TCA
TASHKENT (TCA) — The Central Asian International Exhibition – 2017 started in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on November 15. “Mining World Uzbekistan – 2017”, “Machinery Central Asia – 2017”, “Trans Uzbekistan/Trans Logistica – 2017” and “CAIPS/Securika Central Asia – 2017” international exhibitions began their work within its framework, the Jahon information agency reports.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev has signed a law cancelling an agreement under which his country would have received $100 million in aid from Kazakhstan to bring its customs and border-crossing infrastructure up to the standards of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), RFE/RL reports.
Kyrgyzstan’s presidential website said on November 16 that the Foreign Ministry had been ordered to inform Kazakhstan’s government about the new law.
Kyrgyzstan joined the EEU in August 2015. The Russian-led trade bloc also includes Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Armenia.
Kazakhstan agreed in December 2016 to provide the $100 million aid package to Kyrgyzstan with the first disbursement to be released by the end of 2017. So far, Kazakhstan has not released any of the promised aid to Bishkek.
Relations between the Central Asian countries have deteriorated in recent months with outgoing President Atambayev accusing Kazakhstan of interfering in the campaign for Kyrgyzstan’s October 15 presidential election.
On October 7, Atambayev said Kazakh authorities were “meddling in Kyrgyzstan’s domestic affairs” by supporting opposition candidate Omurbek Babanov, the chief rival of Atambayev political ally Sooronbai Jeenbekov.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Babanov in Kazakhstan in September.
According to official election results, Jeenbekov won the vote in the first round. He is scheduled to be sworn into office on November 24.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — On November 15, Azerbaijan’s capital Baku hosted the General Meeting of members of Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) International Association, which discussed increasing the volume of cargo transportation along this route and increasing its efficiency, the press office of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) said.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — A train consisting of wagons of KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), on November 10 departed from the Finnish station Kouvola for the Chinese Xian through Kazakhstan, the press office of KTZ said.
TCA
KABUL (TCA) — A new report says that opium production in Afghanistan increased by 87 percent to a “record level” of 9,000 tons this year compared to last year’s level, RFE/RL reports.
TCA
ASHGABAT (TCA) — A workshop for canine officers and veterinarians on using service dogs to ensure border security in Turkmenistan, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, concluded on 13 November near the Turkmen capital.
