirati relations of friendship and multifaceted cooperation, including in political, trade and economic, investment, innovation, cultural, humanitarian and other priority spheres. The parties emphasized
On January 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it imposed sanctions on Kyrgyzstan’s Keremet Bank for its role in Russia’s scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, since at least summer 2024, officials at Keremet Bank have coordinated with Russian officials and
The United States and Armenia on January 14 signed a strategic partnership agreement expanding cooperation in security and several of areas as Yerevan seeks to distance itself from traditional ally Russia, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed the agreement in Washington. The United States is “working
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zheenbek Kulubaev paid his first official visit to Astana on January 10. During the talks, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Minister Kulubaev discussed priority areas of political, trade, economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transport, and cultural
In the 2025 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower, Kazakhstan ranked 57th among the 145 countries listed — the best position compared to other Central Asian countries and one position up compared to the 2024 ranking. Other Central Asian countries are ranked as follows: Uzbekistan is in 58th place, Turkmenistan in 77th place, Kyrgyzstan
The Unit for Combating Extremism and Illegal Migration of the Internal Affairs Department of Kyrgyzstan’s Chui Region says it has detained a man suspected of calling on citizens of Kyrgyzstan to participate in military conflicts in other countries. The Internal Affairs Department on December 12, 2024 received information about videos distributed on the Internet and
The government of Brazil, which holds the presidency of BRICS in 2025, on January 6 announced the formal entry of Indonesia into BRICS as a full member. The BRICS is an informal group of countries that originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. BRICS has recently expanded its membership to include Egypt,
