Middle Powers Converge: Kazakhstan and Singapore Strengthen Bilateral Ties
During his country’s first presidential-level visit to Singapore in two decades, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 23. The meeting represents an alignment of interests and resources between the two middle powers and serves to create a more balanced and cooperative global environment.
Identifying middle powers
When global powers be...
Gasoline Smuggling a Growing Business in Kyrgyzstan
Smuggled gasoline is being sold from plastic bottles on the outskirts of Bishkek. This fuel is cheaper than at official gas stations, but motorists say the quality is no worse. Kyrgyzstan's State Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan seized almost 100,000 liters of gasoline from illegal fuel and lubricant traders in the...
Police Officers in Bishkek Fired Over Mob Conflict with Foreign Students
The Kyrgyz Interior Minister and various heads of district police departments, whose duties include ensuring law and order in Bishkek, attended a meeting to discuss the recent mob conflict with foreign-students, wherein the Interior Ministry board of directors and staff members received disciplinary citations. The head of the Interior Ministry's...
Kazakhstani Movies No Longer Playing Just a Supporting Role
Until recently, the idea of Kazakhstani movies grossing a billion tenge ($2.5m) was a pipe dream. But in the last two years several films have earned this amount. The number of films being co-produced with world-leading studios is growing. However, domestic cinema still struggles to overcome funding and content quality...
The Middle Corridor is Being Funded Faster than Expected
By Robert M. Cutler According to Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, director of the independent think-tank, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), a small group of high-ranking cabinet officials, ambassadors and other diplomats met in a closed-door round-table on May 15, representing the EU, Türkiye and countries in the South Caucasus and Central...
Why Have Women’s Carriages Become So Popular in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstani women have already had time to appreciate women-only cars in trains - an innovation that seemed unthinkable in the secular country a few years ago. However, the special carriages did not appear as an indulgence to traditionalist views. Kazakhstani women now have a choice: they can ride in a...
The Power of Kindness: Psychologist Kamilla Turakhodjaeva Promotes the Value of Volunteering in Tashkent
In an ever-challenging world, volunteering is becoming a powerful tool to help and support people facing difficulties. In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, this activity has become increasingly important, uniting people who care about making the world a better place. Kamilla Turakhodjaeva, a psychologist at the first children's hospice in...
Tajikistan Doubles Down on Fines for Wearing “Foreign Clothes”
Residents of Tajikistan will face fines ranging from 8,000 to 65,000 somoni for "importing and selling clothes that do not correspond to the national culture" and for wearing such clothes in public places, as reported by Radio Ozodi. These regulations are outlined in Article 18 of the new version of...
Focus on Ethnic Germans in Kazakhstan
On 21 May, Astana hosted the 20th meeting of the Kazakh-German Intergovernmental Commission for the Affairs of Ethnic Germans in Kazakhstan, co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko and Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Matters Related to Ethnic German Resettlers and National Minorities, Member of the...
Dushanbe: Water for Sustainable Development
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Central Asia’s Combined ‘Army of Turan’: Could a Hypothesis Become a Reality?
Kazakhstan will host the military exercise, "Birlestik-2024" in July of this year. Notably, this became known from the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. The exercises will be jointly held by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is a convenient occasion to...
The Outlook for Kazakhstan’s Rail Network
As a core infrastructure industry, railways play a strategic role in Kazakhstan’s economy. Today, over 50% of freight in the country is transported by rail, while the figure for passengers is 15%. Kazakhstan’s favorable geographical position between the largest producer of goods in the world, Asia, and the largest consumer,...
Central Asian Views on Pro-Palestinian Protests in the West
Pro-Palestinian protests erupted in university campuses and other locations worldwide in response to the ongoing conflict involving the Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinians in Gaza. European cities, including in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, have been major flashpoints where, in some cases, the police resorted to...
Central Asia’s “C5” Security Bloc Can Become a Reality
Central Asia is an emerging economic region that offers the world immense natural resources, a viable trade corridor, and a young, educated workforce. On a diplomatic level, major global powers have sometimes chosen to engage with the five Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) as a bloc...
Turkmenistan’s Gas and Türkiye’s Plans to Become a Gas Hub
By Robert M. Cutler A series of ongoing political consultations between Turkmenistan and Türkiye continued on 25–26 April, as a Turkmen delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Gurbanov visited Ankara, hosted by Turkish counterpart Burak Akçapar. Beyond the regular bilateral agenda of political-diplomatic, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian...
