Tajikistan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Russia Detains Suspects with Tajik Passports – Death Toll Rises to 133

Russia has announced the arrest of eleven individuals, including four who are suspected of carrying out a deadly shooting at a concert hall near Moscow, marking the most lethal incident of its kind in the country in two decades. The attack, which resulted in the death of 143 people and counting, according to state TV, was claimed by the Islamic State militant group. However, Russian authorities are trying to forge a potential connection to Ukraine, despite strong denials from Ukrainian officials regarding any involvement. The death toll was later revised to 133. The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has reported the apprehension of the "four terrorists" as they were allegedly attempting to cross into Ukraine, repeatedly mentioning that the suspects had connections within Ukraine. They are currently being transported to Moscow for further investigation. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed on Telegram that the suspects had intended to flee to Ukraine to evade capture, stating, “Now we know in which country these bloody bastards planned to hide from pursuit.” In response to Moscow’s attempts to pin the atrocity on Ukraine and bolster waning support for Putin’s war, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, refuted the claims of Ukraine's involvement, emphasizing his nation’s focus on defending its sovereignty and targeting military objectives, not civilians. He dismissed the FSB's assertion regarding the suspects' intended escape to Ukraine as another fabrication by Russian intelligence services. No evidence has been presented to support the theory of a Ukrainian link. Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein revealed that the assailants had escaped in a Renault vehicle, which was later identified by police in the Bryansk region, approximately 210 miles southwest of Moscow. Upon refusal to comply with police instructions to stop, the vehicle was searched, uncovering a pistol, an assault rifle magazine, and passports from Tajikistan. In a video shown on state TV, a suspect stated that he had been paid 500,000 roubles ($5,425) by unknown people via Telegram to carry out the atrocity.

Central Asian States Respond to Moscow Attacks

ALMATY, Kazakhstan – Central Asian countries have denounced the attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed more than 60 people, with Kazakhstan offering the help of its law enforcement agencies to Russia if needed. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the mass shooting on Friday night. “Kazakhstan strongly condemns the terrorist act against civilians in Moscow," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a statement. He expressed condolences in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged United Nations member states to unanimously condemn the attack. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also sent condolencesto relatives of the dead and wishes for the quick recovery of the injured. More than 140 people were injured, according to Russian authorities. Video recorded by witnesses showed several gunmen roaming the concert hall, opening fire on civilians. A large blaze also broke out at the building during the attack. Uzbekistan “firmly condemns this act of terrorism directed against civilians, and the organizers and executors of this crime will be assured of the inevitability of punishment,” the president’s press service said. The claim of responsibility could not be immediately confirmed, and it was unclear whether there was a link to Islamic State extremists in Afghanistan. On Feb. 27, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke of threats coming from extremists in Afghanistan and prioritized “ensuring military security in the Central Asian strategic area.” Shoigu said the number of Islamic State militants in Afghanistan had increased by 15% in the past year. He said their key objectives were to spread radical ideology and to conduct subversive activities on the southern borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The organization, CSTO, is a Russian-led security alliance that includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Image above credit: Reuters

Tajikistan Intensifies Efforts to Train Locals for Work Abroad

Tajikistan is stepping up efforts to teach its citizens global job skills which will facilitate access to higher-paying trades and expand the range of migrant-labor opportunities. The state-administered Adult Education Center of Tajikistan offers training in more than 100 professions, with new specializations emerging every year. This year, the Asian Development Bank project plans to open three modern centers in Tajikistan for pre-departure training of migrants. These centers will train specialists in demand in the labor market, providing relevant international certificates. In addition, foreign languages, financial literacy and the basics of law and legal processes of different countries will be taught. According to Deputy Labor Minister Shakhnoza Nodiri, working abroad is crucial for Tajik citizens to earn more. A worker's qualifications are becoming one of the important requirements in the labor market, and the need for specifically trained personnel will grow in the future. Russia remains one of the key destination countries for migrant labor from Tajikistan. Under a 2023 agreement on organized employment of citizens of Tajikistan with the Russian Federation, the Agency for Employment Abroad placed about 5,000 Tajiks, or 77% of the 6,500 Tajik foreign workers they placed abroad, into positions in Russia. At the beginning of 2024, representatives of about 40 companies seeking employees from 13 countries visited the Agency for Employment Abroad to engage with Tajikistan's labor resources. Most of the requests came from companies in Russia -- where more than 100 companies applied to hire more than 20,000 workers from Tajikistan. In addition to Russia, last year Tajik citizens were employed in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, the UAE and Japan. Currently Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment is actively working on signing agreements on labor migration with the UK, the U.S., Korea, Canada, Germany, Singapore, the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In that way, Tajikistan is strengthening its efforts to diversify the geographical pathways of labor migration, helping to give Tajik migrant laborers a choice in where to go.

London University Installs Bust of Persian-Tajik Cultural Force Rudaki

A bust of Abu Abdullah Rudaki, the founder of Tajik-Persian literature, was installed last week at the University of London School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS). The bust is the latest initiative of the Tajik embassy in Great Britain. Tajikistan's ambassador Rukhshona Emomali was at SOAS for the presentation of the bust, and in a speech mentioned the contributions that Rudaki made to strengthening the Tajik-Persian language, and the foundations of Tajik literature and poetry. Thanks to him, in the centuries that followed, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Pakistan, and India recognized the Tajik-Persian language as a language of science, literature, and statehood. Following the presentation on 16 March, over 200 guests attended an event honoring Abu Abdullah Rudaki’s life. Staff from Tajikistan's Ministry of Education and Science met with members of SOAS, as well as the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Persian Studies and the University of Portsmouth, to discuss forming educational partnerships in future.

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.

EU Allocates $49 Million to Tajikistan for Energy Projects

The European Union has given Tajikistan €91 million ($99 million) for priority projects in the country under the first phase of the EU Multiannual Indicative Program (MIP) from 2021 to 2024. This was reported by Tajikistan's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. At a recent meeting, the EU representatives announced that they are prepared to give Tajikistan a €45 million ($49 million) grant for energy projects. Under the direction of the EU's ambassador to Tajikistan Raimundas Karoblis and Tajikistan’s deputy minister for economic development Ashurboy Solehzoda, the parties “stated that they were ready to increase their mutually beneficial cooperation" at the meeting. By the end of 2023, trade between Tajikistan and the EU was valued at $401.5 million ($437 million), according to the economy ministry. The department had previously stated that Tajikistan-EU trade was valued at $490 million in 2022, meaning that volumes fell by 22% in 2023.