International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 919 - 924 of 948

Negotiations on Syria Have Started in Kazakhstan

The 21st meeting of the Astana process on Syria has started in the capital of Kazakhstan. The two-day round of negotiations will continue until January 25th. The main agenda of the meeting is the development of the regional situation around Syria, efforts for a comprehensive settlement in the SAR, the humanitarian situation, and mobilization of the international community to promote post-conflict reconstruction of Syria and others. Delegates from the guarantor states of Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Syrian Government and the Syrian opposition are taking part in the negotiations, whilst representatives from Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon are acting as observers. Last June, Astana hosted the 20th meeting on Syria, wherein representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan proposed that the meeting be the last in the “Astana Process” framework, stating that the task was fulfilled and all of its goals had been realized. However, earlier this week it emerged that Kazakhstan received a collective appeal from the participants in the process to resume negotiations. The Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan noted that Astana had not been chosen as a platform for these negotiations by chance, but because it was convenient both politically and geographically for all of the participants, whilst also enhancing Kazakhstan’s standing on the global stage. The head of the delegation from Russia, Alexander Lavrentiev, stated that Russia was one of the initiators of the resumption of this format of negotiations. "We, the guarantor countries of the ‘Astana Process’ on Syria studied this issue and came to the conclusion that Astana should remain the host platform,” Lavrentiev said. “There was a joint request from the three countries to the leadership of Kazakhstan - Turkey, Iran and Russia." Lavrentiev also noted how Kazakhstan's activity in the international arena is expanding, drawing attention to the nation’s joining the UN mission in the Golan Heights. “There, peacekeepers from our Rosgvardiya also maintain stability,” he stated. “I believe that cooperation between our countries will expand and will be useful in this area, as well. Therefore, I believe that the Astana format will remain a very effective mechanism; however, it is obvious that the settlement of the Syrian issue is still far away. The level of trust between the warring parties is still low." Kazakh political analysts noted that with its multi-vector policy, conflict resolution is one of the main concepts of Kazakhstan's foreign policy."Kazakhstan is a trusted partner,” said the scientific head of the Center for Analytical Studies, Eurasian Monitoring, Taisiya Marmontova. “The Astana platform is seen as safe and effective. Now the Arab-Israeli conflict has escalated, it can be seen as doubly commendable that Syria is making great efforts to find points of contact that will allow the opposing groups to launch a constitutional process and remove Syria from the map of hot spots in the world."

Central Asia Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Business & Economy Uzbekistan International Affairs

Mirziyoyev, Chinese Premier Discuss Economic Cooperation

Uzbekistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Beijing on January 23rd to begin a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese president Xi Jinping. On January 24th Mr Mirziyoyev had a meeting with the premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang. The two parties discussed the trade and economic spheres, and both noted that Uzbek-Chinese relations have reached an unprecedented level in all areas, Mirziyoyev’s press service reported. Last year bilateral trade turnover grew by 50%, reaching $14 billion. The sides pointed out the potential for increasing this figure to $20 billion, including by increasing mutual supplies of high-quality agricultural and industrial goods. The total volume of Chinese investments in the economy of Uzbekistan currently exceeds $14 billion. The parties considered joint programs in the fields of infrastructure modernization, technology transfer in agriculture, and the development of green energy. They also discussed the potential for companies in Uzbekistan to cooperate more closely with leading Chinese banks and financial institutions, as well as the participation of Chinese companies in privatization processes in Uzbekistan. The parties also spoke for further expansion of air traffic and tourism initiatives between the two countries. Mr Mirziyoyev also met with the chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Dai Houliang, to discuss new projects to construct underground natural-gas storage facilities in Uzbekistan and to modernize its gas transportation systems. The introduction of modern drilling technologies and the training of oil and gas workers was also discussed.

Central Asia Uzbekistan International Affairs

USAID Delivers 131 Tons Of Food Aid To Uzbekistan

On January 23rd the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) delivered 131 tons of food aid to Uzbekistan. This will provide 6.5 million meals to citizens with tuberculosis and mental health problems, children with disabilities, and senior citizens, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan said. Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID's mission director in Uzbekistan David Hoffman said: “This program demonstrates the strong ongoing partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States of America to improve nutrition and ensure that the most vulnerable have adequate, safe and nutritious food to support a healthy and productive life.” Since 2010, USAID’s International Food Relief Partnership program has delivered over 1,500 tons of food aid to Uzbekistan, worth more than $4.4 million, through USAID’s partners, the U.S. non-profit organization Resource and Policy Exchange and a Tashkent-based non-profit organization, Sog’lom Avlod Uchun. This latest humanitarian delivery to Uzbekistan builds on more than $122 million in long-term U.S. investment in health and over $1 billion in total aid over the past 20 years, the embassy said.

