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International Relations

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan Seal Lucrative Deals

On August 22, at the invitation of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, arrived in Uzbekistan on a state visit. The event, covered by the presidential text service, included a report on a meeting between the presidents, and the first sitting of the Interstate Supreme Council on August 23, at which Mirziyoyev announced: “Today, we will sign the Treaty on Union Relations. For several years, we have raised Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan relations to the highest level of interstate cooperation." The Uzbek president then referred to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, to be celebrated next year and in turn, Mirziyoyev proposed commemorating the date and declaring 2025, 'Year of Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan'. As a result of the meeting, an agreement was made to adopt a comprehensive program covering 20 prioritized sectors. Cooperation on a portfolio of projects, worth over 2 billion dollars, in energy, chemistry, mining, textile, agriculture, urban development, and other areas was established, and agreement met on increasing the number of air flights, easing surface and air transport procedures, and digital solutions. Mirziyoyev proposed establishing a mechanism for regular meetings between rectors of the two countries' leading universities and holding a joint media forum. Prospects of building tourism and business complexes in the capitals were also discussed to increase the flow of tourists, humanitarians, and business exchanges. In addition, the presidents signed an Agreement on Union Relations, adopted at the first meeting of the Interstate Supreme Council. The meeting closed with a ceremonial signing of bilateral documents comprising: ¾ Intergovernmental agreement on labor activity and protection of citizens’ rights; ¾ Practical action plan for further expansion of trade, economic, and investment cooperation; ¾ Memorandum on cooperation in the fields of preschool education, vocational education, secondary special education, higher education, and science; ¾ Action plan in the field of tourism for 2024-2026; ¾ Cooperation program for 2024-2026 between the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan and the State Agency for Citizen Services and Social Innovation under the President of Azerbaijan; ¾ Memorandum on cooperation between the Center for Professional Development of Lawyers under the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan and the Academy of Justice of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan; ¾ Agreement on cooperation between the National Guard of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, and ¾ Memorandum on cooperation between centers of forensic expertise. During the event, the presidents also met with representatives of companies from both countries including Azerbaijan’s PASHA Holding, SOCAR, SOFAZ, Agalarov Development, Silk Way Group, Matanat, Sarda Group, AzerGold, Azermash, Azerbaijan Investment Holding, Azerbaijan Railways, and Alyat Free Economic Zone. The meeting concluded with the launch of various cooperative projects ranging from the construction of hotel and residential complexes in Tashkent and building material production in the Kashkadarya region (Uzbekistan), to the establishment of textile clusters and a sewing factory in Azerbaijan. To mark the end of the state visit, the two presidents and their wives attended in a concert featuring artists from the two countries.

Environmental Awareness

CAREC Think Tank Development Forum to Focus on Climate Solutions

The 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum (CTTDF) will be held on August 27 and 28 in Almaty. Themed “The Climate Challenge: Thinking Beyond Borders for Collective Action,” the forum aims to address regional climate challenges by fostering collaborations for policy recommendations and joint research. The CAREC Institute, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and other partners will organize the forum, which will bring together policymakers, experts, and leaders from across Asia to advance regional cooperation on climate action. Headquartered in Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang, the CAREC Institute is an intergovernmental organization contributing to the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program through knowledge generation and capacity building. The Institute is jointly shared and governed by the CAREC's eleven member countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The forum participants will engage in meaningful policy discourse to identify solutions for a climate-resilient region, explore joint research opportunities, and facilitate innovative climate studies beyond mainstream agendas. Representatives from international organizations, high-level government officials, esteemed university scholars, and experts from leading think tanks will be key speakers. The Director of the CAREC Institute and the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank will address the opening ceremony. The forum will include a research presentation by Arman Akhunbaev, Eurasian Development Bank’s head of the Center for Infrastructure and Industrial Research, with insights into the financial solutions to close the investment gap in Central Asia's drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. The forum will also feature presentations, panel discussions, case studies, and interactive sessions designed to foster dialogue and develop actionable strategies for climate resilience in the CAREC region.

