Maria Levina
BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan’s major mobile operator Alfa Telecom CJSC (MegaCom trademark) will be sold in the near future, Prime Minister Sapar Isakov said at a press conference in Bishkek on December 7.
BISHKEK (TCA) — Although a close political and economic ally of Russia, Kazakhstan remains cautious about Moscow’s growing influence and expansionist ambitions. This made Astana adopt a new military doctrine which reflects the new challenges the Central Asian country may potentially face. We are republishing this article by Deirdre Tynan* on the issue, originally published by EurasiaNet.org:
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Central Asia was the scene of intense geopolitical struggle and the Great Game between the British and Russian Empires, and later between the Soviet Union and the West, over Afghanistan and neighboring territories. Into the 21st century, Central Asia has become the area of a renewed geopolitical interest, dubbed the New Great Game, largely based on the region’s hydrocarbon and mineral wealth. On top of that, the region now is perhaps the most important node in the implementation of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative through which Beijing aims to get direct access to Western markets. Every week thousands of news appears in the world’s printed and online media and 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 this unique region. So we are presenting this Weekly Digest which compiles what other media have reported on Central Asia over the past week.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, after a three-year recession, in 2016, the inflow of foreign investment had grown significantly, amounting to $21 billion, which is 41.5% more than in 2015. “The growth trend remains this year. In the first half of the year, the gross inflow of foreign direct investments (FDI) amounted to $10.5 billion, an increase of 8.6% compared to the same period last year,” Deputy Chairperson of the Investment Committee of the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan, Larisa Dzhumagaliyeva, told a press conference on December 8, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
The greatest growth in gross inflow of FDI is demonstrated in the mining industry – 2.2-fold, manufacturing industry – 46.7%, and transport – 10.3%.
The ministry jointly with the World Bank developed and adopted the National Investment Strategy the main goal of which is to create a favorable investment climate and attract investments focused on the manufacturing sector and related services.
Dzhumagaliyeva said that priority sectors for attracting new investments can be divided into two groups. The first group includes industries with active potential, such as the food industry, deep processing of oil, gas and minerals (that is, metallurgy, chemistry and petrochemistry), and engineering.
The second group includes promising sectors, such as ICT, tourism and finance.
The Strategy also identifies priority countries for attracting investment.
“Taking into account economic opportunities, 36 potential countries of the world were identified, of which 11 countries are the top priorities for us. These are the US, Russia, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and the UAE,” Dzhumagaliyeva said.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is contributing to the reliability of power distribution in Kyrgyzstan with a financing package of up to €6 million to JSC Vostokelectro, one of power distribution companies covering 47% of the country’s territory, the Bank’s press office reported on December 8.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and AgroProduct Asia have inaugurated a world-class fresh fruit consolidation and packing center in Kadamjai rayon of Batken oblast in southern Kyrgyzstan. The facility is capable of storing 6,435 cubic meters of fresh fruits. The advanced technology enables the center to pack and sort up to 500 tons of fruits per day, the US Embassy in Bishkek said.
