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13 Aug 2025

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Starlink Officially Launches in Kazakhstan

August 20, 2025
By Stephen M. Bland

In a landmark step toward bridging Kazakhstan’s digital divide, SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink has officially begun operations in the country. As of today, residents and organizations across Kazakhstan can legitimately purchase and activate Starlink satellite terminals to access high-speed internet — even in the most remote regions.

From Pilot to Public Rollout

Kazakhstan’s engagement with Starlink began as early as late 2023, when the government deployed the system in a pilot phase to connect rural schools with fast broadband service. By mid‑2024, over 1,700 schools were brought online under the “Accessible Internet” national program.

On June 12, 2025, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry signed a formal agreement with Starlink, committing the company to fully comply with Kazakhstan’s information security and telecommunications laws. The agreement paved the way for the official rollout to citizens, entities, and government bodies.

Why This Matters

Kazakhstan’s vast geography and dispersed settlement patterns have long challenged conventional broadband expansion. Fiber optics and cell towers reach most urban areas – but remote pastures, mountain villages, and certain infrastructure sites remain underconnected or entirely offline.

Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation provides a modern solution: delivering high-speed, low-latency internet without reliance on terrestrial infrastructure. This opens avenues not only for education and healthcare in rural schools and clinics, but also for mobile services, infrastructure projects, and remote industrial operations.

Official Reactions

In June, Minister Zhaslan Madiyev highlighted the significance of this milestone: “Until today, Starlink operated in Kazakhstan in pilot mode, providing internet only in schools. Now, finally, we have reached an agreement: the company agreed to comply with all the requirements of our legislation … our citizens will be able to officially and legally connect to satellite internet.”

On Starlink’s official X account, the company announced: “Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Kazakhstan!”

The deployment aligns with President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev’s national “Accessible Internet” initiative, aiming to ensure that no region is left behind in digital connectivity.

13 Aug 2025

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Uzbekistan, India Boost Strategic Partnership in High-Level Call

August 14, 2025
By Stephen M. Bland

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 12, 2025, in a telephone conversation aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and India. The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation across trade, connectivity, healthcare, technology, and cultural exchanges, with Modi describing their conversation as “fruitful.” Posting on X, Modi stated that “We reviewed the progress achieved in key areas of our bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed our shared resolve to further advance the India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership.”

Ahead of India’s 79th Independence Day, Mirziyoyev highlighted the longstanding friendship between the two nations. The talks underscored Uzbekistan’s growing role as a vital partner in Central Asia for India, as both countries seek to bolster regional stability and their economic development.

Since Uzbekistan’s independence in 1991, the country has steadily built ties with India, which was among the first to recognize its sovereignty. The two nations formally established diplomatic relations in 1992 and elevated their engagement with a Strategic Partnership declaration in 2011. Uzbekistan has hosted several visits by Modi, most recently in September 2022, when he participated in the 22nd SCO summit held in Samarkand. Mirziyoyev has visited India on two occasions.

Uzbekistan plays a central role in Central Asian connectivity initiatives such as the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project, enhancing trade routes and regional cooperation. It is also exploring collaboration with India in healthcare and technology, alongside efforts to promote cultural and educational exchanges that strengthen ties between their peoples.

Bilateral economic ties are steadily growing, with trade between India and Uzbekistan reaching approximately $756.6 million in 2023, up from $444.2 million in 2020. Indian exports include pharmaceuticals, machinery, and food products, while Uzbekistan supplies fruits, fertilizers, and textiles. More than 300 Indian companies now operate in Uzbekistan, encouraged by a new Bilateral Investment Treaty signed in 2024, which is aimed at boosting joint ventures in healthcare, IT, and tourism. Both governments have signaled their intent to diversify into renewable energy, agriculture, and hospitality.

Connectivity is a key pillar of the partnership. Uzbekistan is working with India on projects like the International North–South Transport Corridor and seeking operational access to Iran’s Chabahar Port, which would give Tashkent a direct route to the Indian Ocean.

Security and defense cooperation have intensified since the creation of the Joint Working Group on Defense in 2019. The two countries hold the annual Dustlik military exercises, alternating between India and Uzbekistan, to strengthen counter-terrorism and urban warfare capabilities. The sixth edition was held in Pune from April 16–28, 2025, underscoring growing interoperability between the two militaries. Uzbek forces regularly train at Indian military academies, and discussions are underway on defense industry collaboration.

