Page 104 – The Times Of Central Asia

23 Sep 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Swiss Ambassador: Returned Funds to Uzbekistan Support Schools and Social Projects

September 23, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Switzerland’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Konstantin Obolenskiy has reaffirmed that Switzerland is repatriating assets obtained from criminal sources to Uzbekistan, with the funds being directed toward projects that reduce poverty and improve social infrastructure.

Speaking to Dunyo at the III International Forum “From Poverty to Prosperity” in the Uzbek city of Namangan, Obolenskiy expressed admiration for Uzbekistan’s reported progress. “I had the privilege to attend the opening of the forum, and I was deeply impressed by the outcomes announced, how many people have been lifted out of poverty, how new economic and social assistance is being provided, the conditions being created so people can live a dignified life. This information is very important,” he said.

The ambassador underscored Switzerland’s direct involvement in supporting Uzbekistan’s anti-poverty efforts. “We are returning to Uzbekistan funds taken from criminal sources, and these funds are being used for social projects that directly contribute to poverty reduction,” he stated.

As an example, Obolenskiy pointed to a new initiative being signed at the forum. “Documents are being signed for a project to modernize over forty schools, improving sanitation and hygiene facilities such as toilets and showers, and enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings. All this is done in the interest of the people, for the country’s future.”

He emphasized that the asset repatriation process reflects the shared will of both the Swiss and Uzbek governments. “The results achieved in reducing poverty are remarkable and these pleased not only me but all forum participants. In Uzbekistan, we believe every person has the right to fully realize their economic and social potential and live in dignity.”

Swiss authorities have long been involved in legal proceedings related to Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan’s late president. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Switzerland has agreed to return approximately $182 million in confiscated assets linked to Karimova. These funds were seized during Swiss criminal investigations and will be transferred to Uzbekistan through the UN-managed Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund.

A separate, earlier agreement between the two countries involved the return of around $131 million, also tied to Karimova, using the same trust fund mechanism.

23 Sep 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan

New Kazakh-German Nexus Institute to Tackle Central Asia’s Climate Challenges

September 23, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

The Kazakh-German University (DKU), the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, and the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU), with support from Germany’s Hanns Seidel Foundation, have announced the creation of a new scientific and educational hub, the Kazakh-German Nexus Institute.

A New Center for Sustainable Solutions

The Nexus Institute will be headquartered at KazNARU in Almaty and aims to integrate the expertise of Kazakhstani and international scientists to address Central Asia’s pressing environmental issues. Its core mission is to develop comprehensive solutions in land and water management, energy, and ecology.

Key priorities include:

Developing effective policies for sustainable land and water use
Introducing digital tools for monitoring natural resources
Training professionals to respond to climate-related challenges
Promoting practices that prevent land degradation and desertification

German Support and Collaboration

German institutions, led by the Hanns Seidel Foundation, will offer both technical and financial support. Planned initiatives include joint research projects, strategic planning sessions, and the development of modern educational platforms.

The establishment of the Nexus Institute is considered a significant milestone in strengthening Kazakh-German scientific collaboration. It also contributes to building institutional capacity that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

Forum in Almaty: A Platform for Regional Dialogue

The initiative gained further momentum during the international forum “Central Asia’s Sustainable Development Goals in a Changing Global Order,” held in Almaty on September 19. Co-organized by DKU, the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, and Germany’s University Alliance Ruhr, the event convened stakeholders from academia, government, business, and international organizations.

Participants underscored shared priorities, including:

Climate resilience and energy transition
Scientific integration into public policy
Cross-border cooperation
Development of sustainable value chains

Future areas of collaboration include:

Creating roadmaps tailored to the region’s mountainous and glacial ecosystems
Expanding academic mobility and research exchange
Strengthening technology transfer mechanisms
Advancing frameworks for climate risk financing

The launch of the Nexus Institute and the Almaty forum signal a new phase in Kazakh-German cooperation, focused on forging actionable strategies for sustainable development and climate adaptation across Central Asia.

