Kyrgyzstan Begins Updating Red Book as Scientists Survey Rare Species Nationwide
Kyrgyzstan has begun preparing its first comprehensive update of the national Red Book in nearly two decades. On June 3, 2026, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision and the National Academy of Sciences signed a cooperation agreement to collect updated data on rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The project is scheduled to last two years and is estimated to cost about 21 million soms.
What Has Been Decided
Under the agreement, scientists from the National Academy of Sciences will carry out field and desk-based research across the country to obtain current, reliable information on rare and threatened species. The studies are intended to clarify population sizes, habitat ranges, and extinction risks.
At the end of the 24-month project, the scientists will submit a scientific database to the ministry, which will serve as the basis for a new edition of the Red Book. The ministry said updating this information will make it possible to protect vulnerable species more effectively and preserve the country’s biodiversity.
A Book Reissued Only Twice in 40 Years
A full edition of Kyrgyzstan’s Red Book has been published only twice. The first appeared in 1985, when it was still called the Red Book of the Kirghiz SSR. The second was released in 2006-2007 in two volumes: Animals and Plants and Fungi. Since then, the protected list has been adjusted without a new full edition. In 2019, officials said the list had increased by 22 animal and plant species, but no complete printed edition followed.
This is the gap the new revision is intended to close. Since the last edition, both the condition of wildlife populations and monitoring methods have changed. New field data is therefore needed to ensure that the document reflects the current situation.
Which Species Are Protected Today
The current Red Book of Kyrgyzstan includes 57 bird species, 23 mammal species, two amphibian species, eight reptile species, seven fish species, and 18 arthropod species. In addition to animals, 89 species of higher plants and fungi are protected.
These figures will be the starting point for the review. Researchers will need to determine which species are still found in their former habitats, which populations have declined, and which species may need to be added to the list for the first time.
Snow Leopard: A National Symbol and a Rare Example of Recovery
The best-known inhabitant of Kyrgyzstan’s mountains on the list is the snow leopard. On December 30, 2023, it was officially recognized as a national symbol of the country by presidential decree. The species is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and has rare or endangered status in all 12 countries across its range.
Kyrgyzstan is also one of the few countries where official figures indicate that the snow leopard population is growing. According to the 2024 count, the country had about 511 individuals, compared with 282 in 2013. Penalties for the illegal capture and export of the animal were also increased from 1.5 million to 2 million soms (about $17,150 to nearly $22,870).
Protection of the species is also supported institutionally. Kyrgyzstan has adopted a National Action Plan for Snow Leopard Conservation through 2030. Measures to improve protected areas cover around 792,000 hectares, while an ecological corridor has been created to support safe animal migration between the Khan Tengri, Sarychat-Ertash, and Naryn areas. At Bishkek’s initiative, the UN General Assembly declared October 23 International Snow Leopard Day.
The Red Book update is also part of a wider push to improve environmental data. The ministry has announced three new information systems, including a platform to monitor and track environmental initiatives.
The snow leopard’s story shows that monitoring data and conservation measures can change the fate of a species. How accurate this new review proves to be may determine which other animals and plants in Kyrgyzstan are given a chance to recover.
From Bishkek to Yakutsk: What Unites Eurasia’s Emerging Cinema
Stepan Burnashev is a Sakha filmmaker from Yakutia who has helped bring Yakut cinema to audiences far beyond the republic. His films have screened at international festivals, appeared on Amazon, and helped turn Yakut cinema into one of the most distinctive regional film movements in Eurasia. In Bishkek, where Burnashev served on the jury of the national KyrgyzBox section, The Times of Central Asia spoke with him about the phenomenon of Yakut cinema, international ambitions, and what connects Yakutsk, Bishkek, and other emerging cinemas of Eurasia. TCA: Stepan, this is not your first time attending the Bishkek International Film Festival. What attracts you to it? Stepan Burnashev: I love Bishkek very much. There is good cinema here, wonderful people, and Kyrgyz culture feels very close to me in many ways. I have attended three of the four festivals held so far. Still, I have never shown my own films here. The first time I came to Bishkek was at the invitation of Erke Jumakmatova, the head of the festival’s industry program. We met back in Busan, and she invited me to participate in a pitching session. Back then, I flew in with a team of Yakut filmmakers: Apollinaria Degtyareva, Alexey Egorov, and me. Apollinaria and I both participated in the pitching, and this year she entered the main competition of the Bishkek Film Festival with that project. The second time, I came on my own initiative because I had really fallen in love with the festival. It has a special warmth and atmosphere. This time I was invited as a jury member for the national KyrgyzBox program. TCA: How do you assess the KyrgyzBox program? Do you see any common ground between Kyrgyz and Yakut cinema? Stepan Burnashev: The program is interesting, though, as everywhere, there are weaker films and stronger ones. From what I understand, mainstream cinema, such as comedies, is more popular here, while in Yakutia, auteur films are also audience-driven. It is interesting, but I noticed that music is used much more actively in Kyrgyz films. In our films, music usually does not