ALMATY (TCA) — Kazakhstan turned out to be the last Soviet republic to formally declare its independence on December 16, 1991, almost half a year after the bell for the USSR had tolled in Moscow. Although stagnant in the political domain, Kazakhstan made spectacular economic progress into the new century. But it remains exposed to setbacks as weak spots now appear to have remained in place.
BISHKEK (TCA) — The top U.S. diplomat for Central Asia says the region’s relative stability means it often does not get much attention, but that a top priority when the next U.S. president takes office will be to explain the area’s importance to that new administration, the Voice of America reported on August 30.
DUSHANBE (TCA) — Enhancing the professional development of journalists, training young reporters, making greater use of multimedia, establishing commercial departments as part of editorial offices, and creating an alternative system of newspaper distribution were some of the recommendations presented by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan in their survey on the impact of the financial crisis on the country’s independent media, the OSCE Office said.
TEHRAN (TCA) — Armenia, a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) that also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, says it is working on a plan with Iran to create a free economic zone between the two countries, Iran’s PressTV news agency reported on August 29.
DUSHANBE (TCA) — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) is launching a new Global initiative named “Coping with water scarcity in agriculture: a global framework for action in a changing climate” during the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP22) in Morocco, which will be held in November, the FAO office in Tajikistan said on August 30.
BISHKEK (TCA) — An unidentified suicide car bomber attacked the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek in the morning of August 30, killing himself and wounding three embassy employees.