Education

Uzbekistan Builds a Religious School in Afghanistan

TOLOnews is reporting that Uzbekistan has agreed to finance the construction of a religious school in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The school, which will be built on sixty acres of land and will cost $6 million, is intended for one thousand pupils. The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Mazar-i-Sharif, Furqat Nazarov, said that the school is being built at the request of the governor of Afghanistan's Balkh province. Nazarov added: “We have allocated one year for this project, and it will be completed by then.” Balkh's Deputy Governor Nurul Hadi Abu Idris commented: “This is a sign of the coordination of the Islamic Ummah. Unity among Muslims is increasing daily.” Afghan officials consider Uzbekistan's establishment of this school to be a practical step in strengthening relations between the two countries. Abdul Jalil Shaheedkhil, the head of Balkh province's education department, said: “The establishment of this school, God willing, will further strengthen relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.” Zabihullah Noorani, the head of information and culture in Balkh, said: “This will be the largest school in Afghanistan, and it will improve our education sector.” The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Mazar-i-Sharif promised to strengthen ties with Afghanistan, and added that Uzbekistan would soon resume providing education and business visas for Afghan citizens. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are developing their trade relations. This year there are opportunities to increase the volume of mutual trade to $1 billion and, soon after, to $3 billion. Uzbekistan has also finished repairing the Naibabad railway station in Afghanistan.

Agriculture

Kazakhstan and Germany to Cooperate in Water and Agriculture

During a visit to Germany last week, Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev met with the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to discuss the possibility of Kazakh agricultural and organic products entering the German market. The parties agreed to draft a concept for the Regional Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia, an initiative announced by the President of Kazakhstan during his official visit to Germany back in September 2023. Following Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister's meeting with Boris Greifeneder, Managing Director of the German Water Partnership (GWP), a decision was made to draft an Agreement on a Water Partnership between Kazakhstan and Germany. Cooperation with GWP, a network of more than 300 companies in the water sector with a strong international focus, marks an essential step towards sustainable and efficient water management in Kazakhstan and will allow the use of proven new technologies. Speaking at the roundtable "Water for Sustainable Development," Bozumbayev noted that the consequences of the unprecedented floods experienced by Kazakhstan in spring, illustrate the need for innovative approaches to combat and prevent similar disasters in the future. To this end, he added that Kazakhstan is currently testing Talsim, a German digital flood forecasting solution, and is ready to study German cases in solving flood problems. The Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister discussed training specialists for Kazakhstan’s water management industry and in turn, the German side expressed its readiness to identify a university to collaborate with the newly- established Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation in Taraz.

Freedom of Speech

How Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Have Reacted to Pavel Durov’s Arrest