23 Sep 2025

Central Asia, Home, Justice, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Features, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Justice, Features

Uzbekistan Uncovers Criminal Network Trafficking Human Organs

September 23, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan’s State Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs have uncovered a transnational criminal network involved in the illegal trafficking of human organs.

Authorities report that the group included 12 individuals from Tashkent and the Tashkent, Fergana, Bukhara, and Kashkadarya regions. The suspects allegedly used social media platforms to identify patients with kidney and liver conditions, while simultaneously recruiting healthy individuals willing to sell their organs in exchange for large sums of money.

With the help of accomplices abroad, the group reportedly forged identity documents to present donors as close relatives of patients, thereby enabling organ transplants to be carried out at a private clinic in a neighboring country.

Investigators said that between 2023 and 2025, at least 32 patients underwent kidney or liver transplants arranged by the network. Large payments were collected from recipients, with portions paid to the clinic and donors, while the remainder was divided among the organizers. In cases where patients experienced complications or failed to improve post-surgery, the group allegedly sold them strong painkillers at inflated prices.

Criminal charges have been filed under provisions of the Criminal Code related to illegal organ trafficking, document forgery, smuggling, and drug-related offenses. The case has now been referred to the court system for further proceedings.

Illegal organ trade has emerged as a broader regional issue. In April 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) announced the arrest of individuals connected to an international network facilitating black-market organ sales. According to the SCNS, the group identified wealthy foreign patients willing to pay high prices for transplants and recruited Kyrgyz citizens as donors using fraudulent methods. Donors received between $1,000 and $7,000 for a kidney, while the organizers reportedly earned up to $70,000 per operation.

23 Sep 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Home, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Featurees, Kazakhstan Home

Asia’s Top Three Towns for Air Quality All in Kazakhstan, Finds New Study

September 23, 2025
By Jonathan Campion

A new study into global air quality by the independent website HouseFresh has found that Kazakhstan is home to some of the world’s cleanest towns. The report also notes that one Kazakh city is also among the most polluted.

Using data from IQAir’s 2024 research, HouseFresh examined the average PM2.5 level – the number of small particles in the air – for over 8,800 towns with a population over 10,000. It found that the world’s most polluted town is Byrnihat in India, with a PM2.5 level of 128.2 particles per cubic meter (µg/m³). The cleanest air globally is in the Kazakh town of Shu.

Shu, a rail freight hub in the country’s southeastern Zhambyl region, close to the border with Kyrgyzstan, had an average PM2 level of 1.5 µg/m³ in 2024.

Kazakhstan is in fact home to the three cleanest towns in Asia, with the next places after Shu being Zhezkazgan in the central Ulytau region (2.3 µg/m³), and the southwestern town of Beyneu, outside Mangystau (3.4 µg/m³).

Kazakhstan’s government has pledged that the country will become ‘climate neutral’ by 2060. It is aiming for its towns to follow the lead of cities such as New York and Beijing, which have more than halved their air pollution with measures such as cleaner public transport, modernized heating systems, and emissions regulation.

However, Kazakhstan generally ranks highly in lists of the most polluted countries, due to its large-scale and outdated industrial infrastructure. Dust in the south of the country can also affect air quality.

Due to this, the much larger central city of Karaganda, a center for Kazakhstan’s coal mining industry, remains one of the world’s most polluted cities. With average PM2.5 levels of 104.8 µg/m³ in 2024, the impact on the health of its half a million residents is equivalent to them smoking over 1,700 cigarettes per year.

23 Sep 2025

Home, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Tokayev in New York: $100B U.S. Investment Push Boosts Kazakhstan Ties

September 25, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan and the United States are continuing to strengthen their strategic partnership, with investment playing a central role. At a roundtable with U.S. business representatives in New York, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that American investments in Kazakhstan’s economy have surpassed $100 billion.

“Today, more than 630 American companies are successfully operating in our country, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Boeing, Visa, Mastercard, Meta, Wabtec, and Citibank. We regard the U.S. as an important strategic partner and reaffirm our commitment to further developing multifaceted cooperation,” Tokayev said.