dictate anything to the viewer or tell them what to feel. Here I saw films with a different approach. It is curious. TCA: What kind of cinema interests you more today, auteur or mainstream? Stepan Burnashev: In fact, I do not divide cinema into auteur and mainstream. I divide films into good and not-so-good. I even try not to use the word “bad.” It seems unfair to the people who create films. Any director starts working on a film convinced they will make a great one. And I sincerely believe that no one sets out to make a terrible movie. Of course, there are cases where the result does not meet expectations, but behind every project there is the labor of many people. That deserves respect. TCA: What do you think about contemporary Kazakh cinema? Do you know it well? Stepan Burnashev: To say that I know Kazakh cinema very well would be an exaggeration. But I try to follow what is happening, I see the successes of Kazakh filmmakers, sometimes I watch Kazakh films, and I communicate with your directors and producers at festivals. So, I do have a certain understanding of the processes taking place in Kazakh cinema today. I like the work of Farkhat Sharipov, including Personal Growth Training and The Scheme. Once, we even discussed a troubling trend: your cinemas have become increasingly focused on films with obvious commercial potential, paying little attention to auteur cinema. TCA: Is it not the same for you? Stepan Burnashev: No. Of course, it is a market, but films in which an author tries to speak about social problems and cultural identity immediately find themselves at a disadvantage compared to other films. Perhaps cinemas consider such films too difficult for audiences, but I am sure that is not the case. Moreover, viewers eventually grow tired of repetitive content and popcorn cinema and begin looking for deeper stories. That is why I think it is important to change this trend and create conditions in which auteur cinema can also find its audience on the big screen. TCA: So auteur cinema feels better in Yakutia? Stepan Burnashev: Yes. I am very grateful to audiences in our republic because there is interest in all kinds of cinema. People watch comedies, horror films, thrillers, and dramas. Of course, arthouse films are a little more difficult, but audiences support them, too. TCA: Why does local auteur cinema enjoy such support in Yakutia? Stepan Burnashev: It is hard to say. Yakutia is generally a very creative region, and people there genuinely love cinema. If you look at statistics, the average occupancy rate of movie theaters worldwide is around 10% to 13%, while for us it can reach 35%. That is a huge difference. And audiences do not only love Yakut cinema; they love cinema itself. That love, at a certain point, helped our own film industry grow. TCA: When did Yakut cinema begin to succeed at the box office? Stepan Burnashev: Probably in the 2000s. Yakutia was part of Russia even in Soviet times and did not have independent status, so unlike the republics of the former Soviet Union, we did not have our own film industry for a long time. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan had national film studios even in Soviet times, while our full-fledged studio appeared only after the collapse of the Soviet Union. So, we started much later. But when Yakut films began to reach wide distribution, it became a real discovery for everyone: audiences, cinemas, and filmmakers themselves. One of the first was My Love by Sergey Potapov in 2004. Although it was experimental and very bloody, it still paid off, and it became clear that local cinema was truly in demand. TCA: Is that the film about two brothers dreaming of Hollywood and Broadway but killing prostitutes at night? Stepan Burnashev: Yes. It also had a very memorable poster. We walked past it and were amazed that someone had made a film featuring Sakha people. For me personally, it was a very important moment. Even as a child, I dreamed of seeing stories about us on the big screen, and that is largely why I later decided to become a director. TCA: When did Yakut filmmakers realize that local cinema could be both complex and a successful business? Stepan Burnashev: Quite quickly. In 2006, Trail of Death by Anatoly Sergeyev was released. It showed that local cinema could not only find an audience but also make money. Its success was linked not only to the film itself, but also to competent marketing. Posters were all over the city, there was an active advertising campaign, and quite bold promotional methods for that time were used. For example, the creators even launched a fake news story about a missing person connected to the film’s plot. TCA: What do you consider the most significant success of Yakut cinema? Stepan Burnashev: Without question, a huge event for all of Yakutia was the Oscar nomination received in 2023 by Haulout, the documentary film by Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev. And this was not just making the longlist or shortlist; it was a full nomination. For Yakut cinema, it was a very serious success. Another important achievement was the participation of Nuuccha by Vladimir Munkuev in the East of the West program at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in the East of the West Competition. TCA: And your film was also recognized in Warsaw, wasn’t it? Stepan Burnashev: Yes. For the anthology Yt, which we made together with Dmitry Davydov, we received a Special Jury Prize at the Warsaw Film Festival. But the most important thing was not even that. Our film deeply moved audiences; we had sold-out screenings. Viewers said they saw themselves on screen. And these were not people from Yakutia, but Polish audiences in Warsaw. For us, it became confirmation that a local story can be absolutely universal. TCA: Your film Aita, which was effectively banned in Russia after its distribution license was revoked, was released on Amazon. How important was that deal for you? Stepan Burnashev: Very important. But they bought not only Aita. Other Yakut films also made it onto international platforms. For me, it was a deliberate strategy. I understood that it was necessary to work not only within the