Page 113 – The Times Of Central Asia

06 Jan 2026

Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Home, Turkmenistan Life & Culture, Life & Culture, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Features, Features

Turkmen Pensioners Decry Government’s Refusal to Index Payments

January 6, 2026
By Vagit Ismailov

The Turkmen government’s decision to forgo its customary annual increase in pensions and benefits in 2026 has sparked sharp discontent among elderly citizens. Pensioners, arriving to have their documents updated for the year, have discovered that payment amounts remain unchanged and many are not hiding their anger.

Since January 2, retirees have been visiting social security offices where pension amounts are officially recorded in their books. In previous years, this annual procedure was typically accompanied by an indexation of around 10%, helping to offset inflation and rising prices.

That practice has been discontinued. Pension and social benefit levels remain frozen, despite the ongoing increase in living costs.

The decision not to index pensions was announced in autumn 2025 during a parliamentary session, where honorary elder Yazmyrat Atamyradov proposed a complete halt to increases in salaries, pensions, state benefits, and scholarships. He claimed the “happy people” of Turkmenistan already enjoy a steadily improving standard of living, making additional financial support unnecessary.

The response from the public has been stark. Pensioners are openly criticizing the government and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, not only in social services offices but also in markets, on public transport, and in other public places.

Many older citizens recall a similarly severe decision under the country’s first president, Saparmurat Niyazov, when pensions were abolished entirely. Witnesses from that time report that some elderly individuals, left without support, were pushed to the brink of survival.

The current cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated the backlash. Over the past year, food prices have surged. Beef has risen from $17.40-$20.30 to $31.90-$33.40 per kilogram, and local apples have jumped from $4.35 to $7.69 per kilogram.

As of January 1, 2025, the minimum pension in Turkmenistan was set at $159.50. That figure remains unchanged in 2026, despite the deepening economic pressures faced by retirees.

06 Jan 2026

Central Asia, Home, International Affairs, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan to Export Earth Observation Satellites, Expand Digital Infrastructure

January 6, 2026
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan plans to manufacture at least five to six remote sensing satellites in the coming years, with some slated for export, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiev announced at a recent government meeting.

Satellite production is managed by Kazkosmos JSC (National Space Center) and Ghalam LLP, while the Republican Space Communications Center JSC oversees satellite operations in orbit. According to Madiev, the ministry supervises these entities, and their production capacities are currently being fully utilized.

“In the coming years, it is planned to launch at least five or six Earth remote sensing satellites at this complex, and part of the production will be focused on export. The expected volume of exports will be about $75 million. The implementation of the project will be the first such experience in the history of Kazakhstan and will allow the formation of high-tech exports,” Madiev said.

He also announced that, starting in 2026, satellite internet will be available on trains operated by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and aboard Air Astana flights. Currently, three satellite internet providers operate in the country, and two foreign companies are expected to enter the market soon. Pilot tests for train and aircraft connectivity are scheduled for this year.

In parallel, local authorities are mandated to provide satellite internet access in tourist areas and hard-to-reach regions, funding the efforts independently. Simultaneously, a nationwide initiative is underway to deliver mobile coverage to 40,000 kilometers of national and regional highways, with completion expected within two years.

The government is also expanding 5G infrastructure, with networks already active in 20 cities and plans to reach up to 75% of urban areas. More than half of the country’s rural settlements are set to gain high-speed internet access via fiber-optic lines over the next two years. As part of the “Last Mile” project, fiber optics will be extended to hundreds of thousands of households.

Additionally, a major international project is underway: the construction of a fiber-optic communication line along the seabed of the Caspian Sea, connecting Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan.

“The project will strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as a digital bridge between East and West and increase the stability of international data transmission channels,” Madiev said.

This initiative is set for completion by year’s end. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investing over $50 million into the project.

06 Jan 2026

Central Asia, Home, Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Home

Kyrgyzstan Urged to Shift from Rural Focus to Urban Development

January 6, 2026
By Vagit Ismailov

Kyrgyzstan must develop modern urban infrastructure and gradually move away from its predominantly rural development model, according to Nurdan Oruntayev, Director of the State Agency for Architecture, Construction, and Housing and Utilities.

Speaking to local media, Oruntayev emphasized the need for a strategic transition toward urbanization to drive economic growth and job creation.

Master plans for the development of the towns of Karakol, Manas, and Osh have already been approved. These include the construction of high-rise residential buildings, signaling a broader shift toward urban expansion.

“We must develop cities and move toward an urban infrastructure system. We must have megacities. The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the economy and provides jobs for many citizens,” Oruntayev said.

He noted that the average annual growth in real estate prices in Kyrgyzstan ranges between 20-30 percent, reflecting strong demand and rising investor interest. According to official data, construction has been a primary driver of economic growth in recent years, with GDP growth consistently exceeding 10 percent.

