Our People > Times of Central Asia

Stephen M. Bland

Senior Editor and Head of Investigations

Stephen M. Bland is a journalist, author, editor, commentator and researcher specialising in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Prior to joining The Times of Central Asia, he has worked for NGOs, think tanks, as the Central Asia expert on a forthcoming documentary series, for the BBC, The Diplomat, EurasiaNet, and numerous other publications. divider Published in 2016, his book on Central Asia was the winner of the Golden Laureate of Eurasian Literature. He is currently putting the finishing touches to a book about the Caucasus. divider www.stephenmbland.com

Articles

Water Management Bilateral Cooperation

Kazakhstan Looks to Israel’s Innovative Water Technologies

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Israel, Daulet Yemberdiyev has visited the Israeli companies Mekorot, Odis, and BlueGen Water to see Israel’s best practices in the field of water security and management. These companies are at the forefront of Israel’s environmental infrastructure and offer innovative solutions in water management, wastewater treatment and recycling, and the development of desalination systems and water-saving technologies. The Israeli companies showed the Kazakh diplomat their innovative projects and demonstrated exclusive solutions in the field of water management. As a result of the meetings, the parties agreed on further joint research initiatives and organizing visits of representatives of the Israeli water companies to the regions of Kazakhstan. Ambassador Yemberdiyev emphasized that Kazakhstan prioritizes water conservation projects to ensure sustainable development and the environmental safety of the country.

2 hours ago

Articles

Railway Bilateral Trade Economic cooperation

Kyrgyzstan and China Aim to Increase Trade

On May 18 in Bishkek, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov held talks with Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Liu Guozhong. Emphasizing that China is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trade and investment partners, Japarov stated that bilateral trade turnover is growing every year and reached $19.8 billion in 2023, an increase of 30% compared to 2022. “But this is not the limit, and the Kyrgyz Republic is ready to jointly make efforts to increase all trade and economic indicators,” he stated. Japarov stressed the importance of the full and uninterrupted functionality of the Torugart and Irkeshtam checkpoints on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border to further increases in trade between the two countries. According to Japarov, the Kyrgyz side is aiming to develop transport and logistics infrastructure, removing restrictions that impede trade exchanges, and creating mutually beneficial conditions. “We would like to expand our capabilities and switch to daily and round-the-clock operation of these border checkpoints. I believe this will also be useful for the Chinese side, as it will allow an even larger volume of cargo and goods to be exported from China to Kyrgyzstan, and on to third countries. We are aiming to increase the throughput capacity of the border checkpoints to 1,000 vehicles per day,” the prime minister said. Kyrgyzstan also expects to sign protocols on new types of agricultural products and simplify procedures for the export of these products from Kyrgyzstan to China. In turn, Vice Premier Liu Guozhong noted the high level of Kyrgyz-Chinese relations and the readiness to further develop and strengthen mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation. Guozhong stated that construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is of strategic importance for the entire region and urged that its construction start sooner. He also noted the importance of increasing trade turnover, increasing the capacity at border checkpoints, opening the new Bedel border checkpoint this year, and expanding cooperation in tourism. Guozhong also stated that the Chinese market is open to the import of Kyrgyz agricultural products.

2 hours ago

Articles

Eurasian Film Creatve Arts

Sixth Eurasia Creative Guild Film Festival to be Held in the U.K.

From May 24-28, Premier Cinemas Romford will host the Eurasia Creative Guild (ECG) Film Festival, in collaboration with the Romford Film Festival for the sixth consecutive year, featuring a diverse line-up of films from across the globe. Founded by the ECG to foster deeper cultural ties and understanding, the festival will feature 100 submissions from 22 countries, with movies from Spain, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, the U.K., Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and China. In addition to the competition, there will be a program of educational films. The opening ceremony will feature an exhibition of original work by Central Asian artists, headlined by Rahima Makhmut from Kyrgyzstan, and a presentation by Gulsifat Shakhidi, a renowned writer from Tajikistan, of her latest book. On May 28, the ECG will present awards for the Best Eurasian Film, Best Short Film, Best Documentary, and Best Screenplay.

2 hours ago

Articles

Bishkek Migrants Mob Violence

Tension Spills Into Streets of Bishkek After Fight Involving Foreigners

Police in riot gear deployed in part of Kyrgyzstan’s capital overnight as large crowds gathered in anger over an alleged fight between local and foreign people which was widely circulated on social media. The Kyrgyz government later reported that 28 people, including three foreigners had been injured in the incident, whilst four foreign citizens were arrested for incitement. The crowds milled around some intersections of Bishkek for hours before dispersing early Saturday, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the situation was stable. Riot police cordoned off areas where the mobs had gathered and negotiated with the protesters in order to head off any further confrontations. The incident appeared to reflect tension over the presence in Kyrgyzstan of migrants. Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is taking steps to tighten monitoring and penalties for foreigners who violate immigration laws, Kaktus Media reported. The fight which led to the wider conflagration happened at a hostel on May 13. Rumors spread on social media, and a video showing Kyrgyz students fighting with medical students from Egypt went viral. People started gathering on Friday night to show their dissatisfaction with what they said was the lax treatment of foreigners involved in the fight. However, police said three foreigners were detained on suspicion of hooliganism, the AKIpress news outlet reported. It said the suspects appeared in a video, apologizing for the fight and saying they would accept their punishment. “All measures were taken in a timely manner, they were detained, legal measures will be taken against them,” said Azamat Toktonaliev, head of Bishkek´s Internal Affairs Directorate. He told AKIpress that Kyrgyz citizens were invited to testify as witnesses and were not detained. Kyrgyzstan has expressed concern about the plight of some of its own citizens who travel to Russia in search of employment and have faced official scrutiny and sporadic harassment there. In the wake of the violence, diplomatic delegations from Pakistan and India have advised their students in Bishkek to stay indoors.

2 days ago

Articles

Mountaineering Everest

First Kazakh Woman Reaches the Summit of Everest

Anar Burasheva, the first woman from Kazakhstan to climb Mount Everest, did a little dance on her descent. “My heart is on this mountain,” Burasheva said on Instagram after reaching the peak. She and two other Kazakh climbers, along with a support team of four Sherpas, made it to the top on Sunday after a five-day trip from base camp in Nepal. The other Kazakh mountaineers are Maksut Zhumayev, a mountain training instructor in the Kazakh military who was making his third Everest ascent, and Almir Kymbatbaiuly. “Congratulations to Anar Burasheva, the first Kazakh woman to conquer the highest mountain peak in the world. Scaling 8,848 meters above sea level, Mount Everest - an incredible achievement,” Erzhan Kazykhan, a Kazakh presidential adviser on foreign affairs, said on X. Kazakhstan’s defense ministry also congratulated the Kazakh climbers, whose ascent was organized by Seven Summit Treks, a Nepali expedition company that specializes in Himalayan climbs. Burasheva has climbed peaks in Kazakhstan and abroad, and is also a long-distance runner. Lucia Janičová also summited Everest on Sunday, becoming the first Slovakian woman to do so. Seven Summit Treks assisted her, as well. The company’s senior guide for the ascent was Kami Rita Sherpa, who logged his 29th trip to the summit.

4 days ago