BISHKEK (TCA) — The fourth High Level Political and Security Dialogue between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on June 8 at the invitation of the government of Kyrgyzstan. Afghanistan was invited as a special guest to the Dialogue, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — Although Moscow and Beijing may pursue somewhat different goals when partnering in implementation of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative, it will certainly benefit Central Asia countries, especially Kazakhstan. We are republishing this article by Vladislav Inozemtsev on the issue, originally published by The Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor:

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BISHKEK (TCA) — Participants of the joint UN and the Kyrgyzstan government “Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment” (RWEE) project increased their agricultural production by 30-70 percent over a 4-year period, thus confirming the benefits of increasing economic opportunities for rural women. Additionally, RWEE participants achieved a 30 percent increase in income from the launch of business activities such as greenhouses, bakeries, photo studios, computer courses, and carpet workshops, and contributed to reduced rural unemployment, the project partners said.

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ASTANA (TCA) — Russia is reinforcing its military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with state-of-the-art weapons to stonewall shifting terrorist activity from Afghanistan to Central Asia, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on June 7 in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana at a meeting of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, Russian TASS news agency reported.

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ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank on June 7 said it has entered into an agreement with China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited and China Shuangwei Investment Co., Ltd. for the sale of 60% of the share capital in JSC Altyn Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Halyk Bank.

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ASHGABAT (TCA) — Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has ordered the government to outline ways to abolish utilities benefits that have provided households with free electricity, natural gas, and water for a quarter-century, RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service reported.

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