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Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov Awarded Academic Titles

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has been awarded the title of professor in economic and political sciences and elected as an academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. The announcement was made by the state-run Golden Age. The award ceremony took place at the Academy of Sciences on the eve of Science Day, observed annually in Turkmenistan on June 12. According to the official statement, Berdimuhamedov received the professorship for his “outstanding contributions to scientific-production, innovation-industrial, socio-economic, and scientific-technical transformations,” as well as for promoting modern science and expanding international cooperation. The academy also said his election as an academician reflected his role in socio-economic development, the modernization of healthcare, support for science and education, the introduction of new technologies into the economy, and raising Turkmenistan’s international standing. The 44-year-old president has now followed a path similar to that of his father, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the country’s former president, who is widely known by the title Arkadag, or “Protector.” Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov holds titles including Doctor of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Economics, professor, and academician of the Academy of Sciences. The elder Berdimuhamedov has authored more than 60 books covering topics ranging from medicine and philosophy to culture, spirituality, Akhal-Teke horses, Alabai dogs, and sports. Serdar Berdimuhamedov has so far published four books. President Berdimuhamedov graduated in 2001 from the Turkmen Agricultural University named after Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan’s first president, with a degree in engineering technology. Between 2008 and 2011, he served as counselor-envoy at Turkmenistan’s embassy in Russia while studying international relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Russia’s Foreign Ministry. In August 2014, he defended his PhD-equivalent dissertation at the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, and in July 2015 received a Doctor of Technical Sciences degree.

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Kyrgyzstan Expands Domestic Drone Production

A private research center near Bishkek is expanding production of unmanned and robotic systems as Kyrgyzstan invests more heavily in drones, robotics, and military modernization. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces have expanded alongside sharp increases in defense spending, with drones receiving particular attention since Bishkek acquired its first combat drones in late 2021. The Nanospace Research Center, which operates with private funding, was established with support from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, who allocated land for the facility and helped its founders establish cooperation with the country’s armed forces. According to Nanospace Director Ulan Salamatov, the center now holds a license to manufacture military-grade unmanned systems. “We assemble FPV drones, long-range reconnaissance drones, and ground robotic systems here. These machines can provide fire support or place explosives under enemy tanks,” Nanospace Director Ulan Salamatov told The Times of Central Asia. “Of course, we hope there will be no war, but in any case, we must be prepared.” Salamatov said the center initially copied foreign drone models before developing its own long-range reconnaissance drone, the SAARA-02. He claimed the drone was tested in Batken and used to support Kyrgyz forces during the 2021 Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes. He said the center is now capable of independently producing high-altitude reconnaissance drones, with most parts manufactured in-house using 3D printers. Only chips and microprocessors are imported, while circuit boards and electronic systems are assembled at the facility. The center also produces FPV drones, though Salamatov said mass production remains limited by a lack of industrial machinery and equipment. In addition to aerial drones, Nanospace is building small, unmanned ground vehicles designed to deliver ammunition and supplies to frontline positions or evacuate wounded soldiers. Salamatov said the center is also working under contract with the Kyrgyz special forces to build the Kabylan combat vehicle, a robotic platform that can be equipped with machine guns or serve as a mobile drone-launching base. [caption id="attachment_50418" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] @TCA[/caption] Salamatov said the center plans to begin training students this autumn, opening its facilities to young engineers interested in robotics. The program will combine theoretical classes in the morning with practical training alongside the center’s engineers. Rocket engineering is another focus for the facility. Several prototype rockets developed by the team have already reached altitudes of two kilometers, Salamatov said. Engineers are now working on a rocket capable of reaching the stratosphere. If successful, he said, the center plans to launch a dedicated rocket engineering faculty next year.

