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Vagit Ismailov

Journalist

Vagit Ismailov is a Kazakhstani journalist. He has worked in leading regional and national publications.

Articles

Water Management

Tajikistan and ADB Discuss Modernization of Tajik Sea Reservoir

Tajikistan is planning a major modernization of the Tajik Sea reservoir, known until 2016 as the Kayrakkum Reservoir. The project is a strategic water initiative for the country and the wider Central Asian region. Prospects for the project were discussed during a meeting between Tajikistan’s officials and representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Ulaanbaatar, according to the Tajik state news agency Khovar. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the talks involved Presidential Economic Adviser Ne’matullo Hikmatullozoda, Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Leah Gutierrez, and Regional Head of Regional Cooperation and Integration Asad Aleem. The meeting focused on the “Efficient Management of Water Resources of the Bahri Tojik Reservoir” project. Hikmatullozoda described the initiative as one of Tajikistan’s key infrastructure priorities, aimed at adapting to climate change and addressing transboundary water challenges. The work would reinforce the reservoir’s protective dams to reduce flood risks and modernize its pumping stations. It also covers upgrades to irrigation, drainage, and collector systems, along with a digital monitoring system used to control and track water infrastructure. Officials said the project is expected to improve water resource management under changing climate conditions. It is also intended to make irrigation supplies more reliable and expand hydropower generation capacity. A preliminary feasibility study has already been prepared with ADB support. The Tajik Sea is located in Tajikistan’s Sughd Region on the Syr Darya River. The reservoir was created following the construction of a dam and hydropower station to regulate the river’s flow, with filling beginning in the 1950s. Today, the Tajik Sea remains one of the country’s largest reservoirs and an important site for energy production and irrigation. The adjacent Kayrakkum Hydropower Plant generates electricity, while the reservoir supplies water for agriculture across the region.

3 weeks ago

Academy of Sciences

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.

3 weeks ago

Economic Growth

EBRD Names Tajikistan One of Central Asia’s Fastest-Growing Economies

Tajikistan continues to record one of the strongest economic growth rates in Central Asia, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in its June 2026 Regional Economic Prospects report. The EBRD estimates that Tajikistan’s economy grew by 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, supported by growth in trade, transport and communications, along with strong manufacturing growth and higher electricity generation. Fixed capital investment rose by 34.2% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, one of the strongest performances in the region. For comparison, fixed capital investment in neighboring Kyrgyzstan rose by 25.5% during the same period, while Kazakhstan recorded growth of 6.4%. The bank attributed Tajikistan’s strong investment activity partly to public spending commitments, including the Rogun hydropower project, one of the country’s flagship infrastructure developments. Once completed, Rogun is expected to become a key part of Tajikistan’s power system and a major source of electricity exports to neighboring countries. The EBRD also noted strong growth in manufacturing, which increased by 29.6% year-on-year in January-March 2026. Electricity generation rose by 7.5%, while mining output contracted by 9.8%. Officials at Tajikistan’s State Committee on Investment and State Property Management said the figures reflect sustained interest in the country’s economy and create additional opportunities to attract domestic and foreign investors into priority sectors. Tajikistan has increasingly positioned itself as a regional energy hub, particularly through hydropower. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the country has the largest hydropower potential in Central Asia. Tajikistan’s annual hydropower potential is estimated at 527 billion kilowatt-hours, while the country accounts for a large share of Central Asia’s water resources. Despite that, much of its hydropower capacity remains untapped. International industry estimates suggest that only around 4% of Tajikistan’s hydropower potential has been developed, leaving significant room for future investment and expansion.

3 weeks ago

Tajikistan and UK Discuss Banking Regulation and Sanctions Compliance

Representatives of Tajikistan’s government and banking sector met with Douglas Clark, the United Kingdom’s regional sanctions attaché, in Dushanbe to discuss banking regulation, risk management, and the development of bilateral cooperation in the financial sector. According to the National Bank of Tajikistan, the meeting was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister Hokim Kholikzoda, senior National Bank officials, and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. During the talks, participants reviewed the current state of cooperation and discussed coordination in the financial sector. The agenda included Tajikistan’s banking system, compliance with international standards, supervisory mechanisms, and risk management. Kholikzoda said Tajikistan is interested in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with international partners. He said the government is taking measures to improve the transparency and resilience of the country’s financial system and align the sector with international standards. Firdavs Tolibzoda, chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan, briefed participants on efforts to support the stability of the banking system. These include compliance with international supervision and risk-management requirements, along with tighter compliance controls in credit and financial institutions. Clark praised Tajikistan’s engagement with international partners and its work on coordination mechanisms in financial-sector cooperation. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their readiness to continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the European Union removed three Tajik banks from its sanctions list in April.

