Our People > Stephen M. Bland

Stephen M. Bland

Managing Editor and Head of Investigations

Stephen M. Bland is a journalist, author, editor, commentator, and researcher specializing in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Prior to joining The Times of Central Asia, he worked for NGOs, think tanks, as the Central Asia expert on a forthcoming documentary series, for the BBC, The Diplomat, EurasiaNet, and numerous other publications.

His award-winning book on Central Asia was published in 2016, and he is currently putting the finishing touches to a book about the Caucasus.

Articles

Transport and Logistics

Uzbekistan’s Logistics Push Aims to Turn Transit Growth into Revenue

Tashkent is trying to turn a fast rise in transit cargo into a larger role in Eurasian trade. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals on July 1 to expand logistics centers, modernize border infrastructure, digitalize warehouse and customs systems, and attract private investment into transport hubs. Transit cargo through Uzbekistan reached 15.3 million tons in 2025, up 54% from 2021. Yet Uzbekistan's share of China-Europe transit freight remains only 1-2%. Annual China-Europe trade is estimated at $800 billion, while freight traffic reaches 120-150 million tons. Officials estimate that an extra 15-20 million tons of international transit cargo could bring $400-600 million in added revenue, attract $3 billion of investment into logistics centers and terminals, and create 50,000 permanent jobs. The logistics push comes as Uzbekistan’s trade base becomes larger and more exposed to transport costs. Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover reached $81.2 billion in 2025, up 20.7% from 2024, with exports at $33.8 billion and imports at $47.4 billion. The 2026 figures are more uneven. In January-May, turnover rose 3.7% year on year to $32.8 billion, but imports climbed 20.8% while exports fell 15.5%. Gold sales drove much of the export decline. Excluding gold, goods exports grew 29.4%, which gives Tashkent a clear reason to cut freight costs, speed up customs clearance, and expand container capacity. Uzbekistan already has about 4,000 kilometers of international transit corridors and a 4,700-kilometer railway network, but officials say the system remains too thin for the cargo volumes Tashkent wants to attract. Modern transport and logistics centers and dry ports are being developed in Tashkent, Navoi, and Namangan, while Navoi Airport serves Eurasian cargo routes. The July 1 proposals show how much still needs to change. Uzbekistan has 27 logistics centers that meet international standards, with total capacity of 27.2 million tons, but only one is in the highest category. Class A automated warehouses meet only 10-15% of demand. Officials also cited weak capacity at many border checkpoints, refrigerated and customs warehouse shortages, low containerization, and poor digital links. The new plan would specialize six areas as logistics zones. Khanabad would handle China-linked routes toward the Caspian, Europe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Angren, Yangiyul, and Akhangaran would distribute transit and foreign trade cargo. Alat would support Middle Corridor routes, and Termez would focus on Pakistan via Afghanistan. Entrepreneurs who build logistics centers in these locations would be offered 50 hectares of land in each area. The government plans to allocate $200 million a year in concessional and low-interest credit lines, with the budget covering external infrastructure. Projects also include customs terminals and parking in Qibray and Termez, a rail border checkpoint in Khanabad, Yangiyul station expansion, and a Class A center in Akhangaran. Digital systems form another part of the package. The proposals call for terminal and warehouse management systems linked to the E-logistika platform. They also include online monitoring, license plate recognition, electronic vehicle registration, and one-stop border clearance. Customs duties and certification rules may be eased for imported warehouse equipment, cargo-handling machinery, spare parts, and...