The president noted that Kazakhstan’s economy grew by 6.5% in the first eight months of 2025. He added that ongoing political and economic reforms are creating favorable conditions for long-term growth and attracting further investment.

Energy and Uranium: The Cornerstone of Cooperation

Energy continues to underpin U.S.-Kazakhstan relations.

“We recognize and highly value the large and successful investments of Chevron and ExxonMobil over the past 30 years. Despite all the turbulence in regional geopolitics, their presence in our country has never been questioned,” Tokayev said.

He pointed out that Kazakhstan supplies about 40% of the global uranium market and nearly a quarter of U.S. imports. Tokayev also highlighted Kazakhstan’s “four sources” strategy – oil, gas, coal, and uranium – and expressed support for the U.S. approach to coal as a reliable energy source in the near term.

$4.2 Billion Wabtec Agreement: A Landmark Deal

A key outcome of Tokayev’s U.S. visit was the signing of a $4.2 billion agreement with American locomotive manufacturer Wabtec.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the deal will see Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), acquire 300 ES44Aci Evolution Series freight locomotives over the next decade.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick described the contract as the “largest in history,” noting it would create approximately 11,000 jobs in Texas and Pennsylvania. “This is not just a story of massive success, it’s an example of how American innovation strengthens global leadership,” he posted on X.

Wabtec President and CEO Rafael Santana added, “This project represents KTZ’s ambition to transform Kazakhstan’s railway network into a key bridge between Europe and Asia.”

Tokayev has emphasized that Kazakhstan is upgrading transport hubs and rolling out a “Smart Cargo” digital customs and logistics system to streamline east–west and Trans-Caspian transit traffic.

Presidential Support: Trump and Tokayev Hold Call

The Wabtec agreement was preceded by a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Tokayev.

“I just concluded a wonderful call with the Highly Respected President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He emphasized the significance of the locomotive deal and linked it to his broader support for revitalizing U.S. infrastructure. “We need to support our rail industry, which has been attacked for years by ‘fake environmentalists.’ Now railroads are coming back and fast!” he said.

Observers noted that Trump’s personal involvement underscored the political importance of the agreement for bilateral relations.

Green Energy Progress: SAF Plant with LanzaJet

Another notable development was the agreement between Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, KazMunayGas (KMG), and U.S.-based LanzaJet to construct a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant.

A prior market study by KMG estimated Kazakhstan’s SAF consumption could reach 70,000 tons annually by 2030.

“Joint efforts will make a significant contribution to achieving low-carbon development goals and strengthening our country’s transit potential,” said KMG Chairman Askhat Khasenov.

Expanding Cooperation in Agriculture, Technology, and Education

President Tokayev also invited American companies to expand their presence in Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector. “Kazakhstan is among the world’s top ten grain exporters. We welcome PepsiCo and Mars’ plans to create modern processing facilities,” he said.

Tokayev also emphasized Kazakhstan’s digital ambitions: “We intend to become a fully digital state within three years. Today, Nvidia, Amazon, Starlink, and Microsoft are already operating in Kazakhstan’s ecosystem.”

In the education sector, Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan is developing into a regional academic hub. Branches of the University of Arizona, Duke University, and the Colorado School of Mines have opened in the country. Additionally, over 800 Bolashak program scholars are currently studying at institutions such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford.

Balancing Challenges with Strategic Momentum

Despite progress in many areas, bilateral relations face challenges. In spring 2025, the Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on select Kazakhstani goods.

In response, Astana dispatched a delegation to Washington for consultations. Analysts warn that the tariffs could deal a “serious blow” to Kazakhstan’s economy.

Taken together, however, these latest developments suggest a deepening of the U.S.-Kazakhstan partnership that goes beyond contracts – one anchored in long-term strategy, infrastructure, and energy supply. If the current momentum continues, Kazakhstan could become not just a regional energy hub but an increasingly vital node in the global supply chain for strategic raw materials.

