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Marine Research

In Ashgabat, Caspian States Discuss Cooperation on Marine Research

Turkmenistan hosted a meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states to discuss cooperation on marine scientific research, part of a wider effort by the Central Asian country to promote regional collaboration over the fragile, strategic body of water. Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said delegates discussed a draft agreement about research in the Caspian Sea, where countries want to develop large oil and gas reserves while trying to mitigate the impact on the marine environment. The five littoral states are Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. “The current meeting is expected to facilitate further progress in finalizing the remaining provisions of the draft,” the ministry said, noting that the two-day meeting was scheduled to end on Wednesday. It said the initiative on scientific research was first proposed at a Caspian summit in 2018 by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, then president of Turkmenistan. Berdimuhamedov ceded the presidency to his son, Serdar, in 2022, but remains an influential figure and has the official title of National Leader of the Turkmen people. Turkmenistan also advocated collaboration in the Caspian at an oil and gas conference in the capital earlier this month. Myrat Atajanov, director of Turkmenistan’s Caspian Sea Institute, said the region faced the challenge of declining water levels in the sea and the potential risk to offshore platforms, sub-sea pipelines, and coastal infrastructure. “Atajanov stressed that the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea provides a framework for cooperation, while finalizing sector boundaries is essential for geological exploration, field development rights and offshore infrastructure planning,” said the Turkmen Energy Forum, an organizer of the oil and gas conference. Turkmenistan wants the demarcation of Caspian Sea sectors of the various countries to be finalized, saying it would provide legal certainty for offshore energy projects and other investment plans. The Turkmen government wants to expand its role as a transit point on the Middle Corridor, a trade network linking China and Central Asia to Europe via rail and Caspian Sea infrastructure. Earlier this year, the Iranian government submitted the 2018 Caspian convention to the Iranian parliament for ratification after a long delay. Unlike the other countries, Iran's parliament had not ratified the deal. Critics in Iran had argued that the agreement would leave the country at a disadvantage in securing its rights to the sea’s resources. However, Iranian officials showed renewed interest in the convention this year, saying it was a way to strengthen regional cooperation and secure Iran’s maritime rights. The development came amid wider geopolitical tension and pressure on other trade routes, although Tehran said its decision to submit the convention to parliament was not connected to the war.

6 hours ago

FAO

Opinion: Why Agriculture Cannot Afford to Overlook Women Farmers

Imagine a team where only half the players receive training, equipment and support. That team cannot perform at its full potential. The same is true in agriculture. Women farmers are essential across Europe and Central Asia. They grow food, raise livestock, run farms and sustain rural economies. They work the same land as men, share responsibility for farms and support their families, yet too often their work is treated as secondary, invisible or merely “helping”. As a result, they may not have the same access to the training, resources and opportunities needed to make their hard work more productive. When women cannot fulfil their potential as farmers, agriculture cannot fulfil its potential either. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 brings renewed global attention to women’s essential contribution to agriculture. As part of the Year, FAO’s “100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” initiative is honouring twenty‑five women from across the region for their achievements, innovation, resilience and leadership. But beyond these individual success stories lies a reality that can’t be overlooked. Countless women do the same indispensable work every day without equal recognition, resources or opportunities. The cost of these inequalities is also economic. FAO estimates that closing gender gaps in farm productivity and wages could generate nearly USD 1 trillion in global gains and reduce food insecurity for up to 45 million people. Across Europe and Central Asia, there has been considerable progress in strengthening the legal and policy frameworks that promote equal opportunities for women and men, but these need translating into real improvements in rural women’s lives. In agriculture and rural development, persistent gender gaps limit women’s productivity and fulfilment of potential as individuals and farmers. Social expectations and discriminatory practices reinforce these barriers, shaping who is seen as a farmer, who makes decisions and who controls income and productive resources. Even when women play a central role in farming, their work is often undervalued, unpaid or simply invisible. They lack essential support to grow farms and businesses, and young women are often discouraged from farming as a viable career or taking on farm management. Closing these gaps requires sector‑specific policies and actions that explicitly recognize women as farmers and entrepreneurs. For example, governments can ensure that agricultural statistics systematically capture women’s contributions; enable women’s registration as farmers in their own right; and guarantee that extension and rural advisory services reach women as well as men. Such measures will strengthen women’s access to land, finance, inputs, technology, knowledge and markets – while sending a clear institutional signal that women should be recognized as farmers. The next challenge is to ensure that recognition translates into policies, institutions and services that respond to women farmers’ realities, needs and aspirations. This is particularly important in Europe and Central Asia, where rural areas face the growing pressures of climate change, water scarcity, increasing strain on natural resources, ageing populations and young people leaving rural areas. These pressures do not affect everyone equally. When women have less access to agricultural training – including...