4 weeks ago

Tajik-Afghan Border

Chinese Workers Return to Tajik Highway Under Guard After Afghan Border Attacks

Chinese engineers and workers have returned to a highway site in eastern Tajikistan under armed protection. Their return restarts work on a road toward China that stopped after two attacks from Afghanistan killed five Chinese nationals in November. Tajikistan's Transport Ministry said Chinese specialists came back in April to the Kalai-Khumb to Vanj section of the Dushanbe-Kulma highway in Gorno-Badakhshan. They are advising local crews, pouring concrete, fitting tunnel lighting and completing other works. Ozodi said its correspondent saw Tajik special forces guarding Chinese workers in Darvaz in late May, but security officers did not allow photos or video. The return keeps the China-funded Dushanbe-Kulma corridor moving. The road links Dushanbe with the Kulma Pass on the Chinese frontier through the Pamir. The Kalai-Khumb-Vanj works sit close to the Pyanj River, where attacks from the Afghan side are impacting the cost of Chinese projects. Construction on the Kalai-Khumb-Vanj section began on Sept. 20, 2022, with the contract running until September 20, 2026. The contractor is China Road and Bridge Corporation. China is funding the work with a $230 million grant. Once complete, the road section should shrink from 109 kilometers to 92.3 kilometers. It includes two tunnels, five anti-avalanche corridors and 14 bridges. The route crosses Darvaz, one of Tajikistan's hardest mountain road sections. The Transport Ministry has described it as a route that had gone for years without major repairs. The work is meant to allow year-round movement and lower fuel and travel costs. By January, crews had finished 12 of the 14 bridges. Two bridges, avalanche corridors and tunnel systems remained under construction. Work stopped after the November 30 attack in Shodak, a village in Darvaz district. Tajikistan's Border Troops said an armed group came from Ruzvayak in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province and attacked CRBC employees. Two Chinese citizens were killed and two were wounded. Dushanbe called the attackers members of an armed terrorist group, but did not publicly name the organization. Four days earlier, another attack hit Shamsiddin Shohin district in Khatlon, also from Afghan territory. The Chinese embassy said three Chinese citizens were killed and one Chinese citizen was wounded. TCA previously reported that Tajikistan described the strike as using an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying explosives. China reacted with a rare public warning. On December 1, the Chinese embassy urged Chinese companies and personnel to evacuate the Tajik-Afghan border area. Its latest June 9 public warning still told Chinese citizens not to work or travel in Tajikistan's southern border areas, citing a complex security situation and extreme weather. Afghanistan's Taliban government promised cooperation after the killings. Reuters quoted Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as saying, "The Islamic Emirate is fully prepared to strengthen border security, conduct joint investigations, and engage in any form of coordination… joint measures against malicious elements are a pressing necessity." Taliban officials later said suspects had been detained in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province. The Tajik authorities say the border is stable and under control, while continuing to announce smuggling cases and armed incidents....

4 weeks ago

U.S.-Uzbekistan Partnership

Uzbekistan Agrees Tariff Cuts for U.S. Goods as Moody’s Raises Sovereign Rating

Uzbekistan and the United States announced a new package of trade commitments on June 25. Moody’s raised Uzbekistan’s sovereign rating by one notch the same day. The two decisions strengthen Tashkent’s case that economic reforms are producing practical gains. Under the “early harvest” announced in Tashkent, Uzbekistan will eliminate or reduce tariffs on a wide range of U.S. industrial and agricultural goods. Washington offered favorable consideration for Uzbek products in future tariff actions, where U.S. law allows, though that language does not guarantee automatic tariff cuts for Uzbek exports. The two governments will put the commitments in writing in the coming weeks. They also agreed to speed up negotiations on an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev discussed the package with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during talks in Tashkent. The announcement gives a political lift to a relationship which is still small in terms of trade. U.S. goods trade with Uzbekistan reached over $1 billion in 2025. American exports rose 24.5% to $473.9 million, while imports from Uzbekistan climbed to $574.4 million, turning a $338.3 million U.S. surplus in 2024 into a $100.5 million deficit. The latest agreement builds on $32 billion in commercial deals announced in 2025. That figure includes an $8.5 billion Boeing agreement and planned activity in mining, energy, finance, and technology. Tashkent has also built new channels to move projects toward financing. A U.S.-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council began work in April. A joint investment platform followed in June, with energy, infrastructure, critical minerals, and manufacturing among its target sectors. The Tashkent business forum drew 193 U.S. company representatives. Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of Uzbekistan’s presidential administration, set a clear standard at the council’s launch. “We are no longer at the stage where we speak about potential,” she said. “We are at the stage where we must deliver.” That goal extends to Uzbekistan’s long WTO accession process. The country applied to join in 1994, but negotiations stalled for years. Tashkent resumed active work in 2020 and completed bilateral market-access negotiations with the United States in December 2024. The U.S. agreement settled terms for trade in goods and services between the two countries. It did not complete Uzbekistan’s accession. Tashkent still needs an agreed multilateral package and approval from WTO members. Uzbek officials now aim to secure full membership by the end of 2026. The timetable has already moved beyond an earlier target linked to the WTO ministerial conference in March. Negotiations cover tariffs and market access, but also reach domestic rules on subsidies, state-owned companies, product standards, and intellectual property. Some industries may receive time to adjust. Chief WTO negotiator Azizbek Urunov said that transition periods of three to eight years had been discussed for some sectors. “Overall, tariffs will be reduced,” he said. “However, there are sectors that are sensitive for us.” WTO membership would place Uzbekistan’s trade policy under a common set of rules and give exporters access to the organization’s dispute system. It would also limit some forms of state...

