ASTANA (TCA) — Authorities in Kazakhstan have intensified a crackdown on activists ahead of planned nationwide protests on May 21 against controversial new legislation on the privatization of agricultural land in the country, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported on May 18.
BISHKEK (TCA) — A court in Bishkek has sentenced a former Kyrgyz prime minister’s son, Altynbek Muraliev, to 12 years in prison on espionage charges, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.
ASTANA (TCA) — This year Kazakhstan will implement seven projects totaling 78 billion tenge (around $237 million) with the participation of anchor investors and transnational companies, such as JAC, Hikma, Carmeuse Group, Cremonini, Peugeot, Citroёn, IVECO, and Tenaris, in the pharmaceutical, chemical, agro-processing, mining, metallurgical, and construction industries, Kazakh Minister for Investment and Development Aset Isekeshev said on May 17 at a roundtable on improvement of the country’s investment climate, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
ASTANA (TCA) — Banks in Kazakhstan will get 200 billion tenge (more than $610 million) from the Common Saving Pension Fund to on-lend the money to domestic businesses, Novosti-Kazakhstan news agency reported with reference to the country’s National Bank.
ASHGABAT (TCA) — On May 17, the European Union and Turkmenistan held the eighth round of their Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels.
ASTANA (TCA) — Public procurement specialists from across Europe and Central Asia gathered in the Kazakh capital Astana on May 17 to share experiences and best practices in public procurement reforms. They discussed and promoted cross regional cooperation in public procurement and good governance at the 12th Procurement, Integrity, Management and Openness (PRIMO) Forum, the World Bank reported.