12 hours ago

Kazakhstan-U.S. Relations

Trump Reaffirms Support for Kazakhstan Ahead of G20 Summit

United States President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his support for Kazakhstan’s independence and territorial integrity and said he looks forward to meeting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in December. The remarks were made in a congratulatory message marking Kazakhstan’s Republic Day, published by Kazakhstan’s presidential office on October 27. "Our commitment to your country's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity remains unshakeable," Trump wrote. He also claimed that the U.S. was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan as an independent state in 1991. The U.S. president highlighted growing cooperation in international security and trade. He noted the role of American companies in Kazakhstan’s economy and expressed confidence in the future of bilateral relations. The summit will take place in Doral, near Miami, Florida. Kazakhstan is not a G20 member but has received an invitation from the U.S. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reported preparations for Tokayev’s participation in the summit as early as August. At the time, Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev discussed bilateral relations with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur, including cooperation in energy, critical minerals, digital technologies, and transportation. In November 2025, Tokayev visited Washington, met with Trump, and attended the C5+1 summit, a forum bringing together the U.S. and the five Central Asian countries. During the visit, the two sides announced 29 agreements worth approximately $17 billion, covering sectors including mining, aviation, and technology. Kazakhstan celebrated Republic Day on October 25, with congratulatory messages from world leaders. This year marked the 36th anniversary of the adoption of Kazakhstan’s Declaration of State Sovereignty.

15 hours ago

international flights

Turkmenistan Airlines Increases International Flights

Turkmenistan Airlines is increasing the frequency of several international flights under a revised schedule that took effect on October 25. “Direct flights from the capital to Seoul will double from one to two flights per week. On the Italian route to Milan, flight frequency will increase from two to three flights per week,” the state-run Turkmenistan News Portal said before the new schedule took effect. “Regular flights on the Ashgabat–Kazan route will increase from four to six flights per week. Additionally, air service to Istanbul will be expanded, with total flight frequency reaching 13 flights per week compared to the previous 12,” the news site reported. It said the updated schedule, which includes return flights to Ashgabat International Airport, is aimed at meeting growing demand for air travel and is another step “in integrating the country's civil aviation infrastructure into the global transport network.” At the same time, the number of flights to New Delhi was scheduled to be reduced from three to two per week, according to Turkmen media. The flight frequency on other routes, including Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, London, and Frankfurt, is unchanged under the new schedule. Turkmenistan has invested in airport infrastructure and seeks to attract more international carriers. In August, Air Belgium made its first cargo flight to Ashgabat International Airport as Turkmenistan aims to establish itself as an air cargo hub between Asia and Europe. Elsewhere in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have taken particularly robust steps to develop their international profiles in civil aviation. Early this month, the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament ratified an air transport agreement between the Tajik government and the United Arab Emirates that would allow more flights between the two countries and help develop Tajikistan’s role in international aviation.

1 day ago

Obituary

In Memory of Roza Aitmatova

Roza Aitmatova died on October 26, 2026, at the age of 89. She was the younger sister of Chingiz Aitmatov, one of the most important writers of the 20th century. With her death, Kyrgyzstan has lost an invaluable witness to its history. She succeeded in turning the tragedies endured by her family into part of her nation's collective memory. Roza was born in Moscow on March 8, 1937. She was just six months old when her father, Torekul Aitmatov, a prominent political figure who had played a role in establishing the state institutions of the young Kyrgyz Republic, was arrested during Stalin's purges. He was executed in November 1938, but his family remained unaware of his fate for decades. His wife, Nagima Abduvalieva, left alone with four children, continued to hope that her husband was still alive, somewhere in a distant Soviet labor camp. Roza grew up alongside her brothers and sister, Chingiz, Ilgiz and Lyutsiya, in an atmosphere of hardship and uncertainty. As the children of an "enemy of the people," they faced discrimination and financial difficulties. During the war, the family lived in modest homes in the Talas region, relying on the support of relatives and fellow villagers. Chingiz, the eldest child, had to take on adult responsibilities at an early age: while still a teenager, he worked as secretary of the village council. For Roza, her elder brother had been a source of support and a role model since childhood. It was Chingiz, then a young agronomist, who told the family in 1953 that they might be able to move to the capital, Frunze, now Bishkek. Before leaving, Nagima wanted to have a photograph taken with all four of her children. As Roza later recalled, this seemingly simple gesture symbolized the end of their most difficult years and the beginning of a new life. In the years that followed, Chingiz gained international recognition with works such as Jamila, The First Teacher and Mother Earth. Roza had by then devoted herself to the natural sciences, having studied physics and mathematics. She followed her brother's literary achievements closely. Yet their relationship remained, above all, a deeply personal family bond, built on intimate conversations, shared memories and boundless love for their mother. One episode recounted by Roza reveals just how closely the writer's work was connected to his family history. In 1962, following a severe deterioration in Nagima's health, Roza went into her brother's study to tidy his desk. Among the pages of a new manuscript, she discovered a dedication to their parents: to their father, whose burial place was still unknown, and to their mother, who had raised four children on her own. It was the first draft of Mother Earth, a novella in which Roza recognized many aspects of Nagima's life, her courage and her resilience. When their mother died in 1971, Roza saw her brother, by then a celebrated writer, weeping inconsolably in a hospital corridor. Behind the image of a man known throughout the world was...

