Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Bakyt Torobayev recently visited the modernized Junda (Zhongda) oil refinery and ordered its management to increase motor fuel production in an effort to reduce Kyrgyzstan’s dependence on gasoline imports. Junda is Kyrgyzstan’s largest oil refinery, located in the town of Kara-Balta, 60 kilometers west of Bishkek. The refinery is undergoing
Over the past three decades, the post-Soviet space has embraced megaprojects with a fervour reminiscent of Soviet-era “gigantomania”. A new terminal, a new city, a new tech hub, a new railway – each presented as a leap into the future. Too many of these projects have turned out not to be engines of growth, but
On June 4, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin launched the construction of the first power unit of an integrated nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. The ceremony, held via video conference, was attended by Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Mirziyoyev expressed his gratitude to
Trade between Afghanistan and Russia saw significant growth in the Afghan solar year 1404 (March 2025-March 2026) compared to the year 1403 (2024/25), TOLOnews reported citing the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce. According to statistics from the ministry, the total value of bilateral trade increased from $296 million to $590 million, indicating that trade
During his state visit to Kazakhstan on May 28, President of Russia Vladimir Putin held talks with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana. The presidents signed the Joint Statement on the Seven Foundations of Friendship and Neighborliness between the Peoples of Russia and Kazakhstan. Tokayev and Putin attended presentations of joint Kazakh-Russian projects. The heads of state viewed video reports on industrial cooperation, the launch of two-way cargo shipments using autonomous trucks
Specialists from Russia and Uzbekistan are currently conducting technical and economic studies for the trans-Afghan railway project, TOLOnews reported citing Russian Railways. The project aims to establish a railway corridor linking Central and South Asia through Afghanistan. Sergey Pavlov, First Deputy General Director of Russian Railways, said during a meeting of the Railway Transport Council
The collapse of the Soviet Union is rarely seen as a deliberate project. Rather, it is viewed as a crisis or a chain of events that spiralled out of control. Yet, when the early years of independence across the post-Soviet space are examined through the lens of sustainable development, it becomes clear that this period
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan has decided to extradite Russian opposition activist Yulia Yemelyanova to Russia, according to her lawyer Murat Adam, Fergana News Agency reported. The lawyer says he is urgently preparing an appeal to the Kazakh Supreme Court to cancel the decision. Yemelyanova is a former staff member of the St. Petersburg headquarters of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. In 2021, Russian authorities
Alexander Kachkurkin, a 25-year-old DevOps engineer and IT developer who had been living in Almaty for the past few years, has been deported from Kazakhstan to Russia, where he was detained right upon the plane’s arrival on treason charges, the rights project Первый отдел (Department One) reported. Kachkurkin was born and raised in Crimea. After
Moscow and Bishkek have reaffirmed allied relations and strategic partnership during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Kyrgyzstan on November 26. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov welcomed the Russian leader saying that Russia has been and remains a strategic ally of Kyrgyzstan, its reliable partner and true friend. According to Japarov, Russia remains one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trading partners, accounting for 22% of
On November 11, Bishkek hosted the 26th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Humanitarian Cooperation, co-chaired by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. According to Kasymaliev, Russia is a reliable ally and strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan. Russia
Kazakhstan has increased its export cargo transportation by rail through Russia, as well as rail transit along the China-Russia route. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s railway company, from January to October 2025, rail freight volumes between Kazakhstan and Russia totaled 71.6 million tons, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year,
As part of the state visit of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Russia on November 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tokayev signed the Declaration on the Transition of Interstate Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance. An extensive package of intergovernmental agreements was also signed to expand Kazakh-Russian cooperation in security policy, trade, investment, culture, and humanitarian affairs. Following their talks, Putin and Tokayev
On October 22, the Second Meeting of the Council of Regions of Uzbekistan and Russia was held in the Moscow Region. The Russian delegation was led by Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, while the Uzbek delegation was headed by Jamshid Khodjayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. The forum reaffirmed the
On October 9, the Second “Central Asia–Russia” Summit was held in Dushanbe. The event, chaired by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Tajikistan on a state visit, held negotiations in Dushanbe on October 9. At the start of the talks, Rahmon noted that Russia is one of Tajikistan’s main political and economic partners, adding that “we cooperate closely in trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and security
On August 14, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov as part of his official visit to Kyrgyzstan. Japarov confirmed Kyrgyzstan’s steadfast commitment to deepening, expanding, and diversifying its multifaceted cooperation with the Russian Federation across all areas. “Our active collaboration continues within regional integration frameworks, primarily the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), CIS, CSTO,
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has spoken for maintaining the official status of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. In an interview with the Kabar information agency, Japarov shared his opinion on the current status and future of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan amid proposals of some Kyrgyz politicians to revise its status. Russian has the status
On July 3, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko accepted copies of credentials from newly appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation Gul Hassan Hassan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it believes that the official recognition of the Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give
Around 100 tons of cherries from the Panjshir province of Afghanistan will be exported to several Central Asian countries and Russia, TOLOnews reported. According to local officials, traders from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan plan not only to purchase cherries but also to buy apples and grapes to export to Central Asian countries. Mohammad Agha Hakim, Governor