Kyrgyzstan Features - The Times Of Central Asia

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Development of Kyrgyzstan’s largest iron deposit begins

Kyrgyzstan's state enterprise Kyrgyzgeologiya will begin exploration work at the iron deposit "Zhetim Too" in the Naryn region. The country's Cabinet of Ministers granted the entity the right to use subsurface resources for geological exploration at the deposit. The development of the iron deposit was one of the election promises of the current President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov. In 2020, Japarov said he was considering paying off the state debt to China with raw materials from the deposit. "This is a project that will pull our economy out of the swamp," the future head of state had declared while campaigning before the presidential election. Geologists predict that the "Zhetim-Too" deposit could earn $200 million a year. But it's not only about earning and selling raw materials abroad. At the "People's Kurultay" (i.e., people's parliament), the President noted that at the moment, the Kyrgyz Republic spends millions of dollars a year to buy iron to build railroads, hydroelectric power plants and other structures in the country. "In the future, we intend to use our own iron ore deposits and build modern plants to process iron ore and manufacture products from it instead of buying iron from outside," Japarov said. It should be noted that earlier attempts to start work at the "Zhetim Too" deposit ended in a political scandal and high-profile dismissals of officials. At one time, various foreign mining companies worked at the deposit, which caused discontent among local residents. Rallies were repeatedly held in nearby villages. In 2012, the Kyrgyz authorities sued the Chinese company Mylin Resources for the license of the deposit. Since 2016, the license for exploration and development of the subsoil of "Zhetim Too" has belonged to the state. Kyrgyzstan's geologists have previously stated that the exploration of the deposit will take at least five years. After all, it is necessary to assess the reserves of the deposit and the depth of their occurrence, as well as to study the composition of the soil and what percentage of it contains metals. There are also issues of ecology, environmental protection and construction of necessary infrastructure. Additionally, relic forests of the Naryn Reserve are located near the deposit. "Zhetim Too" was discovered in 1956 at the junction of Naryn and Issyk-Kul oblasts of Kyrgyzstan. Iron reserves at the deposit were estimated from 3 to 10 billion tons. The Association of Mining Industries of Kyrgyzstan calls the site one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. However, the deposit has been explored only superficially so far and requires additional exploration. The approximate cost of exploration is estimated at more than 20 million U.S. dollars.

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Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan continue to work on harmonizing state border

Topographic working groups of the two countries gathered in the city of Batken in the Batken region of Kyrgyzstan between January 10 and January 16, and agreed on another major 38.35-kilometer section their state borders, the press service of the Kyrgyzstan Cabinet of Ministers reports. "In accordance with the agreement reached in the period from January 10 to 16, 2024 in the city of Batken of Batken oblast of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting of topographic working groups and working groups on legal issues of the government delegations of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan on delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border," reported Cabinet of Kyrgyzstan on its website. The Kyrgyz authorities note that the meeting was held in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding, and a protocol was signed following the meeting. The parties will continue work on the description of the remaining areas at the next meeting, which will be held in Tajikistan. The previous meeting was also held on the territory of Tajikistan from December 17 to 23, 2023. At that time, almost 12 kilometers of the state border were agreed upon. It should be noted that as of today, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed on 90 percent of the territories of the state border, the total of which is 975 kilometers. Next year, the authorities of both countries plan to finalize the delimitation. Issues related to delineating a common border between the two countries arose after the collapse of the USSR, particularly with regards to lands rich in water resources, given that irrigation of agricultural lands and private plots is critical in this arid region. More than 30 years have passed since the collapse of USSR, and the parties still have not agreed on the disputed territories. This has caused periodic conflicts between the citizens of border villages and residents of enclaves and border guards of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, including the use of heavy weapons. The last such conflict took place on the territory of Batken oblast of Kyrgyzstan and Sughd oblast of Tajikistan in September 2022, where hundreds died deaths on both sides and civilian infrastructure was destroyed. Since May 2021, land and air communication between the countries remains closed. The presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan have repeatedly discussed the delimitation and demarcation of the state border, and have decided to put an end to this ongoing issue after the above-mentioned most recent conflict. Since then, meetings of topographic groups have been held on a regular basis. The situation on the disputed territories is also monitored by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Both countries are members of the CSTO.

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EU Ready to Deepen Cooperation with Kyrgyzstan

On January 15th, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov received the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas in Bishkek. During the meeting, President Japarov noted the dynamically developing level of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the EU both at the inter-regional and bilateral levels, the presidential press service reported. The head of state and the vice-president of the European Commission discussed a wide range of issues, including priority projects for the Kyrgyz Republic, investment, financing, prospects for banking relations, and regional security issues. Japarov paid particularly attention to the importance for Kyrgyzstan of the upcoming Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, which will be held in Brussels on January 29th and 30th. Discussing human rights in Kyrgyzstan, Japarov spoke of an active civil society, media freedom and unrestricted access to the internet, emphasizing the importance of reliable information in online space. In turn, Schinas spoke about the importance of positive changes in Central Asia and expressed the EU’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic. Schinas expressed confidence that cooperation will be strengthened in the field of financial and economic partnerships, adding that his visit was focused on climate projects, digitization issues, and the development of transport corridors. In June 2023, the first official visit of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel to the Kyrgyz Republic took place, and the first Summit of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the EU was held in the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata.