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport in Paris. He is suspected of illegal activities including enabling drug trafficking, crimes against minors, and fraud. His arrest has been met with shock around the world, especially in countries where censorship and internet control remain pressing. According to various sources, the French authorities suspect Durov of being involved in activities related to the distribution of illegal content through the Telegram messenger. The investigation concerns materials related to extremism, copyright infringement, and alleged assistance to criminal groups. The investigation lasted several months. In response, Telegram said that it has always strictly complied with the law, and is ready to cooperate with French authorities to clarify the situation, expressing hope for a fair investigation and Durov's speedy release. In Kazakhstan, where Durov has long been known for his stance against censorship, his arrest has not gone unnoticed. The Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Zhaslan Madiev, made a statement that said: “We had a positive experience interacting with the Telegram team. We have often successfully and promptly resolved issues related to the leakage of personal data, the fight against drug trafficking, and the suppression of other illegal activities in the messenger. The Telegram team has always demonstrated a willingness to cooperate to ensure the safety of citizens while remaining true to its principles of protecting privacy and freedom of speech.” He also noted that on his last visit to Kazakhstan, Pavel Durov became one of the trustees of the IQanat project, which aims to support rural children in Kazakhstan. The project has awarded 12 grants worth $365,000. Madiev continued: “He did not just allocate money but personally participated in studying the educational process, selecting children, familiarizing himself with their lives. I am grateful to Pavel's team for caring, and his sincere interest in the development of the children. We hope for a speedy resolution of this situation.” The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan also expressed support for Durov, calling on the French authorities to ensure respect for his fundamental rights and freedoms, and to conduct an objective investigation into the case. “The detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov has caused concern among all those who fight for freedom, democracy, and the principles of free speech. It is important to take into account that in several countries where officially registered independent democratic media regularly face persecution or cease to exist at all, where blocking of websites is regularly practiced, Telegram, created by Pavel Durov, is currently almost the only source of bringing to the public objective and reliable information free from censorship,” the statement said. The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan recalled that in 2018, Pavel Durov received an award from the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan, precisely for his principled position against censorship. His arrest could negatively affect freedom of speech and human rights in developing countries with fragile democracies. The response in Kyrgyzstan was more restrained than that of the Kazakhstani authorities. None...

Ablyazov

Banker’s Murder: Former-FBI Director Speaks in Kazakhstan Over High-Stakes Tokmadi Parole Case

Louis Freeh, former director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), will speak at a hearing of the Almaty Oblast Court on August 23 on the case to review the early release of businessman Muratkhan Tokmadi, who in 2018 was sentenced to ten and a half years for the 2004 murder of the BTA Bank chair, Yerzhan Tatishev. On August 9, it was ruled that Tokmadi should be released on parole after serving six and a half years. In 2017, Freeh led a team of U.S. investigators and forensic experts who were brought in by the Tatishev family to look into the death of Yerzhan Tatishev, one of the founders and co-owners of what was at the time Kazakhstan's largest bank. On the morning of the 23rd, Freeh, who served as a U.S. district judge before becoming the fifth director of the FBI, leading the agency from September 1993 to June 2001, shared details of his investigation with the media in Kazakhstan. "In 2018, Murakhan Tokmadi admitted that he killed Tatishev and said that he did it because Mukhtar Ablyazov promised to pay four million dollars. Ablyazov's goal was to gain control of BTA Bank," Freeh told reporters. "His accidental shooting is impossible... The gun didn't go off by itself." The probe and the findings of investigative firm Freeh Group International Solutions (FGIS), part of the law firm Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan LLP (FSS), since acquired by Alix Partners LLP, formed the basis of the original indictment against Tokmadi, after FSS and FGIS staff accessed documents which proved the banker's death was willful. The court hearing into Tokmadi's parole was initiated by the family of the deceased. On December 19, 2004, Yerzhan Tatishev died on a hunting trip whilst driving an SUV in the Zhambyl Region. At the car's wheel pursuing prey across the steppe, Tatishev handed a 12-gauge shotgun to Tokmadi, who was sitting beside him. According to the defense, the SUV suddenly hit a bump, and the gun fired accidentally, with Tatishev receiving a gunshot wound to the head, the bullet passing through his left eye. At the time, the killing was ruled to be an “accident,” with Tokmadi sentenced to one and a half years for manslaughter. One of the witnesses to the incident was the banker's security guard, Sergei Kozlikin, who swiftly fled Kazakhstan, saying he feared for his life. In 2017, the case was reopened, and Tokmadi was charged with extortion and the illegal possession of firearms. In his 2018 testimony, Tokmadi stated that he was fulfilling an order from fugitive oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov, who was the co-owner of BTA Bank at the time. “Each time I met [Ablyazov] he argued that Yerzhan could not at any instant keep or sustain his word," Tokmadi testified. "He proposed to deal with the problem through the physical elimination of Yerzhan. This would happen during a hunting trip and look like an accidental death. And so it happened.” Some of the documents relating to the investigation - which...