U.S. Sanctions Former Uzbek Officials in Orphan Abuse Case
The United States has imposed sanctions on three former officials in Uzbekistan’s government who were involved in human trafficking as well as physical and sexual violence toward orphan children. The three people, who carried out the crimes during their tenure as government employees, are now ineligible for entry into the...
Interview: European Investment Bank Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris on Projects in Kyrgyzstan
Central Asia is rapidly developing its economy, with several international financial institutions successfully operating here. Among them is the European Investment Bank. Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris spoke with The Times of Central Asia about its activity in Kyrgyzstan. TCA: Could you briefly introduce the European Investment Bank (EIB) and its main...
Russian MP Blames Central Asians for Ruble Depreciation
Mikhail Matveyev, a member of Russia’s State Duma, has attributed the depreciation of the Russian ruble in part to remittances by labor migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus. In a statement on his Telegram channel, Matveyev argued that millions of migrants working in Russia transfer their earnings abroad, removing...
Kazakhstan Seeks to Stabilize Currency as Tenge Hits Record Low
Kazakhstan’s central bank said Monday that it has spent more than $1 billion in foreign exchange interventions since mid-November in an effort to stabilize the declining currency, which has passed the threshold of 500 tenge to the U.S. dollar and hit record lows. Kazakh officials attribute the drop to the...
Justice for Veterans: U.S. Acknowledges Cancer Cases Tied to Service at Uzbekistan’s K2 Base
Thousands of American veterans who served at Uzbekistan’s K2 airbase have reported rare cancers and diseases - but only now, more than two decades later, is the U.S. government taking steps to address their dire situation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced plans to include bladder, urinary...
Choking on Smog: Kazakhstan’s Ust-Kamenogorsk forced to suspend in-person schooling amid rising air pollution
The city of Ust-Kamenogorsk in eastern Kazakhstan has once again found itself at the center of an environmental scandal, with polluted air and unfavorable weather conditions causing deteriorating health among its citizens and forcing schoolchildren to move to distance learning. Smog in the city: complaints and consequences In the last...
Putin in Kazakhstan: Language Diplomacy, Treaty Fine Print and a Hack
Geopolitical tensions, finding common ground on oil and gas transportation and deliveries and Russia’s hopes of beating out rivals to build Kazakhstan´s first nuclear power plant. These were some of the big ticket themes framing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to the Central Asian nation last week. The Times of...
CSTO Leaders Tackle Regional Security, Nuclear Energy, and Afghan Border Concerns
Astana hosted a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), gathering heads of member states to discuss pressing regional and international issues. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. Attendees included Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin,...
Sunkar Podcast
Kazakhstan’s Return to Nuclear Power
