Foreign Ministries of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan Discuss Safety Amid More Raids on Foreign Citizens
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Almaz Imangaziev has met with a delegation from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, led by Additional Secretary Muhammad Saleem. The meeting in Bishkek centered on addressing safety concerns following unrest on May 13, when medical students from Egypt were attacked, a video of which went...
Justice Prevails in Kazakhstan Murder Trial Exposing Rift Between Government and Old Regime
The trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former Minister of the Economy of Kazakhstan, was a watershed event representing the growing role of civil society in the country, as well as the new political leadership’s success in breaking a decades-old cycle sustained by corrupt elites. In spearheading reforms to align his...
Nuclear Power in Uzbekistan Has a Political Aspect – Economist Behzod Hoshimov
A Russian-built and managed nuclear power plant (NPP) is under construction in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh region. However, some experts are not convinced about the project's feasibility. One of them is Uzbek economist Behzod Hoshimov, who has been speaking recently about the economic and political aspects of Rosatom's foray into Uzbekistan. According to...
Signs of Racism in Central Asia
By Bruce Pannier Incidents in May showed two Central Asian countries – Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan – are afflicted by racism that is tacitly or explicitly supported by their governments. Overnight on May 17-18, hundreds of young Kyrgyz men gathered in eastern Bishkek near a dormitory used by foreign students....
The Geography of Labor: Where Do Central Asian Migrants Travel To?
Since February 2022, international observers have been predicting changes in labor migration in Central Asia. It is no secret that for 30 years Russia was the main attraction for labor resources in the region, and in the "noughties," Kazakhstan joined as a viable alternative. Over the past two years, the...
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...