Cultural and educational ties also remain vibrant. Bollywood and Indian music enjoy enduring popularity in Uzbekistan. Around 10,000 Indian students now study across Uzbek institutions, particularly in medicine. On the tech side, ministers agreed this year to launch an India–Central Asia Digital Partnership Forum, with Uzbekistan offering to host the inaugural meeting, linking India’s digital public infrastructure experience with Central Asia’s modernization drive.

This latest dialogue marks another step in Uzbekistan’s journey to diversify partnerships and assert its strategic importance in the region.

12 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan to Launch Nuclear Power Plant Training Program

August 12, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

From the 2025/26 academic year, Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University will offer a new “Nuclear Power Plant Operation” program, developed in collaboration with experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The initiative aims to prepare highly qualified personnel for Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, scheduled to come online in about a decade.

Internationally Supported Program

The curriculum was created under two projects, “Expert Mission to Strengthen National Capacity in Education and Training to Support the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Program” and “KAZ2010: Support for Infrastructure Development for the Implementation of the Nuclear Energy Program (Phase 3).”

Courses will cover nuclear reactor physics, radiation safety, the nuclear fuel cycle, and equipment modernization. Practical training will take place at the National Nuclear Center in Kurchatov and at a metallurgical plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk, where heat-releasing assemblies are produced from Kazakh raw materials.

In April 2025, the university hosted an international forum with participation from the IAEA and Russia’s National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. In June, lecturers Aizhan Baidildina and Nadezhda Prokhorenkova trained at a nuclear power plant in Hungary. In October, Dean Aibek Akayev will attend an IAEA StarNet network meeting in Vienna.

Training Specialists Nationwide

According to the Atomic Energy Agency, Kazakhstan currently has 18 educational programs related to the nuclear industry, offered at six universities including L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty University of Energy and Communications, East Kazakhstan University named after Amanzholov, and Shakhimety State University.

Plans include training at foreign universities and awarding double degrees in nuclear physics and engineering. More than 5,000 grants have been allocated for the 2024/2025 academic year, compared with approximately 250 students enrolled in the previous year. Between 2011 and 2023, more than 1,600 specialists graduated from nuclear-related programs.

Over 5,000 workers for the nuclear sector have already been trained at research institutions such as the National Nuclear Center and the Institute of Nuclear Physics. The government also plans to expand international internships, with future placements in France, Russia, and Hungary.

Nuclear Power Plant Construction

Kazakhstan has considered nuclear power a strategic priority since the 1990s, aiming to reduce electricity shortages, cut reliance on imports, and stabilize prices, while also contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.

In October 2024, more than 5.5 million Kazakhstani citizens voted in a referendum to support construction of the first plant. In January 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the concept for a second plant. A month later, the site for the first plant was approved in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.

French engineering firm Assystem conducted the technical evaluation of proposals. Russia’s Rosatom won the tender with its reactor design, followed by a Chinese company in second place, and French and South Korean firms in third and fourth.

12 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Tajikistan Life & Culture, Home, Life & Culture, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Features, Tajikistan Home

Archaeologists in Tajikistan Uncover 7th-Century Sewer System

August 12, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Archaeologists in Istaravshan, in Tajikistan’s northwestern Sughd region, have unearthed a remarkably well preserved sewer system dating back to the 7th century AD. The discovery was announced by architect and excavation participant Amindjon Khomid. The system was first uncovered in 2023 in the Kala-i-Mugh area during work conducted jointly with Professor Rakhim Nabiev, Doctor of Historical Sciences from Khujand.

Ancient Engineering in Istaravshan

Preliminary estimates place the sewer system’s age at around 1,300 years. Geological studies suggest even older cultural layers may lie beneath, potentially dating to the 1st century AD and as far back as five millennia.

During excavations, archaeologists also found ceramic jugs from the 3rd and 6th centuries, as well as earlier eras. One 6th-century jug was made of concrete and lined with clay on the inside, an unusually advanced technology for its time. Khomid noted that the design and condition of the artifacts point to a high level of ancient engineering skill.

Unique Jug from Khalkajjar

As reported by The Times of Central Asia, earlier this year, archaeologists from the National Museum of Tajikistan uncovered another significant artifact at the Khalkajjar monument near the village of Sarband. In May 2025, they discovered a clay vessel bearing a complete inscription in the Bactrian language, dating to the Kushan Empire (1st-3rd centuries).

