LONDON (TCA) — All eyes of the world seem to be focused on Kazakhstan and its less known capital of Astana for once. The coincidence is the opening of the World Exhibition EXPO-2017 and a quite unique political summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which strikes attention by the absence of any western “leader” – no Trump, no May, no Merkel, no Macron here, and even Erdogan is staying home.
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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 Issyk-Kul event on June 11-16, organized by the UNDP GEF SGP in Kyrgyzstan, the ICCA Consortium and CENESTA (Iran), will be held in Kyrgyzstan to share knowledge and enhance capacities among key regional actors about how to promote and strengthen appropriate recognition of Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) and appropriate support to them to enhance their effectiveness in the region, the ICCA Consortium said.
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ASHGABAT (TCA) — A Turkmen court sentenced 18 men to up to 25 years in prison on February 8, 2017, in what appears to be a purge of people associated with Turkish schools believed to have been previously affiliated with the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, Human Rights Watch said on June 9. In a statement published on June 9, seven organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, called on the Turkmen government to ensure that the men are released and their sentenced quashed.
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BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry is probing alleged bullying of foreign students by local youths at the University of Central Asia (UCA) in the city of Naryn, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.
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ASTANA (TCA) — India and Pakistan have become full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), after the presidents of the SCO member states — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — signed a document granting India and Pakistan membership at the SCO summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on June 9.