Without Security, There Can Be No Development in Afghanistan
Indian author Arundhati Roy once said, “Either way, change will come. It could be bloody, or it could be beautiful. It depends on us.” Almost three years after Taliban’s resurgence to power in Afghanistan, there are practically no developments to highlight in its relations with the outside world. The situation...
Growth of Non-Custodial Sentences in the Kyrgyz Republic Since 2020
The Kyrgyz Republic has reported a decrease of its prison population, which speaks to the ongoing humanization of its criminal justice system. In 2023, the prison population amounted to just 7,728 persons, a 20% decrease compared to 2020 (9,658 prisoners). Despite a 22% increase in the number of convictions, from...
Uzbekistan Seeks to Expand Trade Horizons with Europe
- Opinion by Robert Cutler Uzbekistan's economic landscape has been evolving, with announcements of major reforms and international cooperation aimed at economic modernization and increasing its profile in global markets. Its partnership with the European Union (EU) has focused on critical raw materials. At the same time, Tashkent plans...
The Taliban and its Neighbors: An Outsider’s Perspective
This is part two of a piece of which part one was published here. The topic of a regional approach to solving Afghanistan's problems is increasingly being discussed in various expert and diplomatic circles. The International Crisis Group (ICG), a reputable think tank whose opinion is extremely interesting as part...
Uzbekistan: From Silk Roads to New Horizons
Cradled by the embrace of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya Rivers, Uzbekistan boasts a rich tapestry woven from the threads of history. Being home to trade hubs like Samarkand and Bukhara, this land has been at the center of cultural exchange for over a millennia. From the Turkic-Mongol tribes...
The New Silk Road
In light of the current geopolitical situation in the world, many countries are puzzled by the search for new alternative transport routes. One of these is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which runs through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and further to Turkey and European countries. New...
Taliban and its Neighbors: A Regional Format for Overcoming Challenges in Afghanistan and Beyond
The process of making Afghanistan an independent economic entity that can work constructively within globally accepted economic standards and formats will require addressing pressing security issues as well as strengthening regional partnerships and cooperation. In the long term, this will not only benefit the people of Afghanistan but also its...
Gasoline Smuggling a Growing Business in Kyrgyzstan
Smuggled gasoline is being sold from plastic bottles on the outskirts of Bishkek. This fuel is cheaper than at official gas stations, but motorists say the quality is no worse. Kyrgyzstan's State Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan seized almost 100,000 liters of gasoline from illegal fuel and lubricant traders in the...
Middle Powers Converge: Kazakhstan and Singapore Strengthen Bilateral Ties
During his country’s first presidential-level visit to Singapore in two decades, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 23. The meeting represents an alignment of interests and resources between the two middle powers and serves to create a more balanced and cooperative global environment....
World Bank Helps Kyrgyzstan To Restore Its Natural Landscape
The World Bank will provide Kyrgyzstan with a $52.4 million loan to restore some of the country's land. The allocated funds will be used to reconstruct over 450km of protective structures, build 26km of dams, strengthen riverbanks, undertake landscaping, and purchase equipment. The project is designed to directly benefit more...
Uzbekistan to Build a Nuclear Power Plant
During the Russian president's state visit to Uzbekistan, a protocol on amending the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan was signed, Atom Media reports. On the margins of the event, Russia's Atomstroyexport joint stock company and the Directorate...
Poland and Russia Ensure Continued Transit of Kazakh Oil to Germany
Pipeline operators PERN (Poland) and Transneft (Russia) have agreed to ensure the continued transit of Kazakh oil to Germany, reported Reuters. The Druzhba pipeline runs through Russia to the Belarusian city of Mozyr, after which it splits northwards in the direction of Poland and Germany, and southwards, to Hungary, the...
Uzbekistan Interested in Afghan Oil and Gas
TOLOnews reports that Russian and Uzbek companies have expressed their intention to develop oil and gas fields in Afghanistan, whilst the interest of other Central Asian countries in this field is also growing. "Recently, we had meetings with Uzbek companies," Homayoon Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum...
First Uzbek to Receive Doctoral Degree from Harvard Business School
Economist Botir Kobilov has become the first Uzbek to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard Business School (part of Harvard University) reported Gazeta.uz. The topic of his doctoral dissertation was "The Role of Information and Data in the Financial Market and Economy". According to an earlier report, Kobilov worked as...