1 day ago

Oil Arbitration

Kashagan Arbitration: Tribunal Rejects $12 Billion in Kazakhstan’s Claims

An international arbitration tribunal has rejected approximately $12 billion in claims brought by Kazakhstan against investors in the Kashagan oil field, Bloomberg reported on October 22. Citing sources familiar with the confidential proceedings, the report said the claims concerned field development costs incurred between 2011 and 2015 and were filed after the applicable deadline. Claims concerning another $8 billion in disputed costs have been allowed to proceed. Kazakhstan had sought to exclude approximately $20 billion from the costs investors are entitled to recover through oil production. The arbitrators did not examine whether the expenses covered by the rejected claims were justified. The ruling has not been made public. Kashagan is operated by North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), whose shareholders include KazMunayGas, ExxonMobil, Eni, Shell, TotalEnergies, China National Petroleum Corporation, and INPEX Corporation. The field is located in the northern Caspian Sea. High reservoir pressure and hydrogen sulfide levels drove up construction costs and delayed the project's launch, with difficult climatic conditions compounding these problems. Production began in 2013 but was suspended shortly afterward because of gas leaks in pipelines. Operations resumed in 2016. Under the 1997 production-sharing agreement, investors recover eligible project costs through a portion of the oil produced. The remaining oil, known as profit oil, is then divided between the state and the project participants. An increase in recognized costs reduces the amount of oil available for distribution as profit. Kazakhstan is challenging costs under contractor agreements, including spending on construction work and equipment. In August, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reported that the wider arbitration included allegations concerning about a dozen construction contracts worth $10.7 billion, awarded during the 2000s. Kazakhstan alleges that some involved inflated costs or conflicts of interest; it has also alleged bribery. NCOC says its members acted in accordance with their contracts and Kazakh law. In April 2025, ICIJ reported that Kazakhstan had brought claims totaling $160 billion against Kashagan's investors. The report also cited Kazakhstan's claim that the consortium receives approximately 98% of oil revenue after priority payments to the state under the production-sharing agreement. According to ICIJ, the proceedings are registered with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and could continue until at least 2028. Separately, Kazakhstan is seeking to recover an environmental fine of 2.3 trillion tenge, or approximately $5.2 billion, from Kashagan's operator. The allegations concern breaches of limits on storing sulfur produced during oil and gas processing. On September 29, the authorities resumed enforcement proceedings to collect the fine. The move followed a three-week suspension while a Kazakh court considered NCOC's challenge to the enforcement process. NCOC is contesting the fine, and the project's foreign shareholders have initiated international arbitration, alleging that Kazakhstan violated its investment protection obligations. NCOC says an arbitration tribunal issued an interim order barring collection of the fine while the proceedings continue. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Justice disputes whether the order can prevent the authorities from enforcing a ruling by a Kazakh court.

