02 May 2016
NEWS

U.S. helps promote awareness of importance of traffic safety in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK (TCA) — Urban Initiatives’ Road Triangle outreach campaign, supported by the United States through USAID, emphasized the critical roles that traffic police, drivers, and pedestrians play in ensuring road safety in Kyrgyzstan. As part of this campaign, the Bishkek-based civil society organization Urban Initiatives developed an online test to help drivers improve their knowledge of traffic safety rules, the organization said. To date, more than 26,700 people have taken the test.

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Times of Central Asia

01 May 2016
Opinion Head

Central Asia’s ‘Karabakhs’ may be even more dangerous than the original

BISHKEK (TCA) — As Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have been involved in tensions concerning disputed border areas in the Ferghana Valley, a densely populated region shared by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, we are republishing an article by Paul Goble, entitled “Central Asia’s ‘Karabakhs’ may be even more dangerous than the original”, originally published by the Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor, which draws a parallel between the Caucasus and Central Asia. The article is below:     

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Times of Central Asia

01 May 2016
Opinion Head

Central Asia reviving old cooperation schemes with Iran

LONDON (TCA) — With the recent removal of the sanctions on Iran, Europe and the former Soviet republics have jumped on the platform to announce “breakthrough” deals on the occasion. Today most of those “new” deals are in fact a lot older, and it will take several years before a concrete benefit will be achieved both for Central Asia and Iran. Today Iran needs every bit of cash to cope with its huge socioeconomic problems while Central Asia access to the sea and alternative export routes has always been of high priority.

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Times of Central Asia

30 Apr 2016
Opinion Head

Turkmenistan’s gas sales: the choice between cash and ash

ASHGABAT (TCA) — Turkmenistan’s dream to become a world energy player seems to have gone up in smoke just when it could have grasped a glimpse of reality. A trade conflict with Russia’s gas giant Gazprom has prematurely locked its gas outlet to the north, leaving only China as its customer. Ashgabat’s lack of market insight in the midst of a continental price slump appears to be the main cause of Turkmenistan’s inability to cash in on its monoculture.

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Times of Central Asia