1 month ago

EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation

Tokayev’s Brussels Visit Brings Aviation Pact, Visa Progress and $12 Billion Business Package

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev left Brussels with a broader package than the transport announcements that opened his two-day visit on June 22-23. Kazakhstan and the European Union signed an aviation agreement, completed talks at negotiators’ level on easier short-stay visas, backed new road and mineral projects, and endorsed an Air Astana aircraft order worth €7.145 billion. Tokayev also said the business program produced commercial agreements and memoranda worth more than $12 billion. Tokayev met with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on June 23. Their joint statement placed connectivity, energy security and resilient supply chains at the center of the relationship. Von der Leyen called Kazakhstan “a global gateway” and said the EU was ready to turn it into “a pathway for jobs, business opportunities and common prosperity.” Negotiators completed talks on Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements, opening the way for internal approval procedures. The visa agreement would simplify applications for short stays in the EU, though the agreement would not create visa-free travel and has not yet entered into force. The two sides also signed a Horizontal Aviation Agreement after negotiations lasting more than two decades. Once internal procedures are complete, any eligible EU airline will be able to operate between Kazakhstan and 17 member states that already have air service arrangements with Astana. Existing rules generally reserve those rights for airlines owned or controlled by nationals of the country concerned. EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the pact would bring “our people and economies closer together.” A separate agreement covered up to 50 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft for Air Astana. The joint statement valued the order at €7.145 billion. That transaction formed the largest named item within the more than $12 billion in commercial agreements and memoranda announced during the visit. Tokayev presented the total as evidence of European business confidence in Kazakhstan. Transport and connectivity remained the backbone of the trip. Before the leaders met, Kazakhstan and its European partners unveiled four Middle Corridor agreements worth a combined $462 million. They included airport digitalization work with SITA, an EBRD-backed loan for the 234-kilometer Aktobe-Ulgaisyn road, a KTZ Express project at Romania's Port of Midia, and cooperation with A.P. Moller-Maersk on container traffic across the Trans-Caspian route. The leaders welcomed a European Investment Bank framework agreement of up to €150 million for Kazakh roads along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. An EBRD memorandum will support an internationally accredited chemical-analytical laboratory for critical raw materials. Other documents cover intelligent transport systems, the E-Zholdary road platform and a minerals and metals center of excellence. Brussels also encouraged the EIB to open an office in Astana. These projects connect the visit to the EU's effort to build a reliable route between Central Asia and Europe through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye. Tokayev said annual freight volumes had risen from 800,000 tons to 4.1 million tons over six years. Kazakhstan aims to raise the corridor’s capacity to 10 million tons, but ports, railways, border...

1 month ago

EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation

Tokayev Heads to Brussels as Kazakhstan and EU Seek Progress on Trade, Minerals and Transport