22 Sep 2025

Features, Home, International Affairs, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Featurees

Trump and Tokayev Secure a Historic $4.2 Billion Locomotive Deal

October 2, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Washington, D.C. – The United States and Kazakhstan have finalized the largest locomotive agreement in history, a $4.2 billion deal that underscores American industrial strength and deepens ties between the two nations. The announcement came following a call between President Donald Trump and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which officials say directly helped bring the deal across the finish line.

The U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed that Pennsylvania-based Wabtec will supply about 300 Evolution Series locomotives, in kit form, to Kazakhstan’s state railway over the next decade. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized the scale of the export package, writing on X that the deal is “more than just a huge success story. It’s about American innovation leading the world, supporting thousands of jobs in TX & PA, and strengthening the U.S.–Kazakhstan partnership.” For Trump, the Pennsylvania tie is notable — the state is both home to Wabtec and a perennial battleground in presidential politics.

What Trump and Tokayev said

President Trump celebrated the breakthrough personally on Truth Social:

“I just concluded a wonderful call with the Highly Respected President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev. They have signed the largest Railroad Equipment Purchase in History, $4 Billion Dollars Worth of United States Locomotives and Rail Equipment”.

He continued:

“Congratulations to President Tokayev on his great purchase. This Country, and the World, was built on reliable, beautiful Railroads. Now they will be coming back, FAST!”

Earlier in September, Trump had told reporters he had a “great conversation” with Tokayev — a remark that signaled improving ties between Washington and Astana ahead of the deal. On Sept. 22, the Commerce Department formally confirmed the $4.2 billion agreement. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a separate statement on X, emphasized that the leaders’ engagement helped pave the way and argued the deal strengthens an enhanced strategic partnership while embedding American technology in Eurasian connectivity.

President Tokayev, for his part, has emphasized transport and logistics as central to Kazakhstan’s role as a “link between Europe and Asia,” calling for expanded rail infrastructure and modern customs systems. In July, amid tariff tensions, he assured Trump in a letter that Kazakhstan was “ready for constructive dialogue” and was confident a compromise could be reached — a posture that laid groundwork for the closer economic cooperation reflected in this deal.

Why It Matters: Unlocking Regional Corridors to the West

The locomotives will reinforce capacity along the Trans-Caspian “Middle Corridor,” a trade route carrying goods from Central Asia through the South Caucasus and into Europe—an alternative to Russian and Iranian transit that governments have accelerated since 2022.

A critical gap in that chain was addressed through U.S.-brokered diplomacy in August 2025, when President Trump hosted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House. The two leaders signed a peace declaration after decades of conflict and committed to reopening transport links, most notably a 42-kilometer passage through Armenia’s Syunik province, commonly called the Zangezur corridor or the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

By agreement, Armenia retains sovereignty, while the corridor connects Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave and onward to Türkiye, at the same time drawing Armenia more directly into east–west trade. Analysts describe TRIPP as the missing link in the Middle Corridor, creating a continuous rail, road, and energy corridor from Central Asia to Europe. In practice, the Armenia–Azerbaijan settlement has enabled not just peace, but the completion of regional corridors critical for linking Eurasia with the West. By reducing political risk and clarifying transit rules under Armenian jurisdiction, the deal lowers costs, increases predictability, and strengthens the overall resilience of Eurasian connectivity.

The United States and Kazakhstan have built a strong foundation of enduring economic ties, anchored by long-term strategic partnerships that date back to the early 1990s. These ties have proven resilient to political and economic shifts, reflecting the depth of mutual commitment. Today, Kazakhstan represents the central footprint of U.S. engagement in Eurasia, serving as the region’s largest recipient of American foreign direct investment, with nearly $45 billion in cumulative stock.

The Bottom Line

Taken together, the Wabtec–Kazakhstan export, Trump–Tokayev engagement, and the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace and transit agreements embed American rail technology and standards into Eurasia’s core infrastructure, while giving Kazakhstan new capacity to advance its ambition of becoming the region’s leading transit hub.