2 days ago

Diplomatic Protest

Iranian Embassy Posts on Samarkand’s Persian Heritage Spark Uzbek Protest

Uzbekistan has lodged a diplomatic protest with Iran over social media posts describing Samarkand's architecture as part of Persian civilization. The posts targeted United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On October 23, Uzbekistan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Bakhromjon Aloyev met with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Ali Eskandari, who was handed a diplomatic note of protest. Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry described posts published by Iranian diplomatic missions on X as a one-sided and politicized interpretation of Samarkand's history. Tashkent demanded that the posts be removed and that similar incidents be avoided in the future. The dispute followed Rubio's visit to Samarkand on October 19, when he recorded a video in Registan Square highlighting the city's historical role in international trade. Iran's embassy in Armenia described the site where Rubio stood as part of Persian civilization. The embassy in Zimbabwe called Registan's arches a "hallmark of Iranian-Islamic civilization," accusing Rubio of seeking to destroy that heritage. Iran's embassy in Bulgaria also criticized Rubio for disparaging Persian civilization while standing in front of monuments bearing its influence. Earlier, during an October 7 speech in Athens, Rubio recalled the destruction of the Acropolis by the forces of Persian King Xerxes in 480 BCE. He also attacked Iran's current clerical rulers, accusing them of promoting a "cult of death." Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry said that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and other historic cities reflects centuries of statehood and cultural development among the Uzbek people. Tashkent objected to the use of the country's history in political disputes between other states. Samarkand has deep ties to the Persian-speaking world. Before the Arab conquest, it was one of the centers of Sogdiana, whose inhabitants spoke a language belonging to the Iranian language family. Persian later became widely used in Central Asian cities, including in literature and scholarship. In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, Samarkand was the capital of Timur's empire. Craftsmen from various regions, including Iran and the historic region of Khorasan, participated in the construction of its monumental buildings. The Registan architectural ensemble was built between the 15th and 17th centuries, combining local artistic traditions with those of the wider Islamic world. The concept of Persian civilization encompasses a cultural area much larger than modern Iran. UNESCO describes Samarkand as a crossroads of cultures, reflecting influences from successive civilizations. The Iranian embassies did not make territorial claims against Uzbekistan; their posts concerned cultural and architectural history. Samarkand's heritage has also been a subject of debate within Central Asia. During the Soviet redrawing of Central Asia's internal borders in 1924, Samarkand and Bukhara became part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Both cities historically had substantial Persian-speaking populations, and Tajik continues to be spoken there today. Historians have also documented Soviet-era pressure on Tajik residents to register as Uzbeks, contributing to longstanding disputes over the cities' ethnic composition. The dispute occurred amid increased U.S. diplomatic engagement in Central Asia. During his visit, Rubio attended a C5+1 meeting with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries. The talks focused on expanding economic...

3 days ago

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

SCO Economic Ambitions Outpace Agreement

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) renewed calls for a development bank at its October 20 heads of government meeting in Dushanbe, but the institution remains under negotiation more than a year after members reached political agreement on its creation. Participants adopted a joint communiqué and decisions on economic cooperation, including joint manufacturing and transportation. Financing those ambitions remains a central challenge. Members backed the bank at their September 2025 summit in Tianjin. A year later, the Bishkek summit ended without a founding agreement or capital commitments, and no launch date was set. The SCO brings together ten countries whose economic priorities differ sharply. China and India are among the world's largest economies, while Russia and Iran face Western sanctions. For Central Asian members, the organization offers another route to investment, but agreement on shared goals has yet to produce a common financing institution. Different Priorities Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda reported that SCO countries accounted for 70% of Tajikistan's foreign trade turnover in January–August 2026. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment from member states amounted to just $350 million for the whole of 2025. "These figures demonstrate the enormous untapped potential of our investment cooperation, which significantly lags behind the dynamics of trade relations," Rasulzoda said. Iran has different concerns. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref called for wider use of national currencies in trade, alongside export insurance and investment protection. Tehran has long sought to reduce its foreign trade dependence on Western financial infrastructure. Sanctions make this an urgent priority, but Iran's interests in international settlements differ considerably from those of India or China, for example. Beijing and New Delhi conduct extensive trade with Western countries, so a single financial model for all SCO members is unlikely to satisfy everyone. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin encouraged joint manufacturing projects using Russia's special economic zones and investment protection agreements. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, is seeking investors for the Tamchy special investment and financial territory, established in July 2025 in the Issyk-Kul region. First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev invited SCO partners to develop joint projects there. Financing the Bank A development bank could provide a common source of funding for such projects. In Dushanbe, Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin renewed calls to accelerate its establishment. "We consider it fundamentally important that this institution become a multilateral development bank with a unique mandate, providing access to long-term investment financing without political conditions," he said. Kyrgyzstan also supported establishing the bank. Amangeldiev urged members to draw on existing financing channels, including the SCO Interbank Consortium, while negotiations continue. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov confirmed Astana's willingness to host the bank's headquarters. Bishkek had already put forward its candidacy at the September summit. Choosing a headquarters is only part of the task. Members must agree on their financial contributions and how the bank will operate, including who decides which projects receive loans. China has far greater financial resources than most of its SCO partners, giving it the potential to become the bank's principal...