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Kazakhstan Registers Five New Gold Deposits as Jewelers Seek Raw Materials

Citing World Gold Council data, Azamat Panbayev, chairman of the Industrial Committee at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, said Kazakhstan ranked 14th globally in gold production last year. He was speaking at the VII Forum of Gold Producers of Kazakhstan held as part of the international Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress 2026. “The gold mining industry remains one of the strategically important sectors of industry and makes a significant contribution to the country’s economic development,” Panbayev said. “Kazakhstan has a substantial mineral resource base: 374 gold deposits with total reserves of 2,369 tons are currently listed on the state balance sheet. Last year alone, five new deposits with reserves of around 98 tons of gold were added to the state register.” According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, Kazakhstan produced 71.2 tons of refined gold in 2025, while investment in precious metals production reached $202.6 million, up 38% from the previous year. Gold refining in Kazakhstan is carried out by Tau-Ken Altyn LLP, the country’s only specialized state refinery and a subsidiary of National Mining Company Tau-Ken Samruk JSC. The Astana-based plant purchases doré, a semi-refined alloy containing gold and silver, from gold mining companies and sells gold refined to 99.99% purity. However, only 5% of the raw materials purchased by jewelers in Kazakhstan come from the Astana refinery, said Kanat Baitov, executive director of the Dragnet Association. He estimated that more than 50% of the industry’s raw materials market remains in the shadow economy. “We mine 70 tons of gold every year. If even 20 tons, or at least 5 tons, of that were used for jewelry production, the industry would have real potential,” Baitov said. Kazakhstan has introduced a VAT exemption for jewelers purchasing granulated gold from the state refinery, according to Baitov. “They are ready to supply not only granulated gold but, over time, if volumes increase, they are also prepared to supply alloys to the domestic market and could produce ready-made assay standards for jewelers,” he said, referring to Tau-Ken Altyn. He noted that jewelers would only be able to benefit from the new tax incentives for purchasing raw materials from the state plant if they increased procurement volumes. Currently, by his estimate, purchases do not exceed 30 kilograms per year. He added that such practices could eventually raise questions from the state regarding the origin of the raw materials used by jewelers in Kazakhstan. Zhaniya Dabyr, co-owner of the jewelry company Kazakhyuvelir, said the industry faces several challenges. These include high raw material costs, limited access to financing, the shadow market, insufficient government support, weak promotion in foreign markets, and limited tax incentives. “We propose expanding the mechanism for selling gold to domestic manufacturers and introducing a more flexible system of installment payments, fixing the gold price on the purchase date, as well as considering discounts for domestic producers and additional preferences for export-oriented companies,” Dabyr said. Kazakhyuvelir also proposed creating a digital accounting system for the jewelry market that would cover manufacturers...

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AIRUN CEO Chingiz Arziev on Building Kyrgyzstan’s Sovereign AI

The Times of Central Asia was delighted to interview Chingiz Arziev, CEO of AIRUN a Kyrgyzstan-based company developing AI infrastructure for the Kyrgyz language. AIRUN’s technology includes a large language model, speech recognition, text-to-speech tools, AI translation, and digital avatars designed for use in government, education, media, business, and public services. Chingiz Arziev spoke to TCA about the challenge of building AI for a low-resource language, why digital sovereignty matters for Kyrgyzstan, and how the company hopes to take its experience to other countries facing similar language and technology challenges. TCA: To begin with, can you tell us a little about yourself: where you grew up, what you studied, and how you first became interested in technology? Chingiz Arziev: I was born and raised in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My interest in technology started very early. Around the age of nine, I discovered design software: Photoshop, Illustrator, and CorelDRAW. I was not only learning how to use them, but also comparing their interfaces and trying to understand what made one product more intuitive than another. At around 14, I became interested in motion design, 3D graphics, and digital sculpting. I studied Adobe After Effects, Blender, and ZBrush. Whatever software I was learning, I was always interested in the same thing: user experience. Already by the age of 16, I had started learning HTML and CSS to begin building websites and landing pages. Looking back, the common thread has always been understanding how technology works and how it can solve real problems for people. TCA: Was there a particular moment when you realized that artificial intelligence could become a serious field for you personally? Chingiz Arziev: I have always been drawn to advanced engineering and emerging technologies. In 2015, I became deeply involved in the blockchain space. The architectures, protocols, and decentralized systems being developed at the time felt completely new and inspiring. But even that did not compare to what happened during the AI boom of 2022. I still remember the day I sent my first prompt to ChatGPT. For me, that was the moment everything changed. I immediately saw the direction technology would take over the next 20 years. After that, I spoke about artificial intelligence everywhere. I talked about how AI would transform industries, reshape professions, automate routine work, and fundamentally change the labor market. Many friends and colleagues thought I was exaggerating. But I had spent years following companies such as Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Unitree, and DJI. Because of that, I saw a broader picture. Artificial intelligence would not develop in isolation. It would advance alongside robotics, autonomous systems, and automation. After sending that first prompt to ChatGPT, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to artificial intelligence. TCA: How did the idea for AIRUN first come about, and what problem were you trying to solve? Chingiz Arziev: For countries with low-resource languages, the need for sovereign AI has existed for a long time. The challenge was never the idea itself. The challenge was execution, expertise, infrastructure, and...