region or the country, but also on global recognition for Yakut cinema. In Russia, there are no problems with access to our films, but abroad, for a long time, there were literally only a handful. On Amazon, for example, there was my zombie thriller Republic Z, the detective My Murderer by Kostas Marsaan, and several others. Such deals are important not only in terms of money. They also bring recognition, new professional connections, and the possibility of drawing attention to an entire industry. TCA: How did you manage to break into international distribution? Stepan Burnashev: It all started with a chance meeting. At one independent film gathering in Los Angeles, I met someone involved in international distribution. We started talking, and I told him I had come from Yakutia. At first, he reacted rather skeptically, something like: “From Siberia? And what could possibly be there?” Then I showed him my work, my IMDb page, and explained what was happening in Yakut cinema. He was genuinely surprised and interested. After that meeting, cooperation began, which later helped bring films onto international platforms. TCA: Today, you are trying to promote not only your own films, but the Yakut cinema brand as a whole? Stepan Burnashev: Yes, exactly. It is important to me that recognition appears not only for individual directors or specific projects, but for Yakut cinema as a whole. So that audiences and professionals abroad see it not just as a festival phenomenon, but as a full-fledged cinematic brand. That is why I want as many Yakut films as possible to appear on international platforms, not just my own. TCA: Your new films are co-productions. Does that mean your stories are becoming increasingly international? Stepan Burnashev: Yes, probably. And much of that is connected to the fact that in recent years I have constantly worked at international film markets. When you regularly attend the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan, the American Film Market, the Marché du Film in Cannes, Hong Kong Filmart, and other industry platforms, you gradually begin to think more broadly. You come to understand that the world is at once very large and very small. You meet people from different countries, find partners, and realize that local stories can be of interest to international audiences. So if there is an opportunity to tell such stories to the world, why not try? TCA: Recently you made a film about the Korean diaspora in Japan, an unexpected turn in your filmography. Stepan Burnashev: Yes, this year I finally made my first short film after a dozen feature-length ones. I was inspired by the story of actor Soji Arai, with whom we worked on a project in Malaysia, though that is another story. My short film is dedicated to the Zainichi, the Korean minority in Japan. It is a very dramatic page of history, connected with families divided by war and political circumstances. The story follows a man who, after two generations, tries to find his relatives and restore the lost connection with his family. I was interested in the themes of memory, loss, and the search for one’s roots. TCA: One of your new projects, Melting, is about ecology. Today, there is a lot of talk about climate change. How seriously is this problem felt in Yakutia? Stepan Burnashev: The environmental crisis is quite noticeable. Much of Yakutia is built on permafrost, and its thawing could have serious consequences. Even now, we see how the thawing affects the environment. It is especially visible in places where forests are cut down. There is the famous Batagaika Crater, a huge depression that continues to expand every year. And it is frightening. TCA: This film fits very well into the festival agenda. When choosing your next story, how important is it for you to fit into a trend? Stepan Burnashev: Honestly, at some point, I stopped thinking about that. Earlier, I probably also tried to analyze trends and understand what topics were in demand or what might interest festivals. But then I realized it was pointless. It is impossible to predict what the festival agenda will be in two or three years, when the film is ready. So now I try to think first and foremost about the film itself. If you tell a good story and make a good film, it will find its audience regardless of trends. But when you write solely with festival success in mind, it is very easy to lose sincerity. TCA: You are one of the most productive directors in Yakutia. What is the secret of your productivity? Stepan Burnashev: There is no special secret. I simply like telling stories. If an opportunity appears to realize a project, I try to use it. For me, it is a natural process. Stories come constantly, and if there is a way to film them, I start working. That is all. TCA: You work in different genres, but it seems to me that your films are especially strong in talking about human relationships and emotions. Or are you still searching for your genre? Stepan Burnashev: For me, everything begins with the story. When an idea appears, I do not think about whether it will be a horror film, a drama, or a melodrama about family relationships. The story itself gradually suggests the form in which it should exist. Sometimes this leads to genre cinema, sometimes to more intimate and emotional stories. What I do worse and what I do better is for audiences and critics to judge. But I definitely do not build my career on the principle of: now I will make a horror film, then a drama, then a comedy. I determine the genre in the process. TCA: How do you choose which project to launch next? Stepan Burnashev: It all comes down to the feasibility of the project at a given moment. Right now, I probably have around eight finished scripts. Some were written specifically for competitions and pitching sessions, while others emerged during work on other projects. For example, one script was written with a screenwriter for a competition. We did not receive support at the time, but the story itself remained. So there are many projects, and after that, it all depends on which one I can find financing, partners, and opportunities for. There are enough ideas; if only there were money for all of them.