Central Asia Tajikistan International Affairs Tajikistan Business Economy Tajikistan International Affairs Business & Economy

President Rahmon Invites Qatari Business to Invest in Tajikistan

During his state visit to Qatar on January 22nd, the president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, held negotiations in Doha with the emir of the state of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During the meeting, it was proposed to launch joint transport-transit projects in order to expand the logistics networks between the two countries. This will facilitate the transportation of cargo and passengers, as well as transit to other countries, Rahmon’s press service reported. Also on January 22nd, Rahmon met with Qatar’s business community, expressing his views on a broad scope of cooperation opportunities with leading Qatari companies in the fields of agriculture, transport infrastructure, logistics, civil aviation, and tourism. The president emphasized that the government of Tajikistan is ready to support the proposals of investors to establish cooperation in these priority areas. In his speech to the Qatari business community, Rahmon spoke about the current economic situation in Tajikistan and the macroeconomic stability ensured in the country. The president said that Tajikistan’s GDP growth rate in the last 20 years has been more than 7% on average, and in 2023 reached 8.3%, while inflation was 3.8%. “Today, more than 720 public investment projects worth more than USD 13.8 billion are under implementation in our country.” Rahmon said that attracting investments is a priority for the Tajik government, and in this context, vast opportunities for investment have been created, and tax and customs incentives and guarantees are widely applied. According to Rahmon, Tajikistan’s aluminum production and lithium resources provide for favorable conditions for the production of electric vehicles. “That’s the two main types of materials for the production of electric cars available in our country,” he said. The president pointed out that industrial production can be another future direction of cooperation, adding that projects in the light industry, food, metallurgy, machine building, chemistry, production of construction materials and pharmaceuticals are a priority for Tajikistan. Rahmon also mentioned that Tajikistan is rich in mineral resources, with some 800 deposits of minerals, rare and precious metals, including copper, silver, gold, lead, lithium, antimony, nickel, tungsten, vanadium and other rare minerals having been discovered and partially prepared for mining in Tajikistan. The president added that the reserves of food salt in Tajikistan amount to more than 72 billion tons, which is sufficient to meet the consumption needs of all inhabitants of the planet for this product for more than 300 years.

Central Asia Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Business & Economy Business & Economy Uzbekistan International Affairs

Forum Of Uzbek Regions And Chinese Provinces Held In Xinjiang

On January 22nd the first Uzbek-Chinese interregional forum was held in the city of Urumqi, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The forum was attended by heads of key ministries, industry associations, chambers of commerce and industry, companies and more than 1,200 representatives of the business communities of the two countries. The Uzbek delegation at the forum was headed by deputy prime minister Jamshid Khojaev. The Chinese delegation was led by Ma Xingrui, secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In their welcoming speeches, the heads of both delegations stated that Uzbek-Chinese relations have entered a qualitatively new stage, which became possible thanks to the far-sighted policies of the heads of the two states, the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade reported. The officials emphasized the positive dynamics of trade and investment partnership, with bilateral trade turnover having doubled and exceeding $14 billion over the past six years. It was noted that all the necessary capabilities are available to increase this indicator up to $20 billion in the coming years. The volume of utilized Chinese investments in Uzbekistan amounted to almost $15 billion. More than 2,000 enterprises with the participation of Chinese capital operate in Uzbekistan. In 2023 more than 60 projects worth almost $2 billion were successfully launched with the participation of Chinese companies, which are becoming leading partners in modernizing the country's industrial sector. Mr Khojaev and Mr Xingrui outlined the further steps to increase cooperation between the two countries, including through direct interaction between regions, emphasizing the importance of regularly holding exhibitions of the industrial and agricultural potential of the regions of Uzbekistan and the provinces of China. The heads of delegations called on business leaders to step up efforts to create high-tech industries based on the competitive advantages of the economies of the two countries, develop industrial cooperation to produce in-demand products and jointly develop new markets, as well as increase the volume of mutual trade. As a result of the forum, 27 documents were signed on the establishment of economic, trade and cultural ties between the regions of Uzbekistan and the provinces of China. In addition, a solid package of 30 agreements and contracts was signed between the business communities of the two countries.

Central Asia Turkmenistan International Affairs Turkmenistan International Affairs Turkmenistan Business & Economy Business & Economy

Turkmen Foreign Minister Visits Japan, Meets With Business Community

During a working visit to Japan on January 22nd, the Turkmen foreign minister, Rashid Meredov, held a meeting with the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi. They exchanged views on the current state of their countries' bilateral cooperation in priority areas, the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported, as well as prospects for developing ties. Mr Meredov stressed the positive dynamics in cooperation between Turkmenistan and Japan in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The parties focused on the development of trade and economic ties, mentioning a number of successfully completed joint projects in the energy and gas chemical industries. They also identified priorities for further cooperation in the energy, industrial, and investment sectors, as well as in the fields of culture, science, and education. Also on January 22nd, the Turkmen delegation led by Mr Meredov met with representatives of the Japanese business community. It was suggested to invite Japanese companies to produce export goods with high added value in Turkmenistan, as well as to involve small and medium-sized enterprises from both countries in joint projects. Representatives of Japanese companies showed interest in cooperating in the fields of infrastructure and energy transition.