Business & Economy Tajikistan Tajikistan Business Economy

Turkish Airlines to Fly Daily to Dushanbe

Turkish Airlines will increase flights between Istanbul and Dushanbe from five to seven days a week, according to Turkey’s ambassador in Tajikistan. “Starting on August 3, daily Dushanbe–Istanbul flights will be available, further strengthening connectivity between Turkey and Tajikistan,” Ambassador Umut Acar said on Facebook. The development comes amid signs of domestic growth in commercial aviation in Tajikistan, whose national carrier, Somon Air, said last month that it was expecting the delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the next few months. In April, Shohin Airlines, a new private airline registered in Tajikistan, said it was in the final stage of acquiring four planes from the Airbus A320neo line of aircraft. In 2025, civil aviation authorities in Tajikistan lifted many market restrictions under a new government policy. The move was aimed at encouraging competition, leading to better prices for passengers, more efficient service, and route diversification.

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U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

The United States and Iran said on June 15 that they had reached a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The sides said a memorandum of understanding could be signed on June 19 in Switzerland. The exact terms were not immediately known, with Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief left for later talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Trump posted, on Truth Social, “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Brent crude fell by more than 4% in early trading, and Asian stock markets advanced. Reuters later said shippers remained cautious after one LNG tanker passed through Hormuz on June 15. A reopened strait would not restore normal traffic immediately, with freight flows depending on mine clearance, insurance rules, port inspections, and shipping guidance for vessels entering the area. Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian state to publicly welcome the latest announcement. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the political will of the parties, saying they had helped “restore trust and mutually acceptable solutions.” Azerbaijan also issued a supporting statement praising Pakistan’s mediation and saying further talks could support “lasting peace and stability.” Central Asian governments had previously welcomed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire in April, with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan calling for de-escalation and diplomacy. For Central Asia, oil prices are only part of the story. The larger question is whether de-escalation can reopen practical access to southern trade routes, ports, and markets beyond the Caspian. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the region has paid closer attention to alternatives to routes through Russia. Iran offers one of its shortest paths to the Gulf, the Indian Ocean, Türkiye, and India. But sanctions, banking risk, war insurance, and U.S. policy shifts have kept that path fragile. Chabahar is the clearest example. In May 2024, India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the port on the Gulf of Oman. India’s shipping minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, called Chabahar “a vital trade artery connecting India with Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries.” The port allows Indian cargo to reach Afghanistan and Central Asia without crossing Pakistan, and gives Central Asian exporters another route toward India and the Indian Ocean. The sanctions picture remains uncertain. On October 30, 2025, Washington granted India a six-month waiver that allowed operations at Chabahar to continue. No public replacement had been announced by June 15. The new framework could make another waiver easier to justify, but banks and insurers will wait for signed text, U.S. guidance, and proof that Hormuz and Iranian ports are safe. Reuters cited a senior Iranian official who said the draft framework included no new U.S. sanctions before a final deal, a temporary oil sanctions waiver, and the release of $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets. The same source said Iran would refrain from further enrichment and...