The Fragile U.S.–Iran Truce: What Central Asia Stands to Gain and Lose
The preliminary memorandum signed in mid-June between the United States and Iran, followed by renewed talks between Washington and Tehran, has extended a U.S.–Iran truce and opened a 60-day window for negotiations on a final agreement. The nuclear terms remain unresolved, while Israel’s continued military presence in southern Lebanon, despite U.S. pressure for a withdrawal, underscores how fragile the broader regional de-escalation remains. At the end of this period, the parties may sign a final agreement, return to hostilities, or mutually agree to extend the interim arrangement. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, along with neighboring Azerbaijan, have welcomed efforts to de-escalate the conflict between the United States and Iran. The fighting briefly boosted demand for alternative routes through Central Asia, but prolonged instability would disrupt trade, raise transport and insurance costs, and increase security risks. The question now is what the region could gain if the pause holds. Those effects would vary across the region. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stand to benefit most directly from safer southern rail access through Iran to the Persian Gulf and Türkiye. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which are less directly connected to these corridors and less exposed to oil price swings, would feel the consequences mainly through freight costs, fuel prices, and wider regional trade. For Azerbaijan, a sustained pause would reinforce its role as the Caspian link between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye, while renewed instability would push more freight toward Trans-Caspian alternatives. That interest is not merely theoretical. Tajik-Iranian trade reached $119.6 million in the first quarter of 2026, while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are developing access to Iranian maritime infrastructure through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The opportunity, however, is conditional. A truce can reduce military risk, but it does not by itself remove the banking, insurance, and compliance problems that have long complicated trade through Iran. For Central Asian exporters and logistics companies, the question is not only whether routes are physically open, but whether carriers, lenders, insurers, and buyers are prepared to use them during a temporary 60-day window. Analysts interviewed by Deutsche Welle said the framework leaves several important provisions unresolved, making a final agreement uncertain. For Central Asia, the most immediate economic variable is the Strait of Hormuz. Kazakh historian and political analyst Sultan Akimbekov identifies its reopening as the key to easing global supply fears. A durable reopening, combined with the temporary U.S. waiver allowing Iranian oil sales through August 21, could put downward pressure on global energy prices. The effects would vary across Central Asia: weaker prices could strain hydrocarbon revenues, while lower fuel, fertilizer, and freight costs could ease imported inflation in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. For Kazakhstan, lower global oil prices would have significant implications. National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov has said oil generates more than 50% of the country’s export revenues and over 30% of the state budget and National Fund revenues. That would reverse one of the conflict’s few short-term economic benefits for Kazakhstan. Higher crude prices had briefly improved the outlook for export revenues, although market volatility and higher import and freight costs diluted the gain. The truce could therefore remove a temporary windfall for Astana while easing inflationary pressure in the region’s energy-importing economies.
The clearest longer-term opportunity may lie in trade and transit. On June 16, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin held a bilateral meeting with an Iranian delegation led by Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh.
The sides discussed the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, expansion of port infrastructure, increasing bilateral trade volumes, and improving transport and logistics ties. By the end of 2025, cargo volumes along the North-South corridor had increased by 12% to 3.5 million tons. Rail freight between the two countries rose by 69%. Kazakhstan and Iran intend to modernize transport infrastructure to increase the corridor’s capacity to 20 million tons per year. The sides also emphasized the importance of the recently signed five-party railway agreement between China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey, as well as the upcoming four-party tariff agreement between Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, which is expected to create additional conditions for trade and transit growth. At the start of the military escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran, regional economist and Logistan editor-in-chief Grigory Mikhailov had already pointed to transport and logistics opportunities for Central Asia. “There is a chance to attract investment into logistics development from major players, primarily China. For Beijing, the current situation is evidence of the need to develop alternative routes bypassing the Middle East. Options include expanding rail transit through Central Asia and Russia, as well as gradually developing the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s Arctic coast,” he said. De-escalation in the Middle East, even if temporary, may alter China’s plans for diversifying logistics routes, but is unlikely to cancel them altogether. This makes the pause a test of route confidence as much as diplomacy. If the ceasefire holds, Iran could regain some value as one of Central Asia’s shortest southern outlets to the Persian Gulf and Türkiye. If it fails, the region’s search for alternatives will accelerate, strengthening demand for the Trans-Caspian route through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. In that sense, both peace and renewed instability could increase Central Asia’s strategic importance, but through different corridors. Another possible scenario involves Kazakhstan’s potential role in arrangements related to Iran’s nuclear program. Under the memorandum signed by Trump and Pezeshkian, Iran agreed not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons, but the framework sets no detailed limits on the program. The fate of Iran’s accumulated enriched-uranium stockpile is to be resolved in later talks. Washington and Tehran have publicly disputed what was agreed on inspections, although the memorandum says nuclear activities involving material and facilities would be supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Kazakhstan had indicated its willingness to receive Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% if Washington and Tehran reached an agreement on the nuclear program. Grossi made the statement following his May 26 meeting in Astana with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan’s potential role rests on an established non-proliferation record: it hosted two rounds of nuclear talks with Iran in Almaty in 2013 and now hosts the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank. The bank itself is not authorized to receive or process Iran’s uranium enriched to 60%, however, meaning that any such arrangement would require separate legal documents, safeguards, financing, custody rules, and probably dedicated infrastructure. For Central Asia, the truce is less a peace dividend than a redistribution of risk. Hydrocarbon exporters could lose from weaker energy prices, while import-dependent economies could gain from lower fuel and freight costs. The region would also benefit from having more viable routes to world markets. The real question is whether banks, insurers, transport companies, and investors are willing to do business through Iran. Unless they are, the truce will remain a political pause rather than a lasting economic benefit for Central Asia.