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Brussels on June 22 seeking to advance cooperation with the European Union on critical minerals, transport connectivity, investment, and visa facilitation, as Kazakhstan and the EU move from framework agreements toward implementation. Tokayev’s official visit brings him together with the European Union's two senior institutional leaders and Belgium's prime minister. Tokayev is scheduled to meet European Council President António Costa at 7 p.m. on Monday. A joint meeting with Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set for Tuesday. His program also includes Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and a Kazakhstan-EU roundtable with senior European business executives. The announced agenda covers the enhanced partnership, bilateral ties and international issues. The business roundtable will focus on investment, trade and joint projects. Ahead of the meetings, Tokayev set out three priorities for the next phase of relations: “strengthening resilience, expanding connectivity of all kinds, and creating new opportunities for citizens.” He linked them to energy and food security, critical raw materials, the Middle Corridor, artificial intelligence, easier travel, education and research. The visit follows a year of closer ties. The EU and the five Central Asian states raised their relationship to a strategic partnership at the Samarkand summit in April 2025. Costa then visited Astana in December. Those meetings placed critical minerals, transport, energy, digital links and easier travel at the center of cooperation. A Partnership Built on the EPCA The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement gives the relationship its legal basis. Kazakhstan and the EU signed it in 2015, and it entered into force on March 1, 2020, making Kazakhstan the first Central Asian country to conclude such an agreement with the EU. The EPCA covers 29 policy areas, including trade, investment, energy, transport, climate, research, justice, and human rights. The broad range allows both sides to pursue commercial and political work through one framework. The agreement reached its tenth anniversary in December 2025. Before his Astana visit, Costa set a clear goal for the coming years. “The next decade must be defined by implementation: stronger value chains, modernised infrastructure, deeper technological cooperation, and tangible joint projects,” Costa said. Large Volumes, Limited Diversification The EU remained Kazakhstan's main trade and investment partner in 2025. Two-way goods trade totaled €41.4 billion, down 10.7% from 2024. EU imports from Kazakhstan reached €30.8 billion, while EU exports were €10.6 billion. The mix is less balanced. Fuel and mining products accounted for 92% of Kazakh exports to the EU. Machinery, transport equipment and chemicals led European sales to Kazakhstan. That gives the Brussels business roundtable a clear economic focus. Kazakhstan wants more European capital in processing, manufacturing, infrastructure and technology, while European companies want reliable access to energy and raw materials, along with clear investment rules. “We see great opportunities to venture in energy efficiency, critical minerals, digital technologies, and transport connectivity,” Tokayev said after meeting Costa in Astana in December. Critical Minerals Move Closer to Investment The EU and Kazakhstan signed a strategic partnership on...

1 month ago

Mining

Azerbaijan Moves Into Uzbekistan’s Gold and Critical Minerals Sector

Azerbaijan has moved from preliminary mining talks to signed project agreements in Uzbekistan. On June 16, state-owned AzerGold signed an agreement to jointly develop a gold deposit in Uzbekistan. A separate document covered a critical minerals project with NEQSOL Holding. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov attended the ceremony in Tashkent. AzerGold chairman Zakir Ibrahimov and Uzbekistan's First Deputy Mining Minister Feruza Hamidova signed the gold agreement. Public releases provide few details on either project, naming no deposits and disclosing no reserve estimates, ownership split, investment value, production target, or timetable. Three Years of Groundwork AzerGold's entry into Uzbekistan dates to February 24, 2023, when the company signed a memorandum and agreement with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology. The documents covered geological exploration and the development of gold deposits. In August 2024, the two sides discussed projects in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and third countries, and agreed to deepen cooperation. By May 2026, Uzbek officials were reviewing prospective areas and project documents. "We have begun active joint work with the Azerbaijani company AzerGold on geological exploration in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan," Deputy Mining Minister Ural Yusupov said. He added that a decision on joint gold and silver exploration was expected by the end of the year. Yusupov identified Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya as areas under study for precious metals, and Karakalpakstan and Jizzakh for critical minerals. The June signing followed six weeks later, but did not identify the selected deposit. A Much Larger Gold Market AzerGold was established in 2015 and began operations in 2016. The company develops gold, iron, and other metal deposits in Azerbaijan and has extracted ore at its Chovdar gold mine since 2017. In 2025, AzerGold sold 73,200 ounces of gold and 93,200 ounces of silver. Revenue reached 439.3 million manats, about $258 million, up 43% from 2024. Uzbekistan's gold industry operates on a much larger scale. Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company produced 3.15 million ounces of gold in 2025. The country has set production targets of 120 tonnes for 2026 and 175 tonnes by 2030. The country plans to invest $2.2 billion across 90 mining projects this year. Across the broader mining and metallurgical sector, projects worth $22 billion are expected to create 38,000 jobs. In February, AzerGold identified Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as possible locations for international expansion. The company prefers brownfield projects with existing infrastructure and production bases. NEQSOL's Critical Minerals Track The second document is broader, covering a joint critical minerals project involving NEQSOL Holding but naming neither the mineral nor the deposit. The group also operates in energy, telecommunications, construction, and high technology. NEQSOL had already established a wider framework with Tashkent. In July 2025, the group and Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade agreed to develop projects in geology and mining, energy, telecommunications, chemicals, construction materials, and digital technology. NEQSOL entered mining in 2025 through its acquisition of UMCC Titanium in Ukraine. UMCC operates the Vilnohirsk and Irshansk mining and processing complexes, which...