Kazakhstani Movies No Longer Playing Just a Supporting Role
Until recently, the idea of Kazakhstani movies grossing a billion tenge ($2.5m) was a pipe dream. But in the last two years several films have earned this amount. The number of films being co-produced with world-leading studios is growing. However, domestic cinema still struggles to overcome funding and content quality...
Police Officers in Bishkek Fired Over Mob Conflict with Foreign Students
The Kyrgyz Interior Minister and various heads of district police departments, whose duties include ensuring law and order in Bishkek, attended a meeting to discuss the recent mob conflict with foreign-students, wherein the Interior Ministry board of directors and staff members received disciplinary citations. The head of the Interior Ministry's...
Tajikistan and Russia Discuss Labor Migration, Security
Tajikistan's president Emomali Rahmon met recently with the Russian minister of internal affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Dushanbe. The statesmen discussed cooperation between two countries' law enforcement agencies, as well as labor migration from Tajikistan to Russia. Rahmon spoke about the countries' joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and...
Three Kazakh Officials Suspected of Taking Large Bribes
Three high-ranking officials from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations have been accused of receiving bribes amounting to around 40 million tenge ($90,000). The country's Anti-Corruption Service is conducting an investigation into the conduct of the chairman of the ministry's fire fighting service, and the heads of the emergency situations department...
Kazakhstan Wants to Use AI in Drafting Laws
Kazakhstan is considering introducing artificial intelligence technologies in its legislation development and law analysis. This was recently announced at an international conference on AI and law, Elblog.pl reports. AI is expected to change the game in legislative efforts, helping in both its organizational and technical aspects. One of its most...
Authorities in Turkmenistan Using Cab Drivers As Informants to Identify “Unreliable” Citizens
Turkmen authorities are forcing cab drivers to denounce and identify citizens they consider "unreliable". This is being reported by Radio Azatlyk. Ministry of Homeland Security (MHS) officers are reportedly forcing cab drivers to ask passengers various questions to find out their attitudes toward events in the country, and the overall...
Kyrgyzstan Proposes To Fine People For Speaking Substandard Kyrgyz
Kyrgyzstan's National Commission on State Language is proposing to introduce fines for people working in certain jobs if they do not speak Kyrgyz well enough. It has submitted the corresponding bill for public discussion. The law "On State Language" sets out a list of people who are obliged to know...
Kazakhstani Movies No Longer Playing Just a Supporting Role
Until recently, the idea of Kazakhstani movies grossing a billion tenge ($2.5m) was a pipe dream. But in the last two years several films have earned this amount. The number of films being co-produced with world-leading studios is growing. However, domestic cinema still struggles to overcome funding and content quality...
Why Have Women’s Carriages Become So Popular in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstani women have already had time to appreciate women-only cars in trains - an innovation that seemed unthinkable in the secular country a few years ago. However, the special carriages did not appear as an indulgence to traditionalist views. Kazakhstani women now have a choice: they can ride in a...
World Bank to Help Uzbekistan Improve Social Protection
Uzbekistan will receive $100 million from the World Bank to improve its social services. The funds will also be used to set up 50 social service centers, train professionals to work with vulnerable people, and employ people with disabilities. Under the 'Inson' project, various vulnerable groups will be able to...
Kazakhstan and the Netherlands to Further Bilateral Cooperation
During a working visit to Astana , Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte engaged in talks with Kazakhstan President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev. Rutte had visited Astana back in 2010 during his first trip outside the EU as Prime Minister, and had not been back since his second visit in 2015....
Tajikistan and Russia Discuss Labor Migration, Security
Tajikistan's president Emomali Rahmon met recently with the Russian minister of internal affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Dushanbe. The statesmen discussed cooperation between two countries' law enforcement agencies, as well as labor migration from Tajikistan to Russia. Rahmon spoke about the countries' joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and...
World Bank Helps Kyrgyzstan To Restore Its Natural Landscape
The World Bank will provide Kyrgyzstan with a $52.4 million loan to restore some of the country's land. The allocated funds will be used to reconstruct over 450km of protective structures, build 26km of dams, strengthen riverbanks, undertake landscaping, and purchase equipment. The project is designed to directly benefit more...
Uzbekistan to Build a Nuclear Power Plant
During the Russian president's state visit to Uzbekistan, a protocol on amending the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan was signed, Atom Media reports. On the margins of the event, Russia's Atomstroyexport joint stock company and the Directorate...
