One of Kyrgyzstan’s first online news websites, 24.kg, reported on April 3 that the State Committee for National Security has suspended a criminal case against it. RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported that the State Committee for National Security launched the case — which came amid a government crackdown on civil society and free media — against
Kazakhstan intends to sign an agreement with Kyrgyzstan on deepening and expanding allied relations. The draft decree of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “On the signing of an agreement on deepening and expanding allied relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic” was published on the Open Regulatory Legal Acts portal. The
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed into law a controversial bill that allows authorities to register organizations as “foreign representatives,” legislation critics say mirrors a repressive Russian law on “foreign agents,” RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Japarov said in an April 2 post on Facebook that the law will “regulate” the activities of nongovernmental organizations receiving financial support from abroad
According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the country’s GDP per capita in 2023 reached $1,969.2, compared to $1,350.7 in 2021. Kyrgyzstan’s economic growth over the past three years averaged 6.9% (in 2021 – 5.5%, in 2022 – 9%, and in 2023 – 6.2%). Since 2021, the country has recorded an acceleration in GDP
The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov on March 29 attended the ceremony to launch the construction of a plant for the production of electricity with the disposal of solid household waste in the city of Bishkek. Japarov emphasized that environmental issues have been very acute in the capital
Raimbek Matraimov, the former deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service, was placed in pretrial detention for at least one month on March 27, a day after being extradited from Azerbaijan, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The Birinchi Mai district court in Bishkek ruled that Matraimov must stay in the detention center of the State Committee for National Security
Kyrgyzstan has called on its citizens not to travel to Russia, where Central Asian migrant workers and visitors are facing enormous pressure following last week’s deadly attack near Moscow that left 139 people dead, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Russian officials said earlier that 11 suspects, including four men who allegedly attacked the Crocus City Hall entertainment center,
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
First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Adylbek Kasymaliev on March 20 officially inaugurated the modernization of the Kant Cement Plant. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has allocated up to CNY 351.2 million for the project. The ceremony brought together heads of relevant national and regional authorities. The EDB’s financing
On March 15 in Suzak village of the Jalal-Abad oblast of Kyrgyzstan, an official opening ceremony of the fire and rescue unit №65 within the framework of trilateral cooperation between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United
The Governments of the United States, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined private sector representatives in the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13-15. Announced by President Biden during the inaugural C5+1 Summit in September 2023 and highlighted in the corresponding New York Declaration, the B5+1 is the private-sector-led counterpart
Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced that it has agreed with Kazakhstan not to introduce restrictions and bans on products licensed in Kyrgyzstan. Kazinform information agency recently reported that Kazakhstan planned to introduce a ban on some products licensed in Kyrgyzstan from July 1, 2024. According to the Committee for Technical Regulation and
The Kyrgyz parliament has approved without debate the third and final reading of a controversial bill that would allow authorities to register organizations as “foreign representatives” in a way that critics say mirrors repressive Russian legislation on “foreign agents,” RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Five lawmakers voted against the bill on March 14. President Sadyr
Kazakhstan intends to sign an agreement with Kyrgyzstan on the promotion and protection of investments, KazTAG information agency reported on March 12. “To approve the draft agreement between the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on the promotion and mutual protection of investments,” says the draft
March 11 marked a significant milestone in disaster monitoring and forecasting with the introduction of a cutting-edge IT module designed for Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) monitoring, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan reported. The unveiling took place within the framework of the “Reducing Risks and Vulnerabilities from Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)
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
Feminist activists and domestic violence survivors marched in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day and to demand that women’s rights be defended and respected, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The demonstrators gathered near the monument of Urkia Salieva, a figure of female emancipation in the Central Asian nation, and marched to Gorky
Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to the mountain agenda, environmental conservation and climate action took center stage as stakeholders gathered in Bishkek to discuss the establishment of a Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) at a UNDP-hosted round table on March 5 aimed to explore innovative financing mechanisms to safeguard the country’s rich biodiversity and fragile ecosystems, the United Nations
American movie director Frank Chi led a four-day workshop for 20 emerging filmmakers from across the Kyrgyz Republic from February 26-29 in Bishkek. Participants learned documentary techniques to create captivating social media content about ecological changes within their communities, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan reported. Frank Chi’s workshop was organized by Public Foundation Jandan, with funding
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
