The Kyrgyz parliament on February 22 approved on second reading a controversial bill that would allow authorities to register organizations as “foreign representatives” in a way that critics say mirrors repressive Russian legislation on so-called foreign agents, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Dozens of nongovernmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan have called on lawmakers to reject the bill,
The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission on February 22 annulled the mandates of lawmakers Iskender Matraimov and Nurlan Rajabaliev at their own requests, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The former is a brother and the latter a close associate of the former deputy chief of the Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, who was added to the wanted list
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu on February 20 received the newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary General–Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Kakha Imnadze, who arrived in Kazakhstan as part of his tour of the Central Asian countries, the Kazakh
The Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on February 18 signed several strategic agreements aimed at strengthening a long-term partnership in achieving national development priorities. UNDP and the Government of Turkmenistan signed the following new initiatives to support the country in accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: “Assistance
Being close neighbors with centuries-long ties and common roots, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan continue to deepen their relationship, setting a good example for regional cooperation. Both countries are close trade and economic partners as part of the Eurasian Economic Union, which also includes Armenia, Belarus, and Russia. From January-November 2023, bilateral trade grew by 12% and reached
The recent summoning of the Uzbek ambassador to Russia over remarks made by the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent highlights the escalating tensions surrounding language politics in the region. Sherzod Qudratxoja’s statement labeling Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but not Uzbek as “occupiers or idiots” has sparked a diplomatic outcry from Russia,
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on February 14 that it summoned the Uzbek ambassador to Russia, Botirjon Asadov, over a recent statement by Sherzod Qudratxoja, the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent, who called Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but do not know Uzbek “either occupiers or idiots,” RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The Russian
The UN secretary-general’s envoy for Afghanistan met on February 14 in Bishkek with EU and Central Asian officials to discuss joint efforts to assist people in Taliban-led Afghanistan ahead of a more formal international meeting scheduled to take place on February 18-19 in Doha, Qatar, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Roza
The government of China’s Xinjiang will provide humanitarian financial assistance in the amount of 100 thousand US dollars to help Kyrgyzstan overcome the consequences of the recent accident at the Bishkek thermal electric power plant. This was announced during a February 12 meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Aibek Moldogaziev
Kyrgyzstan has published the text of a letter by President Sadyr Japarov to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in which the Central Asian nation’s leader accused the United States of interfering in his country’s internal affairs, RFE/RL reported. On February 9, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said minister Jeenbek Kulubaev met with the U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan
The European Union’s special representative for Afghanistan said that Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek will host a meeting on Afghanistan in the near future, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Tomas Niklasson said the meeting will be held between the EU and Central Asian countries. “Next week I look forward to meeting
On February 9, the new Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, held a Government meeting on the implementation of instructions of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced at an expanded Government session on February 7. Bektenov emphasized that state budget expenditures must be clearly prioritized with an emphasis on obtaining full economic returns, and
The recent developments in Kazakhstan, with the appointment of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and the subsequent meeting chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, signal a proactive stance towards addressing economic challenges. President Tokayev’s emphasis on achieving a GDP growth target of 6% annually and increasing the economy to $450 billion by 2029 demonstrates a commitment to
One day after appointing a new prime minister, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on February 7 chaired an extended meeting of the Government. The meeting was attended by the new Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Government ministers, the chairman of the National Bank, governors of the regions, and mayors of the country’s three largest cities of Astana,
In the wake of the recent accident at the Bishkek thermal power plant, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have once again showcased their strong and amicable relationship. Following the explosion at the power plant on February 2, which resulted in significant damage and disruption to the supply of hot water and heat in parts of the capital
Olzhas Bektenov, the head of the presidential administration, has been named as the new Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Bektenov was nominated for the post by Kazakhstan’s ruling Amanat party on February 6. On the same day, Bektenov’s candidacy was presented to the Kazakh parliament, the Majilis, at a plenary session attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
A joint briefing by the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the International Organizations, Mukhtar Tleuberdi, and the Permanent Representative of Australia, Ian Biggs, on the preparation of the International Conference on Nuclear Safety (ICONS-2024) under the auspices of the IAEA was held in the United Nations Office in Vienna on February 5. The ICONS-2024 International Conference
The Kazakh presidential press service said on February 5 that the Central Asian nation’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, accepted the government’s resignation and appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar as acting prime minister. According to the presidential decree, the government will continue its duties until the cabinet’s new staff is approved. No reason for the
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to speed up the issue of opening an additional checkpoint for freight vehicles on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, as well as to strengthen cooperation in the water and energy sector. This was the result of the meeting between the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov and the Chairman of the Cabinet
There are no political contradictions between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Jeenbek Kulubaev, said during negotiations with the Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, who was in Bishkek on an official visit on January 29th, 24.kz reported. Minister Kulubaev emphasized that Kazakhstan is an