However, this rapid development has raised concerns among local communities. In an interview with the Times of Central Asia, Albina Alimova, a tour guide from Karakol, criticized the city’s master plan for ignoring input from the tourism sector, despite tourism being a key regional revenue source. She warned that unchecked construction was compromising the city’s historical character.

“New buildings are blocking historic sites and views. Karakol has streets with late 19th-century stonework, old merchant houses, and a museum. We take tourists there, in part for the mountain views. But all of this is gradually being built up, and the city’s former appearance may be lost,” she said.

Similar concerns have emerged in Bishkek, where city authorities are preparing a renovation program that would replace older buildings with high-rise developments. Residents say the city’s growing density has disrupted natural wind patterns and worsened environmental conditions. The capital’s master plan, developed with input from St. Petersburg-based urban planners, also flagged excessive building density in some districts as a key issue.

06 Jan 2026

Central Asia Can Depend on Azerbaijan for Path to West, Aliyev Says

January 6, 2026
By Times of Central Asia

Azerbaijan is the only “reliable country” that can geographically link Central Asia to the West because alternative routes face geopolitical turbulence, according to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev spoke about Azerbaijan’s prospects as a key conduit for commerce across borders as well as its deepening relationship with Central Asia during a wide-ranging interview with local television channels in Baku on Monday. He acknowledged that there is still work to be done before Azerbaijan can approach its full potential as what he called a “living bridge” for international trade.

The remarks followed a summit in Uzbekistan in November in which Central Asian leaders supported Azerbaijan’s accession to the region’s Consultative Meeting format as a full participant, even though Azerbaijan is in the South Caucasus. The Consultative Meeting format is a vehicle for high-level collaboration on trade, security, and other issues among Central Asian countries, which have taken steps to resolve border disputes and other sources of tension over the years.

“So many projects have been implemented in recent years that these countries have unanimously elected us as a full member. We can also consider this a great political and diplomatic success,” Aliyev said during the interview. His remarks were published by the state Azerbaijani Press Agency, or APA.

Referring to international connectivity, transport, and logistics, the president said, “Azerbaijan is the only reliable country that can geographically connect Central Asia with the West today,” and, without going into specifics, he alluded to the difficulties that some other trade channels face. Paths through Russia and Iran to the West, for example, are affected by sanctions and long-running political tensions.

“Of course, from a geographical point of view, other routes can also be used. However, taking into account the current geopolitical situation, we can say with complete certainty that alternative routes for the West cannot be considered acceptable,” Aliyev said.

He mentioned developing projects such as a November 2024 agreement involving Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to lay a fiber-optic cable along the Caspian seabed, as well as China’s large-scale funding for the construction of another railway to the Caspian Sea via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

“Freight traffic to the Caspian Sea, and therefore to Azerbaijan, will increase,” the Azerbaijani president said. “Along with Central Asian countries, additional freight from China will naturally increase the demand for the East–West route, the Middle Corridor.”

A September analysis by the Washington-based Jamestown research group suggested that prospects are bright for Azerbaijan, which has actively positioned itself as a trade hub since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Amid disruptions in both the northern and southern corridors, Azerbaijan has emerged as a critical logistics hub, offering a sanction-free, resilient, and stable environment to facilitate overland trade between the PRC (China) and Europe through the Middle Corridor,” analyst Yunis Sharifli wrote.

In addition, Azerbaijan expects cargo from China and Central Asia to travel along a proposed route that would link the main part of Azerbaijan to the separate Azerbaijani area of Nakhchivan, passing through Armenia and then joining with Türkiye and European markets beyond. Such a link would make land trade between East Asia and Europe more efficient, though Armenia is concerned that the plan threatens its sovereignty.

In August, Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump acting as a mediator in the peace initiative between the former battlefield foes.

05 Jan 2026

Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Tokayev Calls Nuclear Power a Correction of Kazakhstan’s “Historical Absurdity”

January 5, 2026
By Dmitry Pokidaev

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described Kazakhstan’s push to build nuclear power plants as a correction of a “historical absurdity”, namely, that a nation which ranks among the world’s top producers and exporters of uranium has yet to harness this resource for domestic electricity generation.

In October 2024, a nationwide referendum showed broad public support for the development of nuclear energy. Following the vote, Tokayev announced plans to construct at least two nuclear power plants, with a third to follow.

In June 2025, Russian state corporation Rosatom was selected to build the country’s first nuclear power plant near the village of Ulken, on the western shore of Lake Balkhash, about 400 kilometers northwest of Almaty. Contracts for the second and third plants were later signed with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

“The construction of several nuclear power plants is, on the one hand, a correction of the historical absurdity – to be a world leader in the production of uranium and not to build any nuclear power plants, on the other, it is the prestige of Kazakhstan,” Tokayev said in an interview with Turkistan newspaper, published on the official Akorda website.