3 weeks ago

AMM 2026

Kazakhstan Stakes Claim as Critical Minerals Processing Hub at AMM 2026

ASTANA — Kazakhstan used the opening of the Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress 2026 to place its mining and metals sector at the center of a new industrial strategy built around critical minerals, processing, technology, and long-term foreign investment. Addressing more than 1,500 participants from 16 countries, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan’s economy grew by 6.5% in 2025, while gross domestic product exceeded $300 billion for the first time. He tied that performance to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s course toward a modern economy based on technology, investment, industrial development, and human capital. For international investors, the speech presented Kazakhstan as a resource economy entering its next stage, not as a new market waiting to be discovered. Bektenov emphasized that major projects in subsoil use, metallurgy, and downstream processing require large capital commitments, long investment cycles, strong institutions, predictable regulation, and business confidence. “The world is entering a new industrial era in which the development of energy systems, digital economy, AI, electric vehicles, microelectronics, and aerospace industry depends directly on reliable access to metals and mineral resources,” Bektenov said. He described critical minerals as “the defining resources of the new industrial era,” placing Kazakhstan’s mineral base within the wider competition for inputs used in batteries, semiconductors, energy systems, electric vehicles, microelectronics, aerospace, AI, and the digital economy. Bektenov said Kazakhstan possesses substantial mineral resource potential and ranks among global leaders in reserves of a wide range of minerals. Products from the country’s mining and metals sector, he said, are already in demand across major world markets. He argued that Kazakhstan is not starting from scratch. It has resources, operating mines, metallurgical capacity, export experience, and a government policy aimed at moving more of the value chain inside the country. The most commercially significant announcement concerned exploration. Bektenov said Kazakhstan is implementing a large-scale geological exploration program, with detailed geological mapping expected to exceed two million square kilometers. At Tokayev’s instruction, the state alone plans to invest approximately $470 million in geological exploration between 2026 and 2028, an amount Bektenov described as comparable to total public spending on exploration over the previous two decades. That spending is designed to strengthen the project pipeline and reduce early-stage uncertainty for investors. For mining companies, drilling firms, geological service providers, laboratory operators, equipment suppliers, and data companies, the expansion of geological coverage could create new entry points into Kazakhstan’s mineral sector. Bektenov also pointed to digitalization as part of the government’s effort to modernize the sector. Kazakhstan has established a Unified Subsoil Use Platform that provides 22 public services, supports the issuance of licenses, and monitors the obligations of subsoil users. More than 4.6 million units of primary geological data have been digitized, including materials previously stored on paper, magnetic tapes, and photographic records. The next step, he said, is the integration of artificial intelligence into geological exploration, data analysis, and production management. Bektenov framed this as a shift in the operating model of Kazakhstan’s mining industry, rather than a simple increase in extraction volumes....

3 weeks ago

Tajikistan Uses Only 5% of Its Hydropower Potential

Tajikistan is using only a fraction of its vast hydropower resources despite possessing the largest hydropower potential in Central Asia, according to the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management. The committee said Tajikistan remains the regional leader in hydropower resources and ranks among the world’s leading countries in terms of renewable water-energy potential. Although most of Tajikistan’s hydropower potential remains undeveloped, hydropower already dominates the country’s electricity mix. Tajikistan currently generates around 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower. The figures underscore both the scale of Tajikistan’s renewable energy resources and the challenges the country faces in attracting the investment needed to fully develop them. Significant untapped potential also exists in other renewable energy sectors. The country’s economically viable solar energy capacity is estimated at 369,600 megawatts, although development of solar generation remains limited. Wind power resources are estimated at 4,485 megawatts, but the sector is still at an early stage of development. Despite the limited use of much of its renewable energy potential, Tajikistan already generates approximately 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower. The government aims to increase that share further. Under the country’s national energy development strategy, Tajikistan plans to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2032 and achieve the status of a fully “green” country by 2037. Officials also highlighted the sector’s considerable investment potential, citing opportunities in hydropower development, solar and wind generation, energy infrastructure modernization, energy storage systems, and the export of clean electricity to regional markets. Tajikistan has increasingly positioned renewable energy development as a cornerstone of its economic strategy, seeking to leverage its abundant natural resources to strengthen energy security, attract foreign investment, and expand regional electricity exports.