EU Launches Platform to Mobilize Up to €2 Billion for Europe–Central Asia Connectivity
The European Commission launched a Connectivity Agenda Platform on June 23, 2026, and concluded statements of intent with international financial institutions expected to mobilize up to €2 billion ($2.3 billion) for transport, border-crossing and trade-facilitation projects across the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.
The initiative was unveiled at a high-level ministerial meeting in Brussels, hosted by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela, and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The meeting brought together transport ministers and senior officials from EU member states, as well as representatives from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, alongside international lenders, to advance connectivity projects under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
The new platform is designed to coordinate investments and policy actions across transport, energy, digital connectivity, and trade. Participants also agreed to improve the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, a wider framework that includes the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor.
The route links China and Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus, offering an alternative to transport routes crossing Russia.
The European Commission said the expected financing would support transport infrastructure, border-crossing modernization, and trade-facilitation projects aimed at improving freight movement across the corridor.
“The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor is becoming a vital bridge between Europe and Asia,” Síkela said, adding that the investments would help make the route faster, more reliable, and better integrated.
Tzitzikostas said stronger transport links were critical for economic competitiveness and regional resilience.
The platform’s launch came during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Brussels, where he met with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In an EU–Kazakhstan joint statement, the leaders reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian corridor and pledged deeper cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
They also highlighted the EU’s role as Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner and agreed to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, energy, transport, digitalization, and emerging technologies.
Speaking at the Kazakhstan-EU roundtable in Brussels, Tokayev said Kazakhstan was investing heavily in infrastructure to position itself as a regional logistics hub connecting Europe, Central Asia, China, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.
According to Tokayev, cargo volumes along the Middle Corridor have risen fivefold over the past six years, from 0.8 million tons to 4.1 million tons annually, with Kazakhstan targeting a capacity of 10 million tons.
He said Kazakhstan has invested more than $35 billion in transport and logistics infrastructure over the past 15 years, with the Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk serving as major transit gateways.
Tokayev also welcomed logistics agreements worth nearly $1 billion signed on June 23 by the Development Bank of Kazakhstan: one with the European Investment Bank, and a separate agreement with a banking syndicate including Commerzbank, JPMorgan Chase, and Standard Chartered, backed by guarantees from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
A day earlier, Kazakhstan and European partners announced four transport-related agreements worth a combined $462 million to further strengthen connectivity along the Middle Corridor.
Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now
As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team covers a major political merger in Kazakhstan, new counter-terrorism raids in southern Kyrgyzstan, a shock resignation inside the Kyrgyz government, security and military forces being placed on high alert across the country, and Uzbekistan making its historic debut at the FIFA World Cup, as the rest of Central Asia reacts to a rare bit of good regional news. Before then turning to our main story this week, where a major new European Union report has examined foreign information manipulation, narrative shaping, and how Russia and China are trying to influence the media and messaging ecosystem across Central Asia.
Special guest: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (Managing Director of the European Neighbourhood Council)
Kyrgyz PM Courts Investors in Tashkent With Call for Shared Regional Future
Tashkent (June 17): Speaking to a packed audience at the opening of the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and head of the Presidential Administration, opened his remarks with a sober assessment of the global landscape: "The global economy is undergoing a period of profound transformation: a technological revolution, an energy transition, the reshaping of global supply chains, growing demand for critical minerals, and the need to ensure food security are together creating new conditions of international competition while also opening new opportunities for cooperation." Despite global uncertainty, Kasymaliev argued that success would favor countries willing to cooperate and move quickly: "the countries that benefit most are those that make decisions faster, establish clear rules, and remain open to long-term partnership." In this context, Kasymaliev cast Tashkent as much more than a venue for dialogue. "Today, Tashkent is once again becoming a platform for discussing the common future of the region," he said, noting that mutual benefit offered a better path than zero-sum competition. His remarks rested on the premise that Central Asian states gain more from unity than from going it alone, and that the region's economic trajectory now hinges on its members' willingness to act as partners rather than rivals. Kasymaliev placed Kyrgyzstan's outlook within the National Development Program through 2030, which he said is built around accelerated industrialization, export expansion, digital transformation, and deeper regional integration, with the explicit goal of moving the country into the ranks of upper-middle-income states by decade's end. He cited 2025 GDP growth of 11% as evidence the strategy is already bearing fruit. Kasymaliev then outlined six government priorities for cooperation and investment. The first is critical minerals, with an emphasis on moving beyond raw extraction toward processing and component manufacturing for green energy. The second is energy, where new renewable producers receive a five-year profit tax exemption, and officials are pursuing hydropower, solar, wind, and eventually hydrogen. The third is agribusiness and food security, centered on agro-processing, greenhouse complexes, and cold storage aimed at export markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and China. The fourth is transport and logistics, anchored by the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. "As our President has emphasized, it is a strategic bridge between countries and markets," Kasymaliev said, a corridor expected to cut delivery times to as little as ten days. The fifth priority is the digital economy, built around a newly enacted Digital Code and an effort to draw venture capital into the country's startup ecosystem. The sixth is capital markets, including plans to list state-owned enterprises through IPOs and the creation of the Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory on Lake Issyk-Kul, designed as a regional hub for international capital under its own distinct legal regime. Running through all six priorities was a broader argument about timing: in a period of technological upheaval, energy transition, and shifting supply chains, the states that move fastest and cooperate most openly stand to capture the largest share of new opportunity. Kasymaliev closed by returning to the regional theme that opened his remarks, framing the moment as one that belongs to Central Asia as a whole rather than to any single country. "Central Asia today is becoming one of the most promising regions," he said, attributing the shift to a sustained rise in political dialogue and economic engagement among neighboring states, which he said is building trust and "significantly raises the region's investment appeal." That progress, he stressed, is a collective achievement: "This achievement belongs to the leaders of our states and reflects a new quality of regional cooperation." He extended that logic into a direct appeal to the forum's investors: "We are interested in further expanding this inter-regional cooperation and advancing practical engagement across a range of fields, including logistics, industry, and others." Kasymaliev ended with an appeal to investors, saying the Kyrgyz Republic was open to projects "not tied to political conditions." The message was clear: Kyrgyzstan wants investment, but it also wants to present that pitch as part of a broader regional story.
