Kyrgyzstan - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 257

Kyrgyz Farmers Urged to Supply Agricultural Products to China

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources has urged more domestic businesses to establish and expand trade in agricultural produce with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Kyrgyz farmers and processors currently export wheat flour, cherries, melons, grapes and soybeans to China and to increase food exports, the ministry has issued a series of guidelines. Entrepreneurs and small-business owners must first be registered on the website of the General Customs Administration of the PRC, and to satisfy Chinese demand, ensure that their produce is devoid of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and harmful additives. "It should be noted that requirements on the Chinese side differ according to risks posed by individual plant products," warned the Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, "and conducts a comprehensive inspection of produce provided by first-time exporters." In his address at an earlier conference in Bishkek, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen confirmed China's need for imports from organic agriculture vendors and plans to improve trade relations with Kyrgyzstan. According to the General Customs Administration, Kyrgyzstan increased its annual export to China by over two-fold in the first quarter of 2024, and total bilateral trade turnover stands at $4.5 billion per year. In a recent list provided by Chinese authorities, Beijing requires beef, poultry, fish, as well as cowhides, sheep, goats, and washed wool and cashmere.

Central Asia Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

300 Children Killed on Kyrgyzstan’s Roads

The Director of the Situation Centre of the Kyrgyz Republic, Joldoshbek Mambetaliyev, has issued a harrowing report that since 2021, more than 2,000 people including 316 children, have been killed on roads in Kyrgyzstan. Research by the centre cites the prime causes as poor road surfaces, insufficient lighting, lack of road signs and parapets, alongside non-compliance with speed limits and dangerous driving. Mambetaliyev also stressed that lack of knowledge and non- adherence to traffic rules amongst drivers were major contributing factors given that over a third of accidents were caused by overtaking, violating crosswalk rules, driving on the wrong side of the road and driving under the influence of alcohol. More than 20 percent of accidents were caused by speeding. The Situation Centre recommended that in order to reduce the number of road accidents, the government must collaborate with local authorities to develop a safer and more comprehensive infrastructure. Mambetaliyev concluded, "Road safety depends directly on the responsible behaviour of all road users... It is important to conduct awareness-raising activities among the population to reduce accidents on the roads." Kyrgyzstan's Situation Centre currently monitors key events and incidents on roads throughout the country in real time, followed by in-depth analyses.

Central Asia Turkmenistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan

Group of Central Asians Charged in Germany on Terrorism Offenses

Germany's justice system has charged seven Central Asians, aged 20 to 46, with preparing terrorist attacks on behalf of the Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). The suspects were arrested back in July 2023 in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. The citizens of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are accused of creating a terrorist organization. According to the German prosecutor's office, they intended to carry out terrorist attacks in Western Europe, but at the time of their arrest they did not have any specific plan. In March of this year, ISIS-K took responsibility for the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, which killed 145 people. German law enforcement authorities believe that some of the attackers entered Germany via Ukraine after Russia's February 2022 invasion, while others came from the Netherlands. Before their arrest, the suspects are alleged to have periodically met to discuss potential locations for a terrorist attack. According to police information, they were also engaged in fundraising for terrorist activities. German law enforcement agencies have been on constant alert since the terrorist attack in December 2016, when radical Islamist Anis Amri drove a truck into a crowd of people in Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Square.

Central Asia Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Central Asians Not Bananas About Bananas

According to the agricultural trade publication East Fruit, Central Asians have little taste for bananas. Kazakhstan has the highest consumption rate but with an average of 4.5 kg of fresh bananas eaten per person, per year, comes nowhere near Uganda where each year, individuals enjoy a whopping 270 kg of bananas. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are fast catching up with Kazakhstan whilst in Tajikistan, the annual banana consumption per head is only 2.3 kg. In Turkmenistan, it appears that many citizens never touch the fruit. Lagging far behind its neighbours, a very modest 160 grams are consumed per head, per year; a figure which according to East Fruit analysts is even lower than that recorded for North Korea. Not surprisingly, countries with the highest banana consumption tend to be those where the fruit is grown and exported and by way of explaining the above data, Andriy Yarmak, an economist in the investment department of the Unites Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated, "Such a low consumption of bananas in Central Asian countries is due to the distance of the countries from the port infrastructure, which makes logistics very expensive. In addition, many countries in the region have high tariff and non-tariff barriers that prevent the import of exotic fruits into these regions. The third factor is the relatively low prices of local fruits, especially in the season of their mass production.”

Central Asia Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy Kyrgyzstan Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Starlink Close to Providing Internet Access in Remote Parts of Kyrgyzstan

Representatives of Kyrgyzstan's ministry of digital development have met again with the American company Starlink, with a view to bringing satellite internet access to the country. However, there are still regulatory hurdles in Kyrgyzstan that hinder the development of Starlink technology. Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX first entered the Kyrgyz market in 2021, and a subsidiary company named Starlink KG was registered. However, the first attempts at cooperation were unsuccessful, as the Kyrgyz authorities refused to allocate the necessary radio frequencies without a tender process. Starlink KG received a license for its operations only at the end of last year. Nevertheless, Starlink remains willing to work with Kyrgyzstan, one of its directors Rebecca Hunter meeting recently with the Kyrgyz ambassador to the U.S. and Canada Baktybek Amanbaev to discuss this issue. Last year, deputy chairman of the cabinet Edil Baisalov also spoke with representatives from Starlink. They discussed the possibility of using this company's technology to deploy satellite internet in Kyrgyzstan's mountainous regions, particularly in remote schools.

Kyrgyzstan Central Asia Kyrgyzstan International Affairs Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan Expand Economic and Transport Cooperation

During a state visit to Azerbaijan on 24 April, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov joined President Ilham Aliyev in bilateral talks at the 2nd gathering of the Interstate Council of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. As a result of the meeting in Baku and in support of a joint declaration to deepen relations, the leaders signed a strategic partnership agreement between Azerbaijan and the Kyrgyz Republic. In a statement to journalists, President Aliyev referred to centuries-old ties of cooperation, friendship and interaction enjoyed by Azerbaijan and Central Asia, and announced, “Today, the regions of Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan are of great importance in terms of energy resources, transportation routes and trade. We are seeing great potential here and are strengthening interaction with our traditional partners from brotherly countries. Among them, cooperation with Kyrgyzstan is of particular importance.” During the meeting, the two governments signed an addendum to the agreement on the authorized capital of the Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz Development Fund, to quadruple it from $25 million to $100 million. To date, the Fund has received over 40 applications for investment projects in Kyrgyzstan and according to Aliyev, the construction of a five-star hotel financed by Azerbaijan already begun at Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul, is due for completion by the end of next year. The president commended the significant increase and potential for growth in trade between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and reported Azerbaijan’s interest in investing in renewable energy projects in Kyrgyzstan. With reference to transport, he recommended that consultations proceed on coordination of transport routes in terms of digitalization and tariff policy, to make the route via the Caspian Sea and Central Asia to Europe both faster and more commercially viable. President Japarov, in turn, referenced Kyrgyzstan’s construction of a secondary school in the Aghdam district of Azerbaijan, saying, “The construction of this school is Kyrgyzstan's contribution to the restoration of peace in the regions affected by the [Azeri-Armenian] conflict.”