1 month ago

Critical Minerals

Uzbekistan’s $4.2 Billion Critical Minerals Plan Aims to Turn Raw Materials Into Industry

Uzbekistan has placed a $4.2 billion critical minerals program at the center of its industrial policy, as Tashkent seeks to turn Soviet-era mining strengths into higher-value production for modern supply chains. The country has long sold metals and minerals, but the program reviewed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 15 puts more emphasis on refining, laboratory work, skilled workers, and finished industrial goods. The new 2026-2030 program, which sets out 120 projects, aims to lift critical minerals output to $1 billion by 2028 and $2 billion by 2030. The first tranche, planned for this year, covers 12 projects worth $166 million and production of high-purity selenium, tellurium, and rhenium. It also includes 21 import-substituting products, including powder metallurgy auto parts and sulfuric acid. The plan landed as investors gathered in Tashkent for the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum. Mirziyoyev used the forum to make a broader reform pitch. “We are always open to investors interested in cooperating with Uzbekistan and ready for an equal and mutually beneficial partnership,” he said in his opening speech. He also announced plans for a Tashkent International Financial Center with zero rates for profit tax, value-added tax, property tax, and customs duties. Critical minerals give that investment pitch a clearer focus. Global buyers are looking for supplies that do not depend on a handful of processing hubs, while resource-rich countries want more of the value to stay at home. Uzbekistan is trying to move into that field with metals it already produces, especially tungsten and molybdenum, and with smaller but valuable materials used in electronics, aerospace, energy equipment, and advanced manufacturing. The Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex, known as TMK or UzTMK, is the state vehicle for much of this work. The company says its portfolio includes tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, graphite, selenium, tellurium, lithium, nickel, and cobalt. Its stated model is “mine-metal-market,” meaning a chain from extraction to metal products and buyers. The June 15 package adds practical details. Uzbekistan wants more than concentrates and semi-finished goods. The presidential briefing listed metal powders, alloys, rods, wire, industrial parts, and finished products. For tungsten and molybdenum, that means deeper processing inside Uzbekistan rather than sending value abroad. Chirchik, east of Tashkent, is set to play a larger role. The government plans to expand the Metals of the Future technopark and build up an R&D center there. The site is designed to support start-ups, commercialize applied research, and produce high-purity metals. A planned nano-analysis laboratory would process up to 1,000 samples a day once fully operational. Officials say it could replace $6.5 million in imported analytical services and generate $4 million through service exports. The lab is one of the more practical parts of the program. Mining projects need more than deposits and investment pledges. They need reliable samples, resource estimates that meet international standards, steady power, and proven processing methods. A credible laboratory in Chirchik would not remove all those risks, but it would make it easier to move from geological data to financed projects. Global demand...

1 month ago

Iran

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...

