The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it invested more than €1.2 billion in projects across Central Asia in 2023 to stimulate the region’s sustainable and inclusive growth. Uzbekistan remained the leading recipient of EBRD funding in the region for the fourth year running, by attracting more than €700 million. The remaining €518 million
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand on January 23 in Bangkok hosted a seminar on investment and trade opportunities in Kazakhstan. The event was held with the participation of around 60 Thai businessmen to strengthen economic contacts between Kazakhstan and Thailand, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. In a welcoming speech, Deputy Permanent Secretary of
On January 24, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and Xi’an Lvhuan Forest Technology Service Co. Ltd signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation, with the support of National Company KAZAKH INVEST. Areas of cooperation include implementing projects for developing carbon sink assets in forests, meadows, wetlands, clean energy, soils, rivers, and lakes
On January 23, the United States through its Agency for International Development (USAID) delivered 131 tons of food aid worth approximately $425,000 to Uzbekistan. This aid will provide 6.5 million meals to the country’s most vulnerable citizens through distribution in over 120 health and social protection facilities providing support to patients in tuberculosis and mental
During his official visit to Japan on January 22, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Ken Saito. The ministers discussed strengthening trade and economic ties between Turkmenistan and Japan, noting the successful joint implementation of various projects, including the construction in
Kazakhstan Agency of International Development KazAID held a briefing with the participation of representatives of embassies of Central Asian countries on January 22 in Astana. During the briefing Kazakh diplomats presented information on KazAID projects in 2024 to the Embassies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Particular attention was focused on the Dostyk
Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said on January 22 that Kremlin-friendly Russian journalist Tina Kandelaki has been banned from entering the country over a post she made online, alleging that the Russian language was being discriminated against in the Central Asian country. Kandelaki had criticized Kazakhstan’s plan to replace the Russian names of railway
A major earthquake followed by a series of aftershocks struck early on January 23 along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported. Kyrgyz Emergencies Minister Boobek Ajikeev said in a video message that the earthquake was felt shortly after midnight in Kyrgyzstan and was especially strong in several districts of the northern Issyk-Kul
A round table was held in Tashkent on January 19 to discuss the findings of four expeditions conducted by the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission of Central Asia (SIC ICWC) on the dried bed of the Aral Sea. These expeditions, supported by the UN Development Programme from 2019 to 2023, aimed
Both of the Kazakh parliament’s chambers, the Mazhilis and the Senate, approved on January 19 a presidential proposal to send 430 Kazakh peacekeepers to the Middle East and Africa, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaqsylyqov said the troops will join the UN Disengagement Observer Force on the Golan Heights, the UN Truce Supervision
A Moscow court on January 19 sent a leader of the Uzbek diaspora in Russia, Usman Baratov, to pretrial detention for at least two months on a charge of inciting hatred with his online posts, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. Baratov pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stemmed from a post last month related to
The United States and European Union have expressed their deep concern about recent actions against independent media in Kyrgyzstan. This comes after 11 journalists were arrested earlier this week in a move international media watchdogs said was aimed at “intimidating and harassing” journalists to keep them from carrying out their work. On January 16, Kyrgyz
On January 17, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov held a meeting with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas in Ashgabat. The parties discussed key aspects of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU and prospects for its further development. Special attention was paid to the areas of security, digitalization, water
Türkiye says people from Turkmenistan and Russia are the two largest groups of foreigners living in the country as they seek better living conditions, Current Time reported. According to a report from the Migration Directorate of Türkiye, among the 1.1 million foreign nationals residing in the country with residence permits, 109,000 are Turkmens and 100,000 are Russian
As Western governments are intensifying their relations with Central Asian countries against the backdrop of Russia’s war on Ukraine, this offers an opportunity to achieve specific advances for human rights in the region, Human Rights Watch said on January 11 in its World Report 2024. “Central Asia’s authoritarian governments severely restrict freedoms of speech, assembly, and
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on January 12 approved $7 million in additional financing to the ongoing Digital Central Asia South Asia (Digital CASA) project for the Kyrgyz Republic. This additional financing complements the original $50 million Digital CASA–Kyrgyz Republic Project approved in March 2018 to support Kyrgyzstan’s digital transformation through increasing access to more
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan had $481 million worth of trade in 2023, the Afghan Ministry of Trade and Industry said. The acting minister of trade and industry met Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Kabul and discussed a range of trade issues, including the expansion of Afghanistan’s marble export to Turkmenistan, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. The ministry in a
The “Work in the EAEU” mobile app, developed by the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Fund for Digital Initiatives, has incorporated public and commercial services for labour migrants in the Kyrgyz Republic. This development enables citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Tajikistan moving to work in the Kyrgyz Republic to access the services necessary for
The 12th global Summit, “Dynamic Vibrant Gujarat,” was held in Gandhinagar, India. The summit included the “Kazakhstan–India: Emerging Ties” seminar, during which the participants heard from the speakers representing public and private sectors of Kazakhstan and India, in particular, Mulubhai Hardasbhai Bera, Minister of Tourism, Cultural Activities, Forest and Environment of India, Kairat Torebayev, Vice Minister of
The European Union has transferred to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic EUR 3 million as the budget support in the field of digital transformation, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said on January 11. The grant funds were allocated to promote the work of the Innovation Center of