Tea, Tug-of-War, and Team GB at the World Nomad Games
A British tug-of-war athlete preparing for a nomadic sports festival in Kyrgyzstan sounds like the start of a strange travel documentary. It is also part of the appeal of the World Nomad Games, which return to Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 6, 2026, with The Times of Central Asia once again reporting from the ground. Since their launch in 2014, the Games have grown far beyond their roots, turning traditional sports into an international meeting point for athletes, spectators, and cultures that rarely share the same arena.
What began as a Kyrgyz initiative has become one of the world’s more unusual sporting gatherings, mixing horseback combat, archery, wrestling, eagle hunting, strength contests, board games, food, music, and craft traditions in a format closer to a living festival than a conventional tournament. For visiting teams, the challenge is not only athletic. It is cultural, physical, and occasionally bewildering in the best possible way, as The Times of Central Asia explored in an interview with Sam Pollard from Team Great Britain.
TCA: How did you first become involved with the World Nomad Games, and what drew you to competing there?
Sam Pollard: I read Sovietistan: A Journey Through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan by Erika Fatland in my second year at university, in 2023. I already knew I wanted to travel to Central Asia after university because it was completely unknown to me. I like going to places where no one I know has been, and I was excited to experience it for myself and see whether it was a hidden gem. It absolutely turned out to be just that.
The book mentioned Kok Boru, or Kokpar, as one of Central Asia’s traditional games. I searched for it on YouTube and found a video of it being played at the World Nomad Games. I thought, what on earth are the World Nomad Games? I did more research, looked at some of the sports, and saw that the Games lined up perfectly with when I was hoping to travel to Central Asia.
Initially, we planned to go as spectators, but then I saw that you could apply to participate. Because my friends and I had a tug-of-war background at university, we thought we’d apply, see what happened, and hope for the best. What drew us to competing was the chance to learn about and embrace nomadic culture, which we didn’t really know much about. We are quite open-minded people, so we were excited to learn from different cultures and see what we could take from them.
Each “Stan” is completely different, which made the region even more attractive to us. Kyrgyzstan has its beautiful mountains, Uzbekistan has its amazing mosques, Kazakhstan has the great steppes - Mangistau is incredible - and Tajikistan has the Pamir Highway. There was a real draw for us in the unknown.
TCA: What was it like being the flagbearer for the UK team at the Kazakhstan Nomad Games in 2024?
Sam Pollard: It was undoubtedly the proudest moment of my life, wielding the British flag in front of thousands of shouting people in the stadium. It was completely surreal and I was absolutely ecstatic, overwhelmed, just everything to be honest. The feeling that I most felt was honored that they'd accepted a country like Great Britain, which isn't nomadic, being there. For the nomadic countries to embrace us and accept us was amazing. It was really the perfect start to the games. After seeing everyone in the stadium shouting and all the other countries and athletes, it really gave us that extra drive to really push ourselves and try our best in the competition.
TCA: Tug-of-war is familiar in the UK, but the World Nomad Games place it in a very different cultural setting. How does it feel to compete in that context?
Sam Pollard: Most of us are used to competing against fellow Brits at our respective universities, whereas this is a much more international competition. Half the team is new, and half the team competed in Kazakhstan, so half of us now know what it feels like to compete at an international level. We know the pressure that comes with it, and the real butterflies in the stomach and nerves. This year, half of us will be used to it, and the other half will not, but we will be able to ease them in, tell them about it, and release some of that pressure.
We are also used to competing in grueling, muddy field conditions in the UK, and the fact that we did that last time as well means half of us are ready for whatever is thrown our way. In terms of the context of the World Nomad Games, last time in Kazakhstan we were taken such good care of by the organizers, volunteers, hotel staff, drivers, spectators, literally everything. We could not have asked for a more perfect setting to ease us into the World Nomad Games, and I am sure Kyrgyzstan this year will be the same.
TCA: What does the UK team’s presence at the World Nomad Games say about the growing international reach of nomadic sports?