4 weeks ago

C5+1

U.S. Convenes Critical Minerals Dialogue with Central Asian Officials in Kazakhstan

ASTANA — The United States opened a new round of high-level critical minerals talks with Central Asian governments in Astana on June 10, with U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor saying Washington is placing new emphasis on a region it sees as central to global commerce, connectivity, and secure supply chains. Speaking at the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue, Gor said Central Asia “has not gotten the attention it deserves from the United States,” and that the Trump administration had decided to change that. “We care about this region, we want to be involved with this region, we want to identify win-win situations for the United States and your nations,” Gor said. The meeting, held at The Ritz-Carlton in Astana, brought together officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. The program included sessions on geological exploration, surveying and mapping, mining and processing, and global value and supply chains, followed by a government-business networking reception. Gor thanked Kazakhstan for hosting what he described as the first in-person C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue and said he had met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shortly before the session. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said that ahead of the dialogue, Gor and Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev had discussed economic and investment partnerships, innovation, artificial intelligence, education, transport, logistics, and critical minerals. The ministry also said the sides discussed the implementation of agreements reached between Tokayev and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in November 2025. Gor framed the Astana meeting as part of a broader increase in U.S. engagement with Central Asia following the C5+1 leaders’ meeting in Washington last year. He said critical minerals are now a central part of that engagement because they are essential to infrastructure, advanced technologies, industry, and national defense. “Our economic security depends on our ability to diversify our access to critical minerals,” Gor said. “Ensuring reliable access to these materials requires not only expanding production, but also building resilient, transparent, and market-driven supply chains in close partnership with trusted partners.” He added that the Central Asian states represented at the table were exactly the partners Washington wants to work with. “There’s a reason we’re sitting at this table and not at another table around the world,” Gor said. “It’s because this is where we want to work. This is where we have identified trusted partners.” Gor highlighted the role of U.S. commercial and development-finance tools in supporting investment, saying Washington is prepared to back American companies working in the region. “The United States government stands behind American companies,” Gor said. “There is no such thing as a deal too small.” Gor also pointed to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, saying it was preparing to “invest and build” in the region and saw potential in critical minerals, telecommunications, and Trans-Caspian infrastructure. He said DFC saw “potential to transform the region’s rich deposits of critical minerals into the foundation of a new wave of industrialization.” “President Trump understands the importance of...

4 weeks ago

Saddam Gulamov

Extradited Turkmen Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Turkmen activist Saddam Gulamov, who was extradited from Russia to Turkmenistan last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to Turkmen.news, citing documents it said were obtained from Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The new information appears to revise earlier reports that Gulamov had received an eight-year sentence. Those accounts were based on sources in Turkmenistan’s law enforcement system and on information from inmates at the LB-E/12, also known as the Seydi Prison Labor Camp, where Gulamov is reportedly serving his sentence. According to Turkmen.news, Turkmenistan’s Prosecutor General’s Office requested Gulamov’s extradition. Russian authorities approved the request on December 20, 2023, and transferred him to Turkmen law enforcement agencies on March 1, 2024, after the decision entered into force. The documents cited by the outlet say the Judicial Panel of the Ashgabat City Court sentenced Gulamov on May 13, 2024, to five years in prison. They do not specify the charges or the legal provisions under which he was convicted. Turkmen.news also reported that Russian Embassy employees in Turkmenistan had visited Gulamov in prison and asked about his conditions of detention. No details about the outcome of those visits have been made public. The outlet said records from Turkmenistan’s wanted persons database showed that, as of 2021, Gulamov was being sought under Article 175, Part 2, of the country’s Criminal Code, which concerns public calls to violently change the constitutional order through mass media, and under Article 175-2, Part 2, which concerns public calls to extremist activity through media channels. Both offenses carried maximum prison terms of five years. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Gulamov publicly criticized Turkmen authorities and former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on social media in 2020 and 2021. His posts focused on food shortages, economic difficulties, the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the official response to a destructive hurricane. In several posts, Gulamov called on citizens not to be afraid of what he described as authoritarian rule. Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about the treatment of political activists and government critics in Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed countries, where independent political activity and public dissent remain tightly restricted.

