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ASTANA (TCA) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on January 25 said it has raised 30.4688 billion tenge (around $80 million) from two new issues of local currency bonds in Kazakhstan.
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ASTANA (TCA) — The opening ceremony of Central Asia’s largest solar power plant — SES Saran — with a capacity of 100 MW was held on January 23 in the industrial center of the Karaganda region, the Saran town.
The launch of this solar power plant is an example of the practical implementation of the tasks set by the President of Kazakhstan on economization of the country’s foreign policy, attraction of best practices, knowledge, technology and investment in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.
Implemented in a short time, the project was the result of coordinated work of central and local authorities with a group of foreign companies from Germany, the Czech and Slovak Republics, as well as the EBRD.
During the construction of the solar power plant, particular attention was paid to local context, including the involvement of local workers, products and construction materials from Saran companies. In addition, jobs have been created for local residents at the new solar power plant.
The launch of the solar power plant was another practical contribution to the implementation of the task of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to increase the share of renewable energy in the country, the transition to green technologies.
This was noted in the statements by Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, German Ambassador to Kazakhstan Tilo Klinner, Akim (governor) of Karaganda region Erlan Koshanov, and Head of the International Center for Green Technology and Investment Projects Rapil Zhoshybayev.
Before the opening ceremony, the parties signed a Memorandum on the development of the SES Saran project, which enables investment of up to 500 million dollars.
The official opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, who held talks with the authorities of Saran, Karaganda region and the German company Goldbeck Solar. Agreements on the further involvement of economic diplomacy in the promotion of regional projects with the participation of European investors and the involvement of their technologies have been reached, the ministry said.
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KABUL (TCA) — A co-founder of the Afghan Taliban who was released from detention by Pakistan last year has been appointed as the leader of the militant group’s political office in Qatar, RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal reports.
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ASTANA (TCA) — The faction Ak Zhol of the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament has asked the country’s prime minister to consider the possibility of calling the country in official circulation the Kazakh Republic, Xinhua news agency reports.
EurasiaNet
DUSHANBE (TCA) — In Tajikistan, a private airline with links to the family of the country’s president is now closer to ultimately swallowing up the country’s troubled national air carrier, which would not be good for Tajik air passengers as there will be no competition on this market. We are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by Eurasianet:
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BISHKEK (TCA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, officials in both countries say.
The Kremlin has confirmed that President Putin is due to visit Kyrgyzstan, but no clear date has been set.
“The state visit to Bishkek is indeed on the [president’s] agenda,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 23, adding that the visit was being coordinated via diplomatic channels, Russian media reported.
Earlier on January 23, Daniyar Sydykov, head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration, said that Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbai Jeenbekov had invited Putin to visit Kyrgyzstan, adding that the Russian leader could visit Bishkek in late March.
Sydykov said that a bilateral meeting of the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Russia took place on the sidelines of a regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS countries in September 2018 in Tajikistan, during which Jeenbekov officially invited Putin to pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, 24.kg news agency reported.
Sydykov also said that an official visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Kyrgyzstan is expected on February 3-4. The main issue on the agenda will be the discussion of the upcoming state visit of Vladimir Putin.
A number of events are planned as part of the state visit. The 21st meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Intergovernmental Commission will be held, the 8th Kyrgyz-Russian Interregional Conference with the participation of the business communities of Kyrgyzstan and Russia will take place. Participation of 500 business representatives is expected, Sydykov said.
“For the first time Kyrgyzstan will host the Forum of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Following the forum, a number of agreements will be signed,” Sydykov added.
Following the results of the state visit, it is expected that 15 cooperation documents in the military, economic and law enforcement spheres, regional and foreign policy cooperation will be signed.
