DUSHANBE (TCA) — A ceremony to mark the start of work was held on August 23 at Tajikistan’s Qairokkum hydropower plant (QHPP). The US$ 196 million financing package organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is helping to complete the climate-resilient rehabilitation of QHPP to help Tajikistan improve its electricity supply, the Bank reports on its website.

The work is the culmination of an investment program that began in 2014, with financing provided by the EBRD, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience, Austria and the United Kingdom. The government of Austria is also funding technical cooperation support.

The financing, comprising a US$ 88 million EBRD loan, a US$ 37 million EIB loan, a US$ 50 million GCF loan and grant and a US$ 21 million Climate Investment Funds loan and grant to the state-owned power utility Barki Tojik, will fund the rehabilitation and modernization of QHPP, a 60-year-old hydropower plant that provides electricity to 500,000 people. Measures will include concrete dam works and the installation of hydraulic steel components, turbines and electromechanical equipment for the six hydropower units.

The full rehabilitation will increase the plant’s installed capacity from 126 MW to 174 MW. The upgrade will introduce innovative climate resilience measures, enabling the plant to cope with the expected impact of climate change on the country’s hydrological systems.

It will also build the capacity of the Tajik hydropower operator to anticipate, assess and manage climate-related risks by introducing best international practices from countries such as Canada.

Tajikistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Its glacial hydrology and, by extension, its hydropower sector, are highly sensitive to the impacts of climate change and the project offers a model of how carefully designed investments can make hydropower more resilient. This model can be replicated across the country and the region.

To date, the EBRD has invested nearly €670 million (US$ 740 million equivalent) in various sectors of Tajikistan’s economy. The EBRD is also supporting Tajikistan’s efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change.

KABUL (TCA) — A former member of the Taliban says the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban will be finalized within the next few days as the ninth round of the negotiations began in Doha on August 22, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reports.

Continue reading

TASHKENT (TCA) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on August 22 met with the leaders of the country’s political parties to discuss the issues of increasing the role of parties in the socio-political life and the preparation for the elections to the national parliament and local representative bodies due in December this year, the president’s official website said.

The president said that today, Uzbekistan is at a new stage of its development, deep democratic reforms are underway in all areas. Special attention is paid to the consolidation of principles of a multi-party system and political pluralism.

Currently, there are five political parties in Uzbekistan — the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) Democratic Party, the People’s Democratic Party, the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople – the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party, and the Ecological Party.

The head state emphasized that “a political party can be considered a political force only when it keeps pace with the times, able to meet the stringent requirements of our day.”

The forthcoming parliamentary and local council elections are the most important political event in the life of the country, and will come to be a great political school both for political parties as much as for all our people, the president said.

Conducting elections on principles of multi-party system and alternative choice, openness and transparency, in accordance with generally recognized democratic standards largely depends on the extent of preparation of the parties for the voting process, their active participation in electoral campaigns.

The Uzbek electoral law stipulates that only political parties nominate parliamentary candidates.

BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan’s former Prosecutor-General Indira Joldubaeva has been placed under house arrest on a corruption charge.

Continue reading

NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — German investors commended Kazakhstan’s investment potential and agreed to develop a roadmap for expansion of Kazakhstan-Germany investment cooperation and to create a list of joint strategic projects. This is the outcome of the Kazakh Foreign Minister’s visit to Berlin earlier this week, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.

Continue reading

NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Internet giants Apple, Google, and Mozilla have taken steps to block the rollout of a controversial encryption software to Kazakh Internet users issued by the government, which critics say web users are obliged to install as part of a government move to monitor their online activities, RFE/RL reported.

Continue reading