3 days ago

NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang Receives Honorary Judo Black Belt in Astana

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang received an honorary black belt from the International Judo Federation (IJF) in Astana on October 23. The federation said the award recognized his contributions to technology and innovation and the values he shares with the sport. The presentation came during Huang’s visit to Kazakhstan for talks on the country’s AI development. Following the World Judo Championships in Baku, IJF President Marius Vizer traveled to Astana to assess preparations for the 2027 championships, which the city will host. During his visit, Vizer presented Huang with the belt, according to NVIDIA’s account of the ceremony. Timur Kemell, the federation’s director of promotion and development and an Executive Committee member, then presented Huang with the Code of Judo. Its eight values include respect, courage, modesty, and self-control. [caption id="attachment_59188" align="alignnone" width="300"] From left: IJF Executive Committee member Timur Kemell, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, and IJF President Marius Vizer at Huang’s honorary black belt ceremony in Astana. Image: IJF[/caption] The honorary black belt is a symbolic distinction rather than a rank earned through judo training and technical grading. The IJF has made similar awards to prominent figures outside competitive judo, including Pope Francis in 2022 and Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti in 2024. Vizer described Huang’s award as “a symbol of respect, commitment and belonging to the international judo family.” NVIDIA also promoted the award through its Newsroom account on X on October 24, publishing a photograph of Huang alongside Vizer and Kemell. “The black leather jacket wasn’t the final form,” the company wrote, referring to Huang’s familiar attire. Huang discussed martial arts during NVIDIA’s AI Summit in Mumbai in October 2024. In a conversation with actor and martial artist Akshay Kumar, he said both of his children held second-degree black belts. “When you’re good at anything, it gives you confidence to do everything else,” Huang said. Kazakhstan’s traditional wrestling sport, qazaq kuresi, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. At the 2024 Paris Games, Yeldos Smetov became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic judo champion, following silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at the Tokyo Games.

4 days ago

Cold War History

Kazakh Academic Kanysh Satpayev in Britain: A View from 1947

After the end of World War II, relations between the Soviet Union and Western countries began to deteriorate rapidly. Although Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union had been allies, the period known as the Cold War began. Winston Churchill's famous speech in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, is often regarded as one of its defining early moments. Nevertheless, just over a year after the speech, a large official Soviet delegation visited Britain in March 1947. The delegation represented the Supreme Soviet, the Soviet Union's legislature, and arrived in London at the invitation of both houses of the British Parliament. Clement Attlee's Labour government supported expanding contacts with the Soviet Union despite growing disagreements over the postwar settlement in Europe. [caption id="attachment_59046" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Soviet delegates at Karl Marx’s grave. From left: Kanysh Satpayev, president of the Kazakh SSR’s Academy of Sciences; mathematician N. I. Muskhelishvili; and Soviet official P. A. Shariya. The other individuals have not been identified.[/caption] The delegation consisted of 20 people and was led by Vasily Kuznetsov, chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities, one of the Supreme Soviet's two chambers. Among its members were Alexander Fadeev, head of the Union of Soviet Writers and author of The Young Guard, about Soviet youth resisting Nazi occupation during World War II, and the poet and writer Konstantin Simonov. Aviator Mikhail Gromov, a Hero of the Soviet Union who commanded a nonstop flight from Moscow across the North Pole to San Jacinto, California, in 1937, also joined the delegation. Kanysh Satpayev, president of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, was also among the invited delegates. [caption id="attachment_59047" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Soviet delegates meeting Newcastle’s Lord Mayor Pearson. From left: Ukrainian poet N. P. Bazhan, test pilot M. M. Gromov, Kanysh Satpayev, an unidentified individual, Soviet official P. A. Shariya, Communist Party foreign policy department head M. A. Suslov, and Pearson.[/caption] The delegation stayed for almost a month, from March 13 to April 11, 1947. The visitors met with Prime Minister Attlee, Conservative opposition leader Churchill, and members of Parliament. According to Satpayev's notes, the participants visited the University of London, the Royal Society, the British Museum, industrial enterprises, and government institutions. Outside the capital, the delegation visited Newcastle, Sheffield, Cardiff, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. [caption id="attachment_59048" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Soviet delegates viewing armor in the White Tower at the Tower of London. Among the delegates, from right: A. M. Ivanov, Kanysh Satpayev, and M. Z. Babayev.[/caption] In his report following the trip, Satpayev claimed that the British organizers had tried to overwhelm the visitors with official events and limit their contact with ordinary workers: "It should be noted that government officials tried to organize our visits to industrial enterprises in such a way that the delegation had practically no opportunity to communicate with workers. Visits to factory workshops often coincided with lunch breaks. Sometimes the delegation was shown workshops during working hours, but these were places where there were few...

5 days ago

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