Kyrgyzstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry Urges Its Citizens to Temporarily Refrain From Traveling to Russia

A recommendation posted on the Kyrgyzstan Foreign Ministry website has urged its citizens to temporarily refrain From traveling to Russia in relation to the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 22, 2024, which killed over 130 people, as well as the introduction of enhanced security measures throughout Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked fellow citizens who do not have good reasons and urgent business in Russia to refrain from traveling to Russia as long as the additional security measures and increased control of passage across the border are still in place. For those who have already planned their trip, the foreign ministry recommends checking for restrictions under their name on the website of the Russian Interior Ministry. "Citizens who have [committed] two or more administrative offenses during their previous stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, refrain from traveling to its territory to avoid not passing through the state border and the consequences associated with this procedure," reads a warning on the website of the Foreign Ministry. Furthermore, Kyrgyz diplomats recommend that citizens who are already in Russia refrain from visiting mass gatherings of any kind, as well as carry identification documents and the documents that confirm the legality of their stay in the Russian Federation. The Foreign Ministry warned that citizens should comply with the legal requirements of Russian security forces as part of their mandate to ensure public safety. "In case of emergency questions, citizens should contact the hotline of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Moscow at +7 925 115 50 47, as well as the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic at +996 999 312 002," reads the statement. Russian authorities have stepped up security measures in many cities after the terrorist attack in the Moscow region that killed 139 people and injured 182 others, according to the latest figures. Tajik passports were found on the suspected perpetrators of the mass shooting, making Russian citizens and law enforcement more suspicious of Tajikistani nationals and citizens of neighboring Central Asian countries. After the terrorist attack, checks on citizens of all Central Asian countries in Russia have intensified. There is also talk of strengthening migration control in Russia.

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Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Agree to Further Border-Demarcation Protocol

From 12 - 17 March, Tajik and Kyrgyz topographic working groups and legal groups serving under the respective government delegations convened to in Tajikistan's Sughd region. According to a report by the Tajik State Committee for National Security, discussion in Buston focused on the demarcation and delimitation of Tajikistan’s and Kyrgyzstan’s state borders. During the meeting, an agreement was signed by topographical working groups to codify 10.76 kilometres of the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan state border. The two parties then voted to continue working on defining the remaining portions of the common state border at a subsequent meeting to be held in Kyrgyzstan. Back in February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Mukhriddin said that almost 200 kilometres of the common line of the Tajikistan-Kyrgyz state border had been agreed upon, leaving roughly 100 kilometres of the area under dispute.

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Optimism Meets Reality at the B5+1 Forum in Almaty

The inaugural B5+1 Forum, a conference dedicated to strengthening business between the five Central Asian republics and the United States, came to a close today in Almaty after a second well received day of panel discussions. The B5+1 Forum was created by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which aims to use public-private partnerships to create a better environment for business and trade. The B5+1 platform brings international and local companies together with high-ranking government officials from all six countries, to learn about the difficulties that each side faces, and suggest new ways to attract partners and investment. Following an opening day focused on “Looking within Central Asia”, today’s speakers brought attention to “Central Asia’s place in the world economy”. The morning began with a keynote speech by Eurasian affairs expert S. Frederick Starr, who argued that because the five countries are now members of different trade blocs, the revival of the Central Asian Economic Union could break down their existing barriers to business and trade with the United States. During a morning session on international partnerships, foreign experts brainstormed ways to speed up the Central Asia region’s economic integration with the rest of the world. To an audience of business leaders whose overall mood was optimistic, the EU’s ambassador to Kazakhstan Kestutis Jankauskas and World Bank economist David Knight brought a dose of realism, by explaining that business in Central Asia is not performing as well as in other emerging regions. This, they both said, is because the governments – and business owners – have mostly still not let go of self-defeating ways of approaching markets and investment. The middle session went into more detail about the investment landscape, particularly in terms of IT and fintech. Jennifer Miel, executive director for Kazakhstan for the US Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that all five Central Asian countries have seen healthy increases in foreign direct investment since 2021. This was soon tempered by Anatoly Motkin of the agency StrategEast, who said that to achieve further sustainable growth, the region must unify its legislation and best practices, so that foreign investors can treat it as a single market as much as possible. The Forum’s closing session explored the role of business associations in public-private dialogue. The panel was moderated by Eric Hontz, CIPE’s director for accountable investments, and featured the executive directors of the US Chambers of Commerce in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – Aisuluu Sydygalieva, Nilufar Bulbulshoeva and Tatyana Bystrushkina. Discussion centered on best practices and solutions for effective member representation. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. Early indications are that the B5+1 Forum in 2025 will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

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High-Profile Speakers Open B5+1 Forum in Almaty

The ‘B5+1’ platform – a group of countries comprising the five Central Asian republics and the United States – took an important step forward today, with the launch of the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty. Instrumental in the formation of the B5+1 group has been the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which aims to develop public-private partnerships in the Central Asia region. This new business platform has been created to help international and local companies to capitalize on opportunities in global business and trade – while assisting the six governments in attracting more direct foreign investment. The theme of the opening day was “Looking within Central Asia”. It began with a panel discussion on boosting economic integration in the Central Asia region, drawing from the area's distinctive context, and successful examples like ASEAN and the EU. Recommendations, from panelists including Richard E. Hoagland of the Caspian Policy Center and Alisher Shaykhov from Uzbekistan’s National Venture Capital Fund, included integrating the region's value chain into the global economy, and promoting collaborative investment initiatives. The second panel offered perspectives from Central Asia’s business leaders. Panelists including B5+1 representatives Aziza Shuzheyeva (Kazakhstan, e-commerce) and Manusurjon Rasulev (Uzbekistan, agribusiness) gave insights into the region’s high-profile industries. Speakers advocated for policy synchronization in these sectors, as well as in tourism and trade, as a means to boost regional growth. For the third panel, government officials voiced their support for enhancing public-private dialogue. Tajikistan was represented by its deputy minister for economy Ahliddin Nuriddinzoda; his counterpart Ainura Usenbekova spoke on behalf of Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan’s minister of finance Serdar Jorayev also spoke at length. Their focus was on national reforms and regional integration. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. The B5+1 Forum continues tomorrow, Friday 15 March, with a thematic day dedicated to “Central Asia’s place in the world economy”.

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Kyrgyzstan to Open Trade Promotion House in Kabul

Kyrgyz representative Daniyar Zholchiev met with Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Trade Noruddin Azizi in Kabul, to discuss collaboration on new economic projects. (http://bakhtarnews.af/) A proposal was welcomed by both parties for the expansion of trade relations and the launch of a Kyrgyz trade house in Afghanistan. Azizi suggested that Bishkek could help Kabul with investments in electricity generation and mining. Construction of high-voltage power lines under the CASA-1000 project is currently underway in Afghanistan to enable the transmission of electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan. The latter has huge reserves of minerals, including rare-earth elements (REEs) but despite a long-held interest from global manufacturing giants in China and India, an agreement has yet to be settled with the Taliban. Back in January 2024, Kyrgyz businessmen accompanied Daniyar Amangeldiev, Kyrgyz Minister of Economy and Commerce to Afghanistan to discuss new business opportunities. The outcome, described by the Kyrgyz ministry as the beginning of business relations between Bishkek and Kabul, was interest from Afghan authorities in importing electric lamps, medicines, sugar, beans, fabrics and other products from Kyrgyzstan. Allegiance between the two countries was also testified late last year when Kyrgyzstan delivered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in the form of 111 tons of food, warm clothing and personal hygiene products. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov had earlier called on the international community to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, despite the fact that many countries do not recognize the current Taliban government. Kyrgyz authorities have also frequently reiterated at international forums, including the UN, the need to ease the international isolation suffered by Afghanistan which both worsens the situation faced by a country ravaged by fighting and impacts Central Asia as a whole.

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CIPE’s Inaugural B5+1 Forum Opens in Almaty

In recent years the countries of Central Asia have taken more confident steps towards working with the United States and Europe, so that both local and international companies and agencies can capitalize on the region’s potential. Instrumental in this process has been the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), which last year created the diplomatic ‘C5+1’ platform – a group comprising the governments of the five Central Asian republics – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – plus the United States, whose State Department has been integral to the development of the platform. Following the first C5+1 Summit in New York in September 2023, led by the presidents of all six countries, CIPE has now created a dedicated business platform for these nations: ‘B5+1’. The inaugural B5+1 Forum will be held in Kazakhstan’s business capital of Almaty this week, and will bring together policy makers from Central Asia, America and other countries, as well as high-profile private companies working in the region. At the C5+1 Summit, presidents Biden, Tokayev, Mirziyoyev, Japarov, Rahmon and Berdimuhamedov had committed to the establishment of B5+1 in order to “accelerate regional cooperation and connectivity [and]… advance efforts to create a more favorable business environment for U.S. private sector trade and investment in Central Asia.” The B5+1 event will be divided into two thematic days: “Looking within Central Asia” on Thursday 14 March, where representatives of the US Department of State, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy, the Caspian Policy Center and others will present their visions for improving Central Asia’s investment climate and economic integration; and “Central Asia’s place in the world economy” on Friday 15 March, where leaders from the US-Kazakhstan Business Council, the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and others will look outwards, to give an international perspective on how the region can grow its trade and investment volumes. At a time of geopolitical upheaval and disruption of existing supply chains, the Almaty forum will also continue the conversation on enhancing regional connectivity via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Trans-Caspian Corridor. The B5+1 Forum forms part of CIPE’s program called “Improving the Business Environment in Central Asia” (IBECA). CIPE themselves are affiliated to the US Chamber of Commerce – the catalyst behind the B7 and B20 platforms – and receive funding from the US Department of State. The establishment of B5+1 is closely aligned with commitments made during the September C5+1 Presidential Summit and outlined in a document called the New York Declaration to strengthen their economic relations, and improve the business environment for regional economic integration and investments. The upcoming Forum aims to deliver on two key commitments in the declaration. The Times of Central Asia will be in attendance at the B5+1 Forum on 14-15 March, and will be publishing insight and analysis from the event.