4 weeks ago

Glaciers

Tajikistan Renames Central Asia’s Largest Glacier

Tajikistan has officially renamed the country’s largest glacier, previously known as the Vanchiakh Glacier, as the Tajikistan Glacier, according to a government decree signed on June 3. The glacier, also widely known internationally as the Fedchenko Glacier, is the longest glacier outside the polar regions. Stretching approximately 77 kilometers and covering about 700 square kilometers, it forms part of a vast glacial system that includes around 100 smaller glaciers. The glacier is one of the largest in Eurasia, surpassed in area only by the Siachen and Baltoro glaciers in the Karakoram mountain range. Siachen extends roughly 76 kilometers and covers about 750 square kilometers, while Baltoro stretches 62 kilometers and covers a similar area. The newly renamed Tajikistan Glacier plays a critical role in the hydrology of Central Asia, serving as one of the region’s most important freshwater reserves. Last year, the glacier became the focus of a major international scientific expedition conducted under the Research on Climate and Cryosphere in the Pamirs (RECAP) project. Between July 19 and August 23, 2025, researchers from Tajikistan, Germany, and France carried out extensive fieldwork aimed at establishing a permanent monitoring system to track climate change and glaciological processes in the Pamir Mountains. Scientists faced challenging conditions during the expedition, transporting heavy equipment by hand to elevations exceeding 5,000 meters above sea level. Despite low oxygen levels, freezing temperatures, and difficult terrain, the team successfully installed an autonomous monitoring station capable of transmitting real-time data to a central database. Researchers said all planned monitoring stations were successfully deployed. Data collected from the glacier will now become part of an international climate observation network, providing scientists with new tools to assess glacier retreat and better understand the long-term implications for Central Asia’s water resources. The Tajikistan Glacier remains not only one of the region’s most significant glacial formations, but also an important indicator of the future availability of freshwater resources upon which millions of people across Central Asia depend.

4 weeks ago

Child Labor

ILO Reports Rise in Child Labor in Turkmenistan’s Cotton Fields

The International Labour Organization has reported a rise in child labor during Turkmenistan’s 2025 cotton harvest, despite improvements in some working conditions and continued cooperation with the government. The findings were published in the ILO’s second consecutive assessment of labor conditions during the country’s cotton campaign. The monitoring mission was conducted between August 28 and November 4, 2025, across all five regions of Turkmenistan. Observers interviewed 1,611 cotton pickers, 458 farmers, and 1,415 public-sector employees, as well as local officials and farm managers. Children were not interviewed for safety reasons, meaning conclusions regarding child labor were based on direct observations by monitors and testimony from adult respondents. One of the report’s most significant findings was a sharp increase in reports and observations of children in cotton fields. The share of cotton pickers reporting the presence of children in the fields rose to 20% in 2025 from 11% a year earlier. Among public-sector employees surveyed, the figure increased from 14% to 18%, while among farmers it rose from 17% to 34%. ILO monitors themselves encountered children during 38% of field visits, compared with 23% in the previous year’s assessment. The highest incidence was recorded in Dashoguz Region, where children were observed on 59% of surveyed fields. Comparable figures were 41% in Mary Region, 28% in Lebap Region and 25% in Ahal Region. The report also documented increased interference by local officials in monitoring activities. Attempts to influence inspections were recorded during 35% of field visits in 2025, up from 23% in 2024. Interference was also reported during 34% of inspections involving public institutions. In Dashoguz Region, officials were present during interviews with public-sector employees in 62% of cases, according to the report. The use of public-sector workers during the cotton harvest also continued. Twelve percent of surveyed government employees said they participated in cotton picking, while around one in five of those respondents said they had been sent to the fields by employers, officials, or farming associations. Fifteen percent of farmers reported seeing public-sector employees or military personnel working in the fields. The report found that concerns about negative consequences for refusing cotton work also increased. Fifteen percent of pickers reported fearing repercussions, compared with 12% a year earlier. Nearly one-quarter of surveyed public-sector employees expressed similar concerns. Respondents cited fears of losing social benefits, employment, income, or social standing within their communities. Meanwhile, the ILO reported improvements in several labor indicators. The share of workers earning below the official minimum wage fell from 29% to 13%, while average pay increased from 4.6 cents to 4.9 cents per kilogram of cotton harvested. Access to drinking water and food also improved. However, significant challenges remain. Only 7% of cotton pickers had written employment contracts, down from 22% in 2024. More than half of workers lacked at least one required piece of protective equipment, while 11% reported health problems during the harvest. The ILO noted that cooperation with the Turkmen government has resulted in some reforms, including amendments to the Labor Code that...

4 weeks ago

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