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World Bank Provides Additional Support for Kyrgyz Republic’s Digital Transformation

On January 12th, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved $7 million in additional financing to the ongoing Digital Central Asia South Asia (Digital CASA) project for the Kyrgyz Republic. This additional financing complements the original $50 million Digital CASA – Kyrgyz Republic Project approved in March 2018 to support the nation’s digital transformation through increasing access to affordable internet, private investment in the ICT sector, and improving the provision of digital government services. “The Digital CASA – Kyrgyz Republic Project supports the country’s digital transformation agenda and the National Sustainable Development Strategy 2018-2040,” stated Naveed Hassan Naqvi, the World Bank Country Manager for the Kyrgyz Republic. “The project is expected to foster sustainable and inclusive growth by helping bridge the digital divide, especially in rural areas of the country. It also aims to enhance the provision of digital government services, thereby promoting efficient and transparent public administration.” Naqvi stated that the funding will enable 800,000 citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic to access better and more affordable internet services, thus bringing the internet penetration rate in the country to 57%. Among the key goals of the project is laying 2,500 kilometers of fiber-optic network across the country, establishing two cross-border fiber-optic links, and building a government cloud (G-Cloud) infrastructure. The Digital CASA – Kyrgyz Republic project will ultimately help integrate the Kyrgyz Republic and other landlocked countries of Central Asia and parts of South Asia into the regional and global digital economy, thereby enabling these countries to reap the benefits of digitization. “The additional financing is critical for closing the financing gap caused by the need to increase the initially planned capacity for data storage and processing on the G-Cloud,” said Sandra Sargent, World Bank Senior Digital Development Specialist and Project Task Team Leader. “G-Cloud is a government cloud platform that serves as one of the key pillars of digital public infrastructure and will provide storage, processing power, and computing capacity to support e-government services, as well as handle large amounts of data.”

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Job Creation Main Task of Government in 2024, Says PM

The creation of at least 250,000 jobs is one of the most important tasks of the Cabinet of Ministers for 2024, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov stated at a cabinet meeting on January 11th. “This year should be a breakthrough in all respects,” the minister said. “Yesterday marked three years since Sadyr Japarov became president. During this time, we have managed to do a lot, and we are already seeing the results of this work.” Japarov went on saying that the creation of new industries, the development of the agricultural sector, the opening of new mining projects, the launch of railway construction and building large hydropower facilities will speed up the implementation of the goals planned for 2024. “In the near future, a list of a hundred large industrial facilities that should be launched this year will be approved,” said Japarov. Addressing an acute shortage of qualified labor in the construction and clothing industries, Japarov said that “many clothing enterprises have to attract foreign labor, while our citizens are in labor migration outside the country. Therefore, this whole range of issues should be a priority for all government bodies.”

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Central Asia’s Untapped Potential: Key to Green Transition, Food Security, and Digital Economy Growth

Central Asia, with its rich history as a crossroads of civilizations and a gateway between East and West, finds itself at a crucial juncture in its economic development. The region is showing signs of moving towards becoming a more cohesive economic group, an evolution that could have far-reaching implications for renewable energy development, food security, global commerce and geopolitics. Central Asian states are better positioned than ever to capitalize on their strengths and resources to help the rest of the world deal with climate change, security challenges associated with geopolitical shifts and the ongoing digital transformation of the global economy. Realizing this vast potential will require continued focus, commitment and cooperation from the region’s leaders, as well as long-overdue support from Western leaders for some of the most progressive reforms Central Asia has seen in recent years. Green energy potential Rich in natural resources, Central Asia is fast becoming pivotal for the global green energy transition. Leveraging vast reserves of rare earth elements (REEs) and other crucial minerals combined with its significant potential for renewable energy production, the region is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to realizing a more sustainable future. Kazakhstan, one of the region's major players, boasts over 56 identified deposits of REEs, with reserves and resources surpassing 450,000 tons. These elements, including lithium and cobalt production, are crucial for battery technologies powering renewable energy applications. This positions Kazakhstan as a significant supplier for the burgeoning green technology industry. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also show promise. Inventory reviews of REE-bearing mineral occurrences and delineation of areas-of-interest suggest these countries could be home to considerable undiscovered resources, further boosting their contribution to green energy transitions. In addition to its abundant natural resources, Central Asia is an ideal candidate for green hydrogen production. Uzbekistan, with PowerChina and the Saudi company ACWA Power is constructing the country's first green hydrogen plant. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with their surplus hydropower electricity, are well-positioned for hydrogen production. Once again, however, Kazakhstan boasts the most ambitious goal: The country aims to produce two million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2032, marking its intent to become a major player in the global green hydrogen market. In 2022, it inked a $50 billion deal with the German energy grou Svevind to build one of the world's largest green hydrogen plants supplying Europe. Kazakhstan, which holds 13% of the world’s uranium reserves, also leads the pack in uranium mining, meeting a significant portion of annual demand from Europe and the U.S.. As nuclear power plays a crucial role in the green energy transition, Kazakhstan's role is set to grow. The country is exploring new avenues to access the international market. On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are also known for their uranium deposits but they are currently prioritizing the remediation of past mining sites over active uranium production. This responsible approach underscores the region's commitment to sustainable development. Central Asia's commitment to a greener future extends beyond resource development.. Several states, including Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,...