Page 1549 – The Times Of Central Asia

27 Jul 2017

NEWS

US government promotes innovative water management in Tajikistan

July 27, 2017
By TCA

DUSHANBE (TCA) — US Ambassador to Tajikistan Elisabeth Millard on July 26 participated in a forum on “Innovative Water Management for Sustainable Development”, organized by the USAID Local Governance Project and chaired by the Tajik First Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, and focused on improving the quality and management of drinking water supply services in Tajikistan, the US Embassy in Dushanbe said.

27 Jul 2017

NEWS

Moscow says reports of Russia’s arms supplies to Taliban in Afghanistan ‘groundless’

July 27, 2017
By TCA

BISHKEK (TCA) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on July 26 said that the claims that Russia is allegedly supplying weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan are groundless, Sputnik news agency reported.

27 Jul 2017

NEWS

Kazakhstan to gradually introduce teaching in English language

July 27, 2017
By TCA

ASTANA (TCA) — Work is underway to gradually switch to English-language education in Kazakhstan’s secondary schools and universities, Minister of Education Yerlan Sagadiyev told a press conference on July 26, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.

27 Jul 2017

NEWS

Kazakhstan to present new, Latin-based alphabet by yearend

July 27, 2017
By TCA

ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan has announced it will outline a new alphabet by the end of this year as the country plans to switch from a Cyrillic-based script to Latin, RFE/RL reports.

26 Jul 2017

Opinion Head

Afghan spillover to Central Asia: cause for concern or Russia’s ploy for influence?

July 26, 2017
By Joseph Lacinak

WASHINGTON (TCA) — Fears of a ‘spillover’ of extremists from Northern Afghanistan into the states of Central Asia is nothing new. These claims have been echoed by Russia and the leaders of Central Asia for years; however there is little evidence to suggest genuine concern. For the Central Asian elite, this claim attracts foreign aid from wealthy states, while allowing regimes to squash both religious and secular dissent. The late ruler of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, used this very tactic to eliminate threats to his regime in the early 2000s by coordinating with the United States to extinguish Islamists. The Central Asian elite commonly use their security apparatus against political dissenters, and Karimov jailed hundreds of opponents under the disguise of counterterror.

26 Jul 2017

NEWS

Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to attract transit cargo traffic to Kazakhstan

July 26, 2017
By TCA

ASTANA (TCA) — With the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line this year, cargo from China will be transported through Kazakhstan along a shorter route to Turkey and on to Europe. This was said during a working trip to Azerbaijan and Georgia by Kanat Alpysbayev, the head of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the company’s press service reported on July 25. Alpysbayev visited the objects of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, whose commissioning is planned for October this year.