According to Tokayev, reliable electricity generation is essential for Kazakhstan’s transition to a new technological model of the economy. He emphasized that the development of supercomputers, data centers, and automated industrial systems requires substantial energy resources.

“This is the reality of the new global technological order,” he stated.

Tokayev has consistently argued that Kazakhstan must become a digital power, framing digitalization as a matter of national survival. He believes society is mentally prepared for innovation, citing the success of fintech companies and the expansion of digital government services.

“We have good starting conditions and have made progress in the digitalization of public services, fintech, and several sectors of the economy. The ecosystem supporting IT startups is functioning effectively,” the president noted. He added that for continued progress, Kazakhstan requires stable, environmentally friendly, and high-capacity energy sources, needs best met by nuclear power.

Tokayev also highlighted the importance of personnel in building a nuclear energy sector. He said the development of nuclear power will contribute to the emergence of a new class of technical intelligentsia, which could ultimately influence state policy.

“Qualified specialists are needed to create modern energy sources. The head of NVIDIA, the world’s largest company by market capitalization, predicts that in the near future, multimillionaires will include representatives of technical professions, the so-called ‘blue-collar workers’,” Tokayev said.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan plans to train nuclear energy specialists abroad through the Bolashak state program.

05 Jan 2026

Central Asia, Home, International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees, Kazakhstan Home

Tokayev Sets Agenda for Kazakhstan’s 2026 EAEU Chairmanship

January 5, 2026
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) for 2026, pledging to focus on digital transformation, logistics integration, and the removal of internal trade barriers across the bloc.

In a statement published on December 31, 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined five key priorities for Kazakhstan’s EAEU presidency. The EAEU includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, and facilitates the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor among its members.

Artificial Intelligence and Economic Integration

Tokayev identified artificial intelligence (AI) as a vital tool for deepening integration within the bloc. AI technologies, he said, are already being used to forecast trade flows and assess the impact of tariffs and trade agreements on member economies.

Kazakhstan, which has set a national goal of becoming a digital nation, expressed readiness to share its expertise with other EAEU members in areas such as AI, digital regulation, and economic transformation. Tokayev proposed the adoption of a Joint Statement on the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence at the 2026 Eurasian Economic Forum in Astana. The document would define a new framework for digital cooperation within the bloc.

Positioning the EAEU as a Eurasian Logistics Hub

Highlighting the EAEU’s geographic position as a natural bridge between East and West, Tokayev called for transforming the bloc into a leading logistics hub for the Eurasian continent. He emphasized the need to modernize transport, customs, and logistics infrastructure, and to develop international transport corridors and multimodal transport solutions.

He also proposed an integrated, AI-based cargo flow management system across the EAEU to reduce delivery times, cut costs, and enhance the bloc’s global competitiveness in logistics.

Digitalizing Industry and Agriculture

Calling industry and agriculture the economic foundation of the EAEU, Tokayev urged deeper cooperation to produce globally competitive products. While financial mechanisms for joint projects already exist, he argued that more emphasis should be placed on innovation-led initiatives.

He proposed launching demonstration centers, automation startups, and competence hubs to drive digitalization at both enterprise and farm levels.

Barrier-Free Trade as a Core Principle

Tokayev stressed the elimination of administrative and regulatory barriers within the bloc as a central priority. He criticized artificial restrictions on trade, constraints on the movement of citizens, and long freight queues at borders.

He also warned against the use of customs procedures and regulatory controls, including sanitary, veterinary, and phytosanitary measures, as tools of political or economic leverage. To address this, he proposed deploying AI to monitor legislative initiatives across the EAEU and flag potential internal trade barriers at an early stage.

Expanding External Economic Ties

Kazakhstan’s chairmanship will also focus on expanding the EAEU’s external partnerships. In 2025, the bloc signed Free Trade Area agreements with Mongolia and Indonesia and concluded an Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Tokayev said greater attention will be paid to building economic ties with countries in the Global South, the Arab world, Southeast Asia, Africa, and regional economic organizations.

Macroeconomic Context

Tokayev’s agenda is being launched against a backdrop of solid macroeconomic performance across the EAEU. According to Alexey Vedev, Director of the Macroeconomic Policy Department at the Eurasian Economic Commission, the bloc’s GDP grew by 17.8%, nearly $1 trillion in absolute terms between 2015 and 2024. The EAEU’s share of the global economy rose from 3.7% to 4.1%, with member state growth rates surpassing the global average in recent years.

Summing up Kazakhstan’s vision, Tokayev said the country would work to strengthen the effectiveness, relevance, and long-term viability of Eurasian economic integration during its 2026 chairmanship.