The inscription, written in a distinctive broken script, was translated by Professor Nicholas Sims-Williams and numismatist Joe Cribb. It reads: “This water jug belongs to the woman Sagkina.” Researchers say such inscriptions are rare and provide valuable insights into literacy, property ownership, and social life in the Kushan Empire.

The Kushan Empire was one of the largest states in ancient Central Asia, encompassing parts of modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, southern Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The Bactrian language, widely used in administration and trade at the time, remains a key tool for understanding the region’s history.

Traces of Ancient Life in the Zeravshan Valley

In November 2024, an international archaeological team reported the discovery of the multi-layered Soi Khavzak site in the Zeravshan Valley, containing evidence of human activity dating back 150,000 years.

Led by Professor Yossi Zeidner of the Hebrew University, excavations revealed stone tools, animal bones, and plant remains from periods spanning the late to middle Paleolithic. Scientists believe the region may have served as a migration corridor for both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, providing a place where they could meet and interact.

The site’s excellent preservation of organic matter, including bones and wood, offers the possibility of discovering human remains, a find that could help identify the species of ancient inhabitants in Central Asia.

Experts say these recent discoveries not only expand understanding of Tajikistan’s engineering and cultural history, but also highlight the region’s role as a hub of human innovation and migration over thousands of years.

12 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Uzbekistan Environment, Home, Kazakhstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Home, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home, Kyrgyzstan Home

Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan to Supply 600 Million Cubic Meters of Water to Kazakhstan

August 12, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will send about 600 million cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan over the next two weeks to help offset shortages in the country’s southern regions, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev announced at a government briefing.

Bozumbayev said Central Asia is experiencing a low-water year, with inflows into the Syr Darya River, which supplies Kazakhstan’s Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions, at only 30-40% of normal levels. Prolonged high temperatures have further increased irrigation demand, deepening the shortfall.

He noted that Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov raised the issue with his Kyrgyz and Uzbek counterparts during the International Environmental Conference in Altai, after which consultations were held.

“Last week, they were behind schedule by more than one billion cubic meters of water. We agreed that starting this week, they will send about 600 million cubic meters to us within two weeks,” Bozumbayev said.

Despite the challenges, Bozumbayev expressed confidence that the agricultural season, which ends in August, could be completed without major losses. “I have personally visited the Turkestan region, many districts, reservoirs, and met with farmers. I also toured irrigated areas in Kyzylorda region. The situation is tense, but we have seen worse years,” he said, adding that daily monitoring and urgent measures have helped stabilize conditions.

This agreement follows a broader water-sharing deal reached in February, under which Uzbekistan will supply Kazakhstan with 16 billion cubic meters of water by October 1, 2025. The arrangement, agreed during the 12th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Bilateral Water Cooperation, increases Kazakhstan’s allocation by 1 billion cubic meters compared with the previous period.

Water management remains a critical issue in Central Asia, where agriculture depends heavily on transboundary rivers such as the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, and seasonal shortages can severely threaten crop yields and rural livelihoods.

12 Aug 2025

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China-Central Asia Trade Nearly Triples Since 2020

August 12, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Trade between China and the countries of Central Asia reached $66.2 billion in 2024, nearly triple the 2020 level, according to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). Imports from China accounted for about 60% of total trade turnover.

China’s largest trading partner in the region is Kazakhstan, with bilateral trade valued at $30.1 billion (46% of total China-Central Asia trade), followed by Uzbekistan at $18 billion (27%) and Turkmenistan at $10.6 billion (16%).

China’s share in Central Asia’s overall trade turnover has risen sharply, from 17.7% in 2020 to 24.1% in 2024. However, the level of dependence on Chinese trade varies by country:

Turkmenistan – 55% of its total trade is with China.
Kyrgyzstan – around 35%.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan – between 20-22%.

The EDB estimates significant untapped trade potential of $39.3 billion, about 60% of the current turnover. This includes $32 billion in potential Chinese exports to Central Asia (such as automobiles, electronics, and consumer goods) and $7.3 billion in potential Central Asian exports to China (including copper products, gold, and uranium).

With deepening economic ties and major infrastructure links through the Belt and Road Initiative, analysts expect China-Central Asia trade to continue expanding in the coming years.