Poland and Russia Ensure Continued Transit of Kazakh Oil to Germany
Pipeline operators PERN (Poland) and Transneft (Russia) have agreed to ensure the continued transit of Kazakh oil to Germany, reported Reuters. The Druzhba pipeline runs through Russia to the Belarusian city of Mozyr, after which it splits northwards in the direction of Poland and Germany, and southwards, to Hungary, the...
Uzbekistan Interested in Afghan Oil and Gas
TOLOnews reports that Russian and Uzbek companies have expressed their intention to develop oil and gas fields in Afghanistan, whilst the interest of other Central Asian countries in this field is also growing. "Recently, we had meetings with Uzbek companies," Homayoon Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum...
First Uzbek to Receive Doctoral Degree from Harvard Business School
Economist Botir Kobilov has become the first Uzbek to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard Business School (part of Harvard University) reported Gazeta.uz. The topic of his doctoral dissertation was "The Role of Information and Data in the Financial Market and Economy". According to an earlier report, Kobilov worked as...
Kazakhstani Movies No Longer Playing Just a Supporting Role
Until recently, the idea of Kazakhstani movies grossing a billion tenge ($2.5m) was a pipe dream. But in the last two years several films have earned this amount. The number of films being co-produced with world-leading studios is growing. However, domestic cinema still struggles to overcome funding and content quality...
Why Have Women’s Carriages Become So Popular in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstani women have already had time to appreciate women-only cars in trains - an innovation that seemed unthinkable in the secular country a few years ago. However, the special carriages did not appear as an indulgence to traditionalist views. Kazakhstani women now have a choice: they can ride in a...
The Power of Kindness: Psychologist Kamilla Turakhodjaeva Promotes the Value of Volunteering in Tashkent
In an ever-challenging world, volunteering is becoming a powerful tool to help and support people facing difficulties. In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, this activity has become increasingly important, uniting people who care about making the world a better place. Kamilla Turakhodjaeva, a psychologist at the first children's hospice in...
Tajikistan Doubles Down on Fines for Wearing “Foreign Clothes”
Residents of Tajikistan will face fines ranging from 8,000 to 65,000 somoni for "importing and selling clothes that do not correspond to the national culture" and for wearing such clothes in public places, as reported by Radio Ozodi. These regulations are outlined in Article 18 of the new version of...
Higher Education in Central Asia: Leaders and Outsiders
In June, it will be three years since the signing of a declaration at a forum held in the city of Turkestan between the heads of the Ministries of Education of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. According to the document, the Central Asian states agreed to expand cooperation and...
Ruins of a Sixth-Century Castle Discovered in Tajikistan
Archaeologists have found the ruins of an ancient castle in the Tajik city of Penjikent, the National Museum of Tajikistan has reported on its social networks. The ruins were found by an archeology specialist from the museum, Muhsin Bobomulloyev. The castle likely consisted of two floors, the first made from...
A Demographic Phenomenon in Kazakhstan — the Population is Rapidly Getting Younger
Kazakhstan stands out sharply on the demographic map of the world, according to Alexei Raksha, a Russian demographer. The republic's government supports high birth rates, which not only bring significant benefits but can also be a source of risk. Independent demographer Raksha has repeatedly said that Kazakhstan does not fit...
Lost Identities: Tackling Statelessness in Central Asia
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent emergence of 15 new countries transformed what was once considered internal migration, leaving an extraordinary number of people marooned across newly established borders. Many found themselves holding obsolete Soviet passports or lacking any documentation with which to verify their birthplace. Such...
Police Officers in Bishkek Fired Over Mob Conflict with Foreign Students
The Kyrgyz Interior Minister and various heads of district police departments, whose duties include ensuring law and order in Bishkek, attended a meeting to discuss the recent mob conflict with foreign-students, wherein the Interior Ministry board of directors and staff members received disciplinary citations. The head of the Interior Ministry's...
Another Uzbek Citizen Convicted of Insulting Mirziyoyev
A court in Uzbekistan has sentenced a 28-year-old Almalyk resident to correctional labor for insulting the country's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The man said he wrote insulting comments on the internet during a fit of anger because he had received several fines from the tax office. According to the case, the...
Arrest Made in Connection with Bishkek Unrest
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has announced the detention and opening of a criminal case against a man suspected of beating foreigners during unrest which occurred on the night of May 18, leaving 41 people hospitalized. The suspect also allegedly transported people to places where foreigners lived during...
