DUSHANBE (TCA) — The Tajik state is becoming more authoritarian, with authorities laying down rules on many aspects of the people’s life which should be regulated by people’s choices rather than by government decrees. Now officials in Dushanbe have turned their eyes to women’s clothing in an effort to safeguard the Tajiks from “alien” traditions. We are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by EurasiaNet.org:

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Central Asia is an important geopolitical area between Europe, Russia and China. It is in Central Asia that world powers have confronted each other for centuries; it is here that China needs to succeed with its new Silk Road Belt for direct access to the Western markets; and it is here that a large wealth of raw materials has its origin. Every week thousands of news appears all over the world in printed and online media and it is quite understandable that many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia, we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to peaceful development and better knowledge of the region, and for this reason we are presenting this Weekly Digest of Central Asia which compiles what other media have reported during the past week.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The unresolved legal status of the Caspian Sea remains the major obstacle to energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, as the latter seeks to export its natural gas to Europe through Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea via a planned pipeline to be laid on its bottom. We are republishing this article by Matthew Kupfer on the Azeri-Turkmen energy cooperation, originally published by EurasiaNet.org:

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DUSHANBE (TCA) — The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and its main counterparts from the Government of Tajikistan held the 11th Task Force Meeting on August 10 to agree on priorities of cooperation for 2018.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrated World Breastfeeding Week by making it easier for new mothers to provide for the health and nourishment of their babies. From August 1-7, the USAID’s Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) project, together with the Republican Center for Health Promotion and other local partners, launched new breastfeeding corners in 10 Family Medicine Centers across Jalalabad and Naryn Oblasts in Kyrgyzstan. These corners provide breastfeeding mothers private space and equipment to feed their babies, as well as informational materials about the benefits of breastfeeding in children’s growth and development, the US Embassy in Bishkek reported.

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