Sam Pollard: The UK is not the first country people associate with nomadic culture, so the reaction from teams and spectators in Kazakhstan was incredible.
When we were training in the practice arena, other teams came up to us, helped with our technique, and did intermediate-level pulls against us so we could get a feel for what the competition would be like. It was mainly because none of us had competed on an international stage before, so I think we were all feeling the pressure. That really helped us settle down and improve our tug-of-war technique, which was vital for the competition. It was very kind of them, and I don’t think you would get that in many other sporting events. The way I describe it is that there was a real community feel.
That was true within the tug-of-war community, but also with athletes from Switzerland, the U.S., Kazakhstan, and many other countries. We met athletes from all over, and everyone was happy to talk about their sport and what they were doing. People were inviting each other to watch their events, such as horseback archery and Kok Boru, which were amazing because they are not sports we really see in the Western world. It would be lovely to see them in the Olympics one day, but that is also what makes the World Nomad Games so brilliant and unique: you can see all these sports together in one competition.
The spectators were incredible as well. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to a few countries, and the people of Kazakhstan are honestly some of the nicest I have met. They are so hospitable, kind, and generous with strangers. I would be on a train in Kazakhstan, and people would offer tea, bread, and food, even though they didn’t know I was an athlete. The spectators were very happy, very loud, and very excited, especially when the Kazakhstan national team was playing.
There was a genuine intrigue and excitement from the spectators. I think they appreciate more countries coming over to support the growth of the World Nomad Games, because it really does deserve to be on the main stage. We also had two incredible volunteers helping us, and a few British supporters in the crowd, along with the UK Embassy in Astana. They were brilliant throughout, and having British spectators all the way out in Astana was really quite surreal.
TCA: Looking ahead to 2026, what are you most excited about, both as a competitor and as someone representing the UK at an event rooted in Central Asian traditions?
Sam Pollard: As a competitor representing the UK, I think being able to compete in the country where the World Nomad Games began will be an amazing experience. Kazakhstan went big last year, both in hosting the event and supporting the competitors, as well as promoting the Games throughout the country. Given Kyrgyzstan’s friendly but fierce rivalry with Kazakhstan, I think this year will be even bigger. We’re all buzzing over the fact that Kyrgyzstan has built a 51,000-seat stadium for the opening ceremony. If last time was not big enough, this time feels like it will be an absolute dream.
We’re excited to come back. For the tug-of-war team, I think we have a stronger group this year, so we should be able to compete more than last time. Having it in a more nomadic location, around Issyk-Kul, with an expanded group of Brits, will make it a proper team-bonding experience. It should also help us embrace the nomadic culture more than being in a city did last time.
I’m also very excited because we’ve increased female participation and male participation, but we haven’t really had female participation in non-intellectual sports. We have people doing horseback archery and match wrestling, so I am really proud that we have been able to bring together a larger group of both men and women, particularly women, for the Nomad Games.
I am also excited about the Kyrgyz hat, the tall white traditional hat, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one. More broadly, because the event is in Central Asia, I think it is important for us to embrace Central Asian traditions and bring some of those lessons back to the UK. What struck me last time was the sense of community, and how kind, caring, and generous people were to strangers, offering tea and bread on trains. That is not really something we have in the UK. In London, for example, it is very head down, go, go, go. In Central Asia, the community feeling and willingness to help people are much more apparent. I think all countries could use more of that, and it is something I have tried to take back with me personally to the UK.
That may be the real pull of the World Nomad Games. A British team arrives for tug-of-war and finds itself among Kok Boru riders, eagle hunters, wrestlers, archers, and strangers offering tea on trains. The setting is unfamiliar, but the welcome is not. In Kyrgyzstan this year, Team Great Britain will not just be competing. It will be part of a festival that keeps proving how far nomadic traditions can travel.
Tickets for the World Nomad Games 2026 will be released through the official platform.
