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
Änjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and David Hoffman, USAID Mission Director in Uzbekistan on October 11 participated in the opening ceremony of a new fertilizer production plant established by Ifoda Agro Kimyo Himoya LLC. Ifoda, one of Uzbekistan’s leading fertilizer producers and a recipient of USAID’s Fertilizer
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry has rejected Afghan media reports saying that the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan requested the cancellation of concerts or other musical events at a trade center located on the shared border, RFE/RL reported. The statement comes after the Afghan outlet Atlaspress reported on October 14 that the Taliban had requested the Uzbek
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 12-13, Uzbekistan hosted its first-ever Maker Faire Festival, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, aimed at fostering a new wave of creative entrepreneurship in the country. The event brought together innovative minds not only from across Uzbekistan but also from other Central Asian countries, specializing in fields such as robotics, science, electronics,
The “Strengthening Financial Resilience and Accelerating Risk Reduction in Central Asia” program (SFRARR) – funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Bank – hosted a final regional forum in Almaty on October 14-15. The event marked the conclusion of a five-year effort to
Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu on October 14 participated in the 21st meeting of the Cooperation Council “Republic of Kazakhstan – European Union”. The European delegation at the talks was represented by Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Foreign Affairs of Hungary,
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Arnur Credit Limited Liability Company have signed a senior unsecured loan of up to $5 million (in tenge equivalent) to expand access to finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kazakhstan, with a focus on women-led MSMEs (WMSMEs) and as well as green loans. Arnur Credit will
The third meeting of the Kazakh-Brazilian Business Council was held in Porto Alegre on October 14. Lucas Redeсker, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Brazilian National Congress; Bolat Nussupov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Brazil; Marcel Biato, Ambassador of Brazil to Kazakhstan; and Marat Birimzhan, representative of JSC NC KAZAKH INVEST in the Americas participated. The meeting
Umed Bobozoda, Tajikistan’s human rights commissioner, voiced serious concerns over the mistreatment of Tajik migrants in Russia, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. In a letter to his Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, Bobozoda accused Russian law enforcement of using illegal methods, including physical abuse and unjustified detentions, particularly since a deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the State Committee for Investments and State Property Management of Tajikistan, the State Business Incubator, and the public organization Toji Nurafshon (Tajikistan Venture Capital) hosted the Startupstan Summit 2024 in Dushanbe on October 12-13. The Startupstan Summit 2024 is a platform to foster partnerships among
On October 2-11, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, in partnership with The University of Chicago held a two-week workshop in Tashkent’s State Museum of History on the preservation of cultural heritage for ten conservators and museum professionals from the National Museums of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan. The workshop was conducted by expert conservators
More than 80 Uzbek government officials and international partners met last week in Tashkent for the third meeting of the Uzbekistan Country Platform. The meeting discussed the progress completed by three Working Groups covering critical areas for Uzbekistan’s development: water resources and supply, and sanitation; transport; urban and rural development, the Delegation of the European
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,
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Turkmenistan on an official visit on October 10. At the International Airport of Ashgabat, the Kazakh leader was welcomed by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. President Tokayev held talks with his Turkmen counterpart, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Tokayev emphasized
On October 9, the United States through its Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the delivery of 131 tons of food aid to Uzbekistan valued at over $435,000. This shipment, which includes a nutritious mix of vegetables and legumes, is designated for distribution in health and social care settings, reaching the country’s most vulnerable households. The
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan said it had sent 977 million cubic meters of water to the Aral Sea during this year’s irrigation season, or 98% of the plan. In recent years, only 350-400 million cubic meters of water flowed into the sea during irrigation seasons. Since the beginning of
The Turkish Ministry of National Education has announced changes to the history curriculum — the term “Central Asia” will be replaced with “Turkestan”. This was reported by the official website of Turkey’s TRT television and radio company. The report cites Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who emphasized the importance of the unity of the Turkic
A court in Bishkek has ruled in the case of the Kyrgyz anti-corruption investigative group Temirov Live, sentencing two journalists to prison terms after finding them guilty of charges that their supporters and media watchdogs say are politically motivated, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports. Makhabat Tajibek-kyzy was sentenced to six years in prison and Azamat Ishenbekov was