Kyrgyzstan’s President Warns of Swift Crackdown If Unrest Flares Again
President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Monday has addressed the nation about recent unrest and anti-foreigner sentiment, saying “our hot-blooded youth” were led astray by inflammatory internet posts and warning of a crackdown if it happens again. Japarov spoke after a week of tension in Bishkek that began with a fight...
Lost Identities: Tackling Statelessness in Central Asia
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent emergence of 15 new countries transformed what was once considered internal migration, leaving an extraordinary number of people marooned across newly established borders. Many found themselves holding obsolete Soviet passports or lacking any documentation with which to verify their birthplace. Such...
UN Special Rapporteurs Denounce Repressions of Independent Media in Kyrgyzstan
A number of UN Special Rapporteurs have denounced the repression of independent media in Kyrgyzstan and sent a letter to the authorities of the country. In the letter, they mentioned recent events related to the publications Kloop, 24.kg and Temirov Live, Vesti.kg reports. The UN Special Rapporteurs called on the...
“I Hope Saltanat’s Family Can Find Peace” – Women of Kazakhstan Speak Out on Bishimbayev’s Sentence
On November 9, 2023, former Kazakh Minister of the National Economy, Kuandyk Bishimbayev was caught on surveillance cameras arguing with and then brutally beating his common-law wife, 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova, for around eight hours outside a restaurant he owned in Astana. A forensic examination showed that she had been strangled,...
Kazakhstan Still Repatriating Its Citizens From War Zones
Kazakhstan is still repatriating its citizens from war zones, 24KZ reports. Since 2019, more than 750 Kazakhs have been successfully repatriated to the republic as part of a humanitarian operation. Similar efforts are underway in other Central Asian countries. For example, Uzbek authorities have evacuated more than 500 citizens from...
Dushanbe: Water for Sustainable Development
Tajikistan is collaborating with the United Nations to host an international meeting next month about water, an increasingly scarce resource in Central Asia. The June 10-13 conference will promote the role of water in sustainable development, building on two similar gatherings in Dushanbe in 2018 and 2022. It follows a...
Almaty Hosts Conference on Tackling Climate Change in Central Asia
On 27 May, delegations from Central Asian countries and international experts convened in Almaty, Kazakhstan to discuss pressing issues of sustainable water and land management, energy, food security, and environmental sustainability in the context of climate change in the region. Held annually, the Central Asia Climate Change Conference provides a platform...
More Irrigation Water Pledged for Southern Kazakhstan
A revision of interstate water flow limits for Kazakhstan, through the operation of transboundary rivers and canals, has been approved by the country’s upstream neighbors. The agreement made on 20 May, which will increase the supply of irrigation water during this year’s growing season, aims to benefit farmers in the...
Turkmenistan Bans People From Talking About the Weather
For almost ten days Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat has been flooded with rain, in what local meteorologists think have been the worst downpours since the 1970s. The rain has caused significant damage to the city's infrastructure. The Akhal province has also been badly affected, with agricultural land flooded. Mudflows hit the...
Bishkek Bets on Bikes and Buses
To alleviate congestion and traffic bottlenecks in the capital, the Bishkek Mayor's Office has green-lit a strategic plan for enhancing the city's road transport infrastructure over the 2024-2030 period. This initiative, as detailed on the municipal website, encompasses an ambitious range of projects. Highlights include the construction of bridges and...
EU to Allocate €600,000 to Uzbekistan for Green Budgeting
An agreement on financing a new project in support of green development in Uzbekistan was signed on May 6 by representatives of the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). According to the UNDP's press service, the project aims to assist the Uzbek...
“This Disaster Has Shown We Are All United”: An Interview with Zakirzhan Kharisovich, Deputy of Petropavlovsk, about the Kazakh Floods
This spring Kazakhstan struggled to contain flooding that displaced upwards of 120,000 people -- described by president Kasym-Jomart Tokayev as the country’s ‘worst natural disaster in 80 years’. With the flooding now contained, and excess water being repurposed, The Times of Central Asia spoke to Zakirzhan Kharisovich, a deputy of...
Favorable Water Volumes Forecast for Uzbekistan’s Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers
According to the news agency UzA, Uzbekistan's Minister of Water Management Shavkat Hamroyev told a parliamentary hearing that watersheds from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers are forecast as favorable this year. The announcement was made in response to Muqaddas Tirkasheva, a member of the lower house of parliament,...