Kyrgyzstan Proposes Blogger Tax Breaks as Kazakhstan Tightens Scrutiny
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are taking sharply different approaches to the growing influence of bloggers. In Bishkek, President Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree calling for tax incentives for the IT sector, startups and creative industries, including bloggers, a move that has sparked criticism even from content creators themselves. In Astana, meanwhile, authorities are intensifying scrutiny of influencers’ income and using criminal law in high-profile cases involving online figures. Kazakh tax authorities have continued scrutinizing the earnings of popular bloggers, alongside high-profile enforcement cases. In addition, journalists and other online voices in Kazakhstan have faced prosecution under Article 274 of the Criminal Code, which concerns the dissemination of knowingly false information and carries the possibility of a prison sentence. Japarov’s Tax Initiative Sparks Debate Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov’s initiative to introduce tax breaks for the IT sector, startups, and representatives of the creative industries has sparked broad public debate. The decree, signed on June 12 and titled “On Measures to Improve the Tax System and Tax Administration,” calls for broad changes to tax legislation, including five-year tax holidays for several categories of business. Under the decree, companies and entrepreneurs working in software development, information systems, and artificial intelligence may be exempt from number of taxes for five years. The proposed benefits would also extend to startups, outsourcing companies, producers of film, video and television content, bloggers, remote employees of foreign companies, and other creative-industry workers. Under the same preferential regime, authorities also plan to set income tax at 5% and social security contributions at 12% of the average monthly wage for these categories. Kyrgyzstan’s State Tax Service says the new measure will help position the country as a regional center for IT and creative industries, including artificial intelligence. The agency expects the tax incentives to attract investment, stimulate the creation of new startups and increase exports of digital services. Supporters of the initiative argue that reducing the tax burden could provide an important boost for young entrepreneurs and technology companies, allowing them to direct more resources toward product development, the introduction of new technologies, and improved competitiveness. Authorities also hope the measure will help retain young specialists in the country and make Kyrgyzstan more attractive to international companies. At the same time, the proposal has drawn criticism, particularly over the inclusion of bloggers among those eligible for tax benefits. Social media users have questioned why the state is granting tax breaks to content creators while doctors, teachers, and other socially important professions continue to pay taxes in full. Kyrgyz blogger and entrepreneur Ilim Karypbekov has publicly opposed exempting bloggers from taxes. He said content creators earning money from advertising should pay taxes on the same basis as other entrepreneurs. Karypbekov said he supports tax incentives for the IT sector but believes it is a mistake to extend them to bloggers. “If I earned 100 soms, I would give four soms to the state. That is a very small amount,” Karypbekov said, adding that many popular bloggers generate substantial advertising revenue and should contribute to the state budget. Criticism has also come from within the blogging community itself. Blogger Aziza Berdibaeva said she understands the public’s dissatisfaction and believes tax benefits should first be directed toward supporting doctors and teachers. “If people are going to hate us for this, please, take back our taxes,” she said. Berdibaeva added that bloggers already pay taxes and would continue to do so, and called instead for restoring access to TikTok. The debate surrounding the decree has shown that, despite the potential economic benefits of the initiative, society remains divided over who exactly should be entitled to tax breaks. Kazakhstan Takes a Tougher Approach Kazakhstan, meanwhile, appears determined to formalize and regulate the blogging and digital content market, including earlier proposals for a blogger licensing system. Tax authorities regularly remind content creators of their obligation to declare income, while leading influencers face regular checks. Officials say these measures are aimed at bringing the digital economy out of the shadows. Kazakh tax officials say some bloggers and influencers have underreported their income. Through a desk-based review known as cameral tax control, authorities identified 854 influencers and bloggers who had underreported income for 2022–2023 by a total of 71.9 billion tenge, or about $139.5 million, according to the State Revenue Committee of the Finance Ministry. Of those, 622 influencers filed additional declarations covering 18.3 billion tenge, or about $35.5 million, in income. The resulting tax assessment totaled 875.5 million tenge. Previous State Revenue Committee figures put underreported income by 594 bloggers at 53.3 billion tenge, or about $103.4 million. The Zhanabylov Case As a separate example of enforcement related to influencer activity, an Astana court in April found bloggers Yerbolat Zhanabylov and Elmira Tolegenova guilty of illegal entrepreneurship and laundering criminal proceeds. Tolegenova was sentenced to two years in a minimum-security prison, with confiscation of property. Her sentence was deferred for two years because she has young children. Zhanabylov received a two-year suspended sentence, also with confiscation of property. Zhanabylov and Tolegenova are among Kazakhstan’s most popular bloggers. Zhanabylov has 8.4 million followers, while Tolegenova has 7.1 million. Their posts regularly attract millions of views, and their giveaways often go viral on Instagram. According to investigators, the couple used the trust of their audience to generate illegal income. In 2025, they allegedly organized a scheme disguised as online courses, with buyers drawn mainly by giveaways for expensive prizes. Investigators concluded that the video materials had no educational value. Much of the content had been copied from open sources, including YouTube, and served only as a cover for an unlicensed lottery. Authorities also said the prize fund was not financed from the couple’s own money, as they had publicly claimed, but from payments made by participants under the guise of online course fees. The couple publicly announced that an 11th car would be awarded to the participant who made the most reposts, in an attempt to increase reach and draw attention to the campaign. According to law enforcement, no winner was selected and no prize was handed over. During the arrests, authorities seized a large amount of cash and froze 10 vehicles, including a Lamborghini Urus and a Lexus LX 600, as well as 17 iPhones. The case became one of Kazakhstan’s most prominent enforcement actions involving the influencer economy. Kazakhstan also enforces Article 274 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the dissemination of knowingly false information. In March, a group of Kazakhstani journalists appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to decriminalize the article. The appeal followed the opening of a case against journalist Botagoz Omarova, which was later dropped after she admitted guilt and issued an apology. KazTAG editor-in-chief Amir Kasenov, who is also charged under the same article, was under house arrest until June 15, when a court replaced his house arrest with detention in custody. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are taking notably different paths in regulating bloggers. While Bishkek is moving to support and formalize the creative sector through tax breaks, Astana is tightening oversight of both income and content. As social media’s influence continues to grow, both countries are searching for their own balance between developing the digital economy, ensuring tax transparency and holding online voices accountable.
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Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships
