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The second international e-commerce forum, Sellers Forum E-COM.kg, at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan from July 26 to 28, was attended by Sanjar Bolotov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tilek Jumaliyev, Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz Export Centre. During the event, the parties met representatives of the World Bank and Alibaba Group Global Digital Business within the framework of E-GATE; a program, aimed at providing subsidies for small and medium-sized businesses to ensure their entry into the world's leading B2B e-commerce platforms. In their discussions , the Deputy Minister emphasized the country's export potential, the successful export of environmentally -friendly Kyrgyz products to the Chinese market, and the readiness of local producers to interact with Alibaba Group to promote their wares. The meeting concluded with an agreement to work with the Kyrgyz Export Centre to place Kyrgyz exporters' products on the Alibaba marketplace and organize training.
Asliddin Sharipov, the brother of Tajik opposition activist Shavkat Muhammad, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence was handed down in March of this year, but information only appeared on July 29; authorities have not provided an official comment. One of Sharipov's acquaintances said that he was transferred from the Khujand pre-trial detention center to a prison in Dushanbe. He had been living in Russia since 2016 but was detained at the request of Tajik authorities in September 2022 and extradited to Tajikistan on October 1, 2023. For almost two months there was no information about his whereabouts. It later became known that Sharipov, 37, was being held in one of the isolation centers in Khujand. The Tajik authorities have not commented on the reasons for Asliddin Sharipov's detention. Human rights organizations link Sharipov's arrest and extradition to the activities of his brother Shavkat Muhammad, editor of the television channel “Payom,” which is banned in Tajikistan and run by the Islamic Renaissance Party. According to human rights activists and Shavkat Muhammad himself, his brother's arrest is aimed at silencing him and stopping him from criticizing the authorities.
The U.S. Embassy is reporting that 33 participants in the 'Teach for Kyrgyzstan -- Zamanbap Mugalim' project, which it is supporting, will begin teaching in rural schools in the Chui region in September. A summer school called Jaratman, which translates to “creators”, will offer four weeks of training and development for future teachers and other educators. The 'Teach for Kyrgyzstan' project will raise funds to place participants in ten pilot schools in the Chui region in the fall of 2024. Schools were selected by staff from the country's Ministry of Education, as well as educational institutions and public organizations. “The mission of the [project] is to help children reach their potential, and this institute is one step toward achieving that goal for the children of Chui [region] here in the Kyrgyz Republic,” American ambassador Lesslie Viguerie said of the project.
Kazakhstan's prime minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed that the country's akims (heads of local government) should have their work evaluated using key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs reflect how well they are able to improve their citizens' welfare. The basis for monitoring will be the platform “Digital Family Map,” which tracks the welfare of Kazakh families in five categories, from crisis to prosperity. The work of akims will be evaluated by the dynamics of the families' transition from the lowest to the highest categories. This system has already received positive feedback from the UN and international institutions. The “Digital Family Map” platform, introduced in 2022, stores information from various government agencies, allowing proactive state support. Akims must use this tool to plan and implement measures to reduce poverty, unemployment, and hidden employment. Bektenov emphasized the importance of targeted work with families in crisis. The project “Social Purse,” which ensures transparency and timeliness of state support, was also considered. In the pilot mode, benefits for school meals and medicines are already provided. To compensate for the increase in fuel, lubricants, and commodity gas prices, it plans to launch assistance in purchasing projects on socially significant products, technical rehabilitation equipment for the disabled, and vouchers for socially vulnerable populations. In addition, the project “Voucher Financing of Preschool Organizations” was presented, aiming to improve the quality of educational services. The state order funds will be transferred to kindergartens only after the parents have chosen them, increasing competition and reducing corruption risks. The Ministry of Education is tasked with completing the pilot project in Taraz and Shymkent and scaling it up from January 1, 2025.
The Global Center on AI Governance has published a report titled “Results of the Global Index on Responsible AI in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan has been judged to use artificial intelligence in the most responsible way. Recent AI initiatives in Uzbekistan cover fields including cultural and linguistic diversity, international cooperation, public sector skills development, and transparency. Kazakhstan ranks second in the region. Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranks first for the number of government initiatives related to responsible AI. Kyrgyzstan ranks third in the region, demonstrating significant non-governmental sector participation in responsible AI. However, the need for a comprehensive government system affects its overall outcome. The report states that the country has received a high rating for responsible AI governance, second only to Uzbekistan in the region. However, due to the scarcity of government frameworks, which, along with government initiatives, had the most weight in the index score, Kyrgyzstan scored lower in the Responsible AI Index. Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country with an AI national strategy aimed at development until 2040. It ranks fourth in the region. However, this strategy covers only 5 out of 19 thematic directions. Tajikistan's scores are relatively high regarding responsible AI governance; however, the country has the most passive non-state sector among the pillars assessed. Turkmenistan has the lowest indicator in the region. Government structures related to the responsible use of artificial intelligence have not been identified in the country.
Sadokat Nurimbetova, the daughter of prominent civil activist Hamida Babajanova, was removed from a Turkmenistan Airlines flight to Istanbul at Ashgabat International Airport, it has been reported. Nurimbetova, an ethnic Uzbek, is a second-year student at Istanbul Medical University, and accordingly she has a valid Turkish residence permit, a “kimlik.” On June 5, Nurimbetova went to her home country to apply for a new passport, which she duly received on July 10, and bought a plane ticket to Istanbul. At passport control, two immigration officials intercepted Nurimbetova and took her to a separate room. There, she was fingerprinted and interrogated, after which the Migration Service officers told the student that she was banned from leaving Turkmenistan. “This is a directive from above," Nurimbetova was told, and was advised not to go anywhere and not to complain to anyone. It was also emphasized to her that her mother should not entertain thoughts of going anywhere. Nurimbetova is the daughter of well-known Turkmen civil activist Hamida Babajanova, who last year defended the right of her elderly mother, Yakujan, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Recently, cases of Turkmen citizens being removed from flights abroad without explanation have become more frequent. The same thing is happening when attempting to cross the border by land.
