On November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a state visit to Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Putin’s visit a historic event that marks an important milestone in the development of Kazakh-Russian relations. “For Kazakhstan, Russia is a strategic partner and a reliable ally. We are united by unbreakable bonds of friendship, centuries-old good
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the U.S. on November 19 hosted an event on Capitol Hill to discuss the prospects of repealing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment in relation to Kazakhstan. The discussions involved members of Congress, U.S. State Department officials, diplomats, business and expert community, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. Opening the event, Ambassador of Kazakhstan
On November 20, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Hungary and held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Emphasizing that Hungary is a reliable strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the European Union, Tokayev said that the main goal of his visit was to “give new impetus to our cooperation”. Tokayev noted
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have pledged to strengthen economic cooperation between their countries during Tokayev’s first visit to Serbia as the Central Asian country’s president, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service reported. At a joint press conference on November 19, Tokayev highlighted the commitment of both nations to expand their bilateral relations, focusing
Tajikistan may join a green corridor between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma said during the COP29 summit in Baku. “This is a very interesting project, although our colleagues have not yet approached us with an official proposal. It is obvious that such initiatives are of great importance
On November 6, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, hosted the 11th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The summit was chaired by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov and attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Uzbekistan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a state visit to Kyrgyzstan on November 4-5 and, together with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, chaired the 6th meeting of the Kyrgyzstan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Presidents Japarov and Erdoğan signed a Joint Declaration elevating relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership, which Japarov
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a state visit to France on November 4-5. In Paris, Tokayev held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the development of trade and economic cooperation. According to Tokayev, last year, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and France amounted to $4.2 billion, and this year this figure was achieved
A court in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Province has sentenced 51-year-old Alisher Holiqov to five years in prison for mercenary activities with the Russian armed forces in a landmark case highlighting the growing issue of foreigners enlisting to fight in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The November 4 court ruling shows the risks faced by Central Asian migrants and
The 17th “Central Asia – Republic of Korea” Cooperation Forum took place in Seoul on November 4. The forum addressed key areas of partnership between Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea, focusing on sectors such as transport and logistics cooperation, energy collaboration, digital transformation, and environmental issues, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. In
On October 31, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the 36th meeting of the Foreign Investors’ Council in Astana. Tokayev noted that the Council has become the most important dialogue platform for discussing issues of improving the investment climate in the country. “We have set ourselves a rather ambitious goal – to attract an additional $150
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov says he plans to revise the country’s national anthem to adequately represent the “evolving” identity of the nation, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Japarov said in an interview with the Kabar news outlet on October 30 that he believes the current anthem, adopted 33 years ago, fails to inspire patriotism and unity, and does not
Kazakhstan’s national soccer team coach Stanislav Cherchesov, a Russian national, has been fined by the national federation for making an insensitive comment regarding the Kazakh language, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The incident occurred earlier this month, when Cherchesov responded to a reporter’s question in Kazakh with a joke comparing the language to French, sparking public outrage.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Mongolia from October 28 to 29. Tokayev held talks with President of Mongolia Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, after which the two leaders signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between their countries. Kazakhstan and Mongolia decided to deepen their cooperation in the following five main areas: 1.
On October 27, Uzbekistan held elections of the Legislative Chamber, the lower house of the country’s parliament. On October 28, the Central Election Commission announced preliminary results of the vote, saying that the voter turnout was 74.72%, or 15,027,529 people. Five political parties registered in Uzbekistan participated in the elections: the Liberal Democratic Party, the
A court in Dushanbe has sentenced the leader of an opposition group that has been sharply critical of the government and another group member to lengthy prison sentences for “extremism,” RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Suhrob Zafar, the leader of Group 24, and Nasimjon Sharifov were sentenced to 30 years and 20 years in prison, respectively. The sentences
As the world becomes increasingly polarized and the authority of multilateral international institutions weakens, the role of middle powers is increasingly growing, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on October 17 at the plenary session of the Astana Think Tank Forum, entitled “Middle Powers in a Changing Global Order”. “While major powers are consumed by rivalry
Kazakhstan has no plans to join BRICS in the foreseeable future, Berik Uali, Advisor and Press Secretary of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, told Tengrinews.kz. Founded in 2006, BRICS is an informal group of states originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have joined BRICS
On October 11, Ashgabat hosted an international conference, entitled “Interconnection of Times and Civilizations – the Basis of Peace and Development,” celebrating the 300th anniversary of the great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Pyragy (1724-1807). The high-level forum was attended by President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian,
