Kyrgyzstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Almaty Hosts Russia’s Defense Head Belousov in First of a Series of CSTO Events

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is holding several events in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city, between 30 May and 6 June. The CSTO is a regional organization in the field of collective security. It comprises six states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. On May 30 a meeting was held between the defense ministers of Kazakhstan and Russia, Ruslan Zhaksylykov and Andrei Belousov. According to a statement from the Kazakh defense ministry, the parties discussed bilateral military cooperation, touching on training and joint activities, including exercises within the CSTO. “Its practical realization is carried out, among other things, within the framework of multilateral exercises. Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov informed the interlocutor about holding the exercise “Birlestik” (Unity) in July this year in western Kazakhstan. According to its plan, military contingents of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will jointly work out training and combat tasks related to the localization of armed conflict and countering illegal formations,” the ministry said. Almaty's police have warned that given the scale of the events and the number of participants, the city will be partially restricted to traffic until 6 June.

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Foreign Ministries of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan Discuss Safety Amid More Raids on Foreign Citizens

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Almaz Imangaziev has met with a delegation from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, led by Additional Secretary Muhammad Saleem. The meeting in Bishkek centered on addressing safety concerns following unrest on May 13, when medical students from Egypt were attacked, a video of which went viral. This then swelled into mass disorder on the night of May 17-18, when a crowd of approximately 1,000 protesters blocked several streets in the center of Bishkek. During the meeting, the Kyrgyz side provided detailed information regarding the recent conflagration, with Imangaziev assuring the Pakistani delegation that all necessary measures to ensure the safety of foreign citizens have been taken, and that comprehensive efforts are underway to prevent such incidents in the future. This meeting, however, came against the backdrop of the Bishkek Police and State National Security Committee carrying out more raids on foreign citizens, wherein 64 “illegal migrants” were rounded up. As part of a campaign launched in March, the authorities have deported some 1,500 Pakistanis and 1,000 Bangladeshis. The unrest in Bishkek has served to underscore splits within the government’s ranks. Deputy Cabinet Chairman, Edil Baisalov described those who attacked the foreign students as a “bunch of hooligans,” whilst President Japarov stated that the “demands of our patriotic youth to stop the illegal migration of foreign citizens and to take tough measures against those who allow such activities are certainly correct.”

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China and Central Asian Countries to Jointly Respond to Emergencies

China and the five Central Asian countries plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a mechanism of cooperation in the field of emergency management, Wang Manda, head of the International Cooperation Department of China's Ministry of Emergency Management, said at a press conference in Beijing, Xinhua reports. Manda specified that the signing of the memorandum is expected to take place during a ministerial meeting between China and the Central Asian countries on emergency management to be held on May 30 in Urumqi, the administrative center of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. “Both China and the five Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, are at high risk of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, forest, and steppe fires. The upcoming meeting will review cooperation between the two sides in areas such as disaster prevention, damage mitigation, disaster management, industrial safety supervision, and comprehensive rescue work, and put forward new proposals to deepen practical cooperation,” Wang said. The two sides will also hold drills on emergency responses to accidents at oil and gas pipelines. Following the first China-Central Asia summit in May 2023, the emergency management agencies of China and the Central Asian states pledged to establish a new platform for regional cooperation and deepen cross-border cooperation in rescue operations. Over the past year, the Chinese side has held several events within the framework of cooperation on emergency management in the “China-Central Asia” format. Among them are forums of high-level think tanks on emergency management, seminars on improving industrial safety, and the exchange of experience in safety risks.

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World Bank Helps Kyrgyzstan To Restore Its Natural Landscape

The World Bank will provide Kyrgyzstan with a $52.4 million loan to restore some of the country's land. The allocated funds will be used to reconstruct over 450km of protective structures, build 26km of dams, strengthen riverbanks, undertake landscaping, and purchase equipment. The project is designed to directly benefit more than 50,000 people in the Jalal-Abad, Osh, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn regions. A government report on the landscaping project says: "Of this amount, 45 million dollars will be provided in the form of a loan from the World Bank, 5 million dollars will come in the form of a grant from the Global Partnership for Sustainable Landscapes (PROGREEN), and another 2.4 million dollars will be allocated by the Korea-World Bank Partnership Fund (KWPF)." The loan will be for 10 years with a grace period of 50 years, with 38 years of the loan being interest-free.

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US Donates 12,000 English-Language Books to Schools and Libraries in Kyrgyzstan

The United States has donated over 12,000 English-language books to 30 schools, libraries, and universities in the Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Batken regions of south Kyrgyzstan. The much-welcomed project is the initiative of a collaboration between the Rotary Club of the Fergana Valley, the Women’s Peace Bank Public Foundation, Osh State University, the U.S. Embassy, and the Kyrgyz government. The Rotary Club of Annapolis’ “Books for International Goodwill” project played a key role in securing book donations. The donation includes books for all ages – children to adults – and covering a wide range of subjects, is an invaluable resource for learning the English language. “These books are more than just paper and ink,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie. “They are keys that unlock the world of English language learning and bridges connecting the people of the Kyrgyz Republic and the United States.” The donation was further praised by Akylai Karim, Project Leader at the Rotary Club of Fergana Valley and Women Peace Bank, who announced: “This initiative is a celebration of the Kyrgyz-American friendship, trust, and collaboration. It will have a lasting, positive impact as youth learn English by reading these books and dream big about their future.”

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Eurasian Development Bank To Finance Another Solar Plant in Kyrgyzstan

The Eurasian Development Bank has signed an agreement to finance the construction of a solar power plant in the village of Toru-Aigyr in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. The project, which will use photovoltaic solar energy conversion with an installed capacity of up to 300 MW, will be undertaken in partnership with Bishkek Solar LLC. EDB has commented: "The project includes several key agreements, including an agreement with JSC "NES Kyrgyzstan" to purchase all electricity for 25 years, an agreement on public-private partnership with the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as an investment agreement on the implementation of the project with the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic for 25 years." It is assumed that EDB will work out the terms of long-term financing, including the involvement of tied funding in the amount of up to $210 million (in Chinese yuans) for 15 years. The facility is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2025. Added EDB senior managing director Denis Ilyin: "This project is of key importance for the development of the renewable energy sector, and in particular solar energy, in the Kyrgyz Republic, contributing to improving energy security and stability, as well as achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The power plant will fully comply with international environmental and technical standards." EDB is currently also financing the construction in Kyrgyzstan of the Kulanak hydropower plant. It is expected that the Kulanak project, which is part of the megaproject "Water and Energy Complex of Central Asia", will increase the level of energy security and strengthen Kyrgyzstan's position in the Central Asian electricity market .