1 month ago

Middle Corridor

Kyrgyzstan and Georgia Seek Black Sea Link for CKU Railway

Kyrgyzstan and Georgia placed Black Sea access at the center of their transport agenda during Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's official visit to Bishkek on June 11-13. In talks with President Sadyr Japarov at Yntymak Ordo, the new presidential palace complex, on June 12, the two sides linked their cooperation to the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, known as CKU, and to Georgia's role in the Trans-Caspian route between Central Asia and Europe. The visit was the first official trip to Kyrgyzstan by a Georgian head of government since the two states established diplomatic relations 34 years ago. "Special attention was paid to linking the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with Georgia's port infrastructure," Japarov said after the talks. He called cooperation in this sector "one of the priority areas" in relations between the countries. That focus gave the visit a wider regional dimension, as landlocked Kyrgyzstan still lacks a direct rail link with China. Georgia offers access to Black Sea ports and sits on the South Caucasus section of the Middle Corridor. If the CKU line becomes operational, Bishkek wants cargo moving from China through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to connect with routes across the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Kobakhidze linked the same issue to Tbilisi's transit goals. "We emphasized the importance of developing the Middle Corridor," he said, adding that the route needs more cargo flows. He said Georgia was closely following the CKU and was pleased that the project was "progressing rapidly," because it would strengthen links between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. The two sides signed a joint statement and a package of bilateral documents after the talks. The agreements covered aviation authorities, state property management, veterinary cooperation, education, justice, sport, radiation safety, foreign ministry cooperation for 2027-2028, and customs cooperation. The customs document provides for advance exchanges of information about goods and vehicles moving between the two countries. That aspect may prove the most practical for freight, since cargo routes depend on data exchange, border processing, and predictable clearance times. The CKU railway has moved from a decades-long plan to active construction. The financing agreement signed in Bishkek set the project cost at $4.7 billion. About half will be financed through a 35-year Chinese loan to the joint project company. China holds a 51% stake in the company, while Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each hold 24.5%. The planned line runs from Kashgar in China through Kyrgyzstan to Andijan in Uzbekistan. The Kyrgyz section represents the most difficult part of the route. It is about 305 kilometers long, with 50 bridges and 29 tunnels planned. More than 5,000 people and about 5,600 pieces of specialized equipment were involved by late March, with tunnel excavation, earthworks, and bridge construction already under way. Transport Minister Talantbek Soltobaev said on June 10 that work was in progress on sections totaling up to ten kilometers. Japarov has outlined 2030 as a target for the launch. The project would give Bishkek a rail role it has never had. Kyrgyzstan has no through rail route linking China with...

2 months ago

Counter-Terrorism

Kyrgyzstan Says 31 Suspected KTJ and Islamic State Members Detained in Southern Operation

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, said it detained 31 suspected members of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Islamic State during an overnight counterterrorism operation in the southern Osh and Batken regions. The operation took place on the night of June 8-9. Authorities imposed a legal counterterrorist-operation regime in Osh, Kyzyl-Kiya, Kara-Suu district, and Uch-Korgon village in Kadamjay district. The GKNB said the suspects had planned attacks against law enforcement officers and religious figures. Security officers detained 11 people in Osh region and 20 in Batken region. During searches, officers seized religious extremist literature, electronic storage devices with extremist materials, four unregistered firearms, symbols of terrorist groups, and money that the GKNB said was intended to finance terrorist structures abroad. The GKNB said its chairman, Jumgalbek Shabdanbekov, directed the operation in real time from a situation center. Operational headquarters included staff from the Interior Ministry, Border Service, Defense Ministry, Emergency Situations Ministry, Health Ministry, presidential envoys in the regions, and Osh city officials. “The special operation was carried out in strict accordance with the law,” the GKNB said in a statement carried by local media. The committee said its Main Investigation Department was checking the detainees’ links, possible accomplices, and financing channels. The suspects were not named, and the GKNB statement did not give their ages, citizenship, or the legal articles under which the case is proceeding. The detainees were placed in the GKNB’s temporary detention facility. Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad appears on the UN Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list as Khatiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, or KTJ. The UN added the group to the list on March 7, 2022, for its association with Al-Qaida-linked groups. The UN entry says KTJ was formerly known as Jannat Oshiklari and operated under Al-Nusrah Front in Syria. It also says the group had about 500 fighters. The UN entry says KTJ organized the 2016 attack on the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek. In that attack, a suspected suicide car bomber rammed the embassy gates, killing himself and wounding at least three other people, Reuters reported. Reuters later quoted the GKNB as saying, “The investigation established that the terrorist act was ordered by Uighur terrorist groups active in Syria.” U.S. sanctions records list Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. Kyrgyzstan’s official list of banned organizations includes Islamic State, Jannat Oshiklari, and Jamaat at-Tawhid wal-Jihad. Islamic State was declared a terrorist and extremist organization by Bishkek’s Oktyabr District Court on February 13, 2015, and the ruling entered into force on March 16, 2015, 24.kg reported. No convictions have been announced in the June 9 case. The case remains under investigation.

2 months ago

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