A court in the southeastern Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 3 handed a parole-like sentence to a local resident for his activities promoting the restoration of the Soviet Union, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The 74-year-old man, whose identity was not disclosed, was found guilty of calling to disrupt the constitutional order in Uzbekistan. The
The chairwoman of Kazakhstan’s Central Commission on Referendums (ORK), Sabila Mustafina, said on September 3 that 15.5 billion tenges (more than $32 million) has been requested for a nationwide referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan next month, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The announcement came a day after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the
A new checkpoint, Bedel, opened on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border on September 3. The new crossing is located at a mountain pass in a remote southeastern corner of Kyrgyzstan, situated roughly equidistantly from the Kyrgyz city of Karakol at Lake Issyk-Kul and Aksu Prefecture of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Bedel checkpoint was opened under
The Junda oil refinery has re-opened in the city of Kara-Balta, about 100 km west of Bishkek. Zhongda China Petrol Company’s Junda oil refinery resumed operation after a four-year shutdown from February 2020 to March 2024. Late in March this year, the refinery completed a major overhaul and now plans to reach its full annual
A plant for the assembly of China’s SHACMAN heavy trucks and special-purpose vehicles (concrete mixers) has opened in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. At the opening ceremony on August 30, the First Deputy Mayor of Bishkek Mirlanbek Baigonchokov said that the construction of the plant was an important contribution to the development of Kyrgyzstan’s automobile industry. An
On September 2, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address titled “Just Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, Public Optimism.” In his speech, President Tokayev outlined the key goals for the nation’s development, focusing on sustainable socio-economic progress. With a focus on new tasks and priorities, the President emphasized the need to address imbalances between monetary
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has pardoned hundreds of convicts to mark the country’s Independence Day, which was celebrated on September 1, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. State media reported that 159 prisoners were released outright, while 303 individuals were released on parole and the prison terms of 60 convicts were shortened. Among those affected were 19
Kazakhstan will hold a referendum on whether to build a nuclear power plant on October 6, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on September 2. Speaking at a meeting of both chambers of parliament with an annual address to the people of Kazakhstan, Tokayev argued the project is needed to diversify energy sources in Kazakhstan, which has abundant oil
The 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum (CTTDF) was held on August 27 and 28 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Themed “The Climate Challenge: Thinking Beyond Borders for Collective Action,” the forum addressed regional climate challenges by fostering collaborations for policy recommendations and joint research. Organized by the CAREC Institute, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank
On August 30, a meeting was held in Ashgabat between the Turkmen and Afghan delegations. The Afghan delegation was headed by Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan Hidayatullah Badri. The Turkmen delegation included the country’s Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers. The delegations discussed partnership in key economic sectors. Turkmenistan reiterated its
A special issue of OCA Magazine dedicated to Jizzakh has been published in London. In the pages of OCA Magazine: Jizzakh, writers from Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, India, Bulgaria, and Finland addressed issues of heritage, history, economy, culture, and cuisine of one of Uzbekistan’s most promising regions. Jizzakh has historically been
The 15th meeting of the Kazakh-German Business Council for Strategic Cooperation was held in Berlin on August 28. First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar and Director of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy Michael Harms co-chaired the meeting, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov also spoke on the
The Specialized Inter-District Court in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, on August 29 sentenced the already imprisoned ex-wife of a convicted nephew of the country’s former President, Nursultan Nazarbaev, to 12 years in prison, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Gulmira Satybaldy was found guilty of forcibly holding her relative and former business partner Abai Zhunusov in isolation against his
On 28 August, the National Leader and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited Iran. He met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed an invitation from Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan. During the talks, the two leaders discussed the current state and prospects
On August 28, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Gabidulla Ospankulov met with representatives of the Turkish group of companies Orhun Medical to discuss the progress of the company’s investment project for the construction of a multidisciplinary clinic in Almaty and the opening of several medical centers in the regions of
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to decarbonise fertiliser production and power generation in Uzbekistan by financing a pilot renewable hydrogen facility. It will consist of a 20 MW electrolyser and a greenfield 52 MW wind power plant. The EBRD is offering a financial package of US$ 65 million (€ 58
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on August 28 launched a new country partnership strategy for Turkmenistan designed to help the Central Asian nation develop a competitive, diversified, and knowledge-based economy driven by an innovative private sector. Under the new strategy, covering 2024-2028, ADB’s assistance will focus on three strategic priorities — supporting the green transition to a
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on August 27 launched a new country partnership strategy for Uzbekistan covering 2024–2028 that will support the country’s reforms to transform into a green and inclusive economy. Under the new 5-year strategy, ADB will work closely with the Government of Uzbekistan to facilitate the central Asian nation’s transition to a green economy,
Kyrgyzstan’s Culture Minister Altynbek Maksutov in a televised interview on August 27 defended the participation of Russian entertainers who have openly supported Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine in celebrations of Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming Independence Day, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. There has been online opposition to the scheduled performances of Russian singers Filipp Kirkorov, Stas Mikhailov, and
The Government of Kazakhstan on August 27 decided to hold a referendum on the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. An exact date for the nationwide referendum has yet to be determined. The Government session today, chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, considered the prospects for the development of nuclear energy in the
