BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan’s former President Almazbek Atambayev has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The Kremlin’s website posted a video statement by Putin on July 25, in which the Russian president said that he and Atambayev met a day earlier to discuss the situation in Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asian region as a whole.

“Kyrgyzstan has faced pretty serious internal political upheavals already, to be precise, at least two, and I think one must stop at that [number],” Putin said in reference to violent antigovernment protests that toppled Kyrgyz presidents in 2005 and 2010.

“The country needs political stability and all [Kyrgyz] people must unite around the incumbent president to help him to develop the country. We have many cooperation plans with Kyrgyzstan and we certainly intend to implement all those plans along with the current authorities,” Putin added.

Putin’s statement comes amid an ongoing open stand-off between Atambayev and his successor Sooronbai Jeenbekov, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.

Several associates of Atambayev have been arrested on corruption charges, and Atambayev himself faces five counts of criminal misconduct while in office from 2011 to 2017 — including corruption, abuse of office, and illegally enriching himself.

Atambayev has rejected all of the charges saying they are politically motivated. He refused to obey Interior Ministry subpoenas in an unspecified criminal investigation three times in July.

Under Kyrgyz law, a person who refuses to comply with two subpoenas can be forcibly detained for questioning. But authorities in Bishkek have so far not attempted to carry out such a move against the former president.

Atambayev’s lawyer, Sergei Slesarev, has claimed a June 27 parliamentary vote that stripped Atambayev of his immunity from prosecution was illegal.

Kyrgyz lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to remove Atambayev’s immunity in a move that cleared the way for his prosecution.

After his meeting with Putin in Moscow, Atambayev made a statement saying that it was a good opportunity to exchange views, 24.kg news agency reported.

“The Russian Federation reaffirmed that it is a friend and strategic partner of the Kyrgyz Republic, but we will solve our internal problems in the republic by ourselves. We talked about the situation in Kyrgyzstan and the region, about the need for political stability in the country, that both parties of the conflict should make efforts for this. And we also believe that this is a two-way road. The current government needs to return to the legal field,” said Atambayev.

He added that the current Kyrgyz authorities should stop political persecution of their opponents.

“My supporters should have an opportunity to calmly prepare for the [2020 parliamentary] elections. Vladimir Putin plans to talk about it with Sooronbai Jeenbekov. As soon as we see such steps on the part of Jeenbekov, the opposition’s agenda will immediately change,” the former president said.

ASHGABAT (TCA) — On July 24, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UoIE) conducted a fruit tree production workshop for orchard owners and agronomists in Ashgabat, the US Embassy in Turkmenistan reported.

Continue reading

TASHKENT (TCA) — Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Ulugbek Lapasov, on July 23 met with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, the Jahon information agency reported.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, at the meeting, Roberto Azevêdo was handed over the updated Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which, according to the head of the organization, marks the beginning of the official negotiation process of the country’s accession to the WTO. It was emphasized that for the first time in 15 years, Uzbekistan has prepared an official document for submission to WTO members, which will become a good basis for the entire negotiation process.

The Director-General also expressed full support for intensification by Uzbekistan of the accession process to the WTO and noted that large-scale reforms implemented under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev are a key factor for further development of the country’s foreign policy and foreign economic relations, as well as bringing normative-legal acts in accordance with the norms and regulations of the organization’s agreements.

Roberto Azevêdo assured that the WTO Secretariat will provide all necessary assistance and support to Uzbekistan in this process, including the successful holding of the next meeting of the Working Group on Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO in 2019.

NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The jailed former president of Kazakhstan’s uranium giant Kazatomprom, Mukhtar Dzhakishev, has been denied early release for the second time in months, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported.

Continue reading

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Uzbekistan’s presidential press service said that Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov spoke by telephone with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev on July 24 to congratulate him on his birthday. The statement was the first official report about activity by Berdymukhammedov since July 21, when rumors on social media and unconfirmed reports by Russian news outlets claimed he had died.

Continue reading

BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan’s former President Almazbek Atambayev, who faces five counts of criminally abusing his office when he held power from 2011 to 2017, has left Kyrgyzstan aboard a private jet headed to Moscow, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.

Continue reading