Page 170 – The Times Of Central Asia

07 Aug 2025

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Kazakhtelecom CEO Confirms 2026 Launch of Caspian Submarine Cable Project

August 7, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have entered the active implementation phase of the long-anticipated submarine fiber-optic cable (SFOC) project across the Caspian Sea. According to Bagdat Mussin, CEO of Kazakhtelecom JSC, the underwater cable system is scheduled for completion and launch by the end of 2026.

First proposed in 2019, the project involves the construction of two parallel fiber-optic lines, spanning approximately 380 to 400 kilometers, to connect the digital infrastructures of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Originally, Kazakh telecom operators Transtelecom and KazTransCom participated alongside Azerbaijan’s AzerTelecom. However, by 2022, the Kazakh companies had exited the venture, and in 2023, Kazakhtelecom assumed the lead role on behalf of Astana.

On August 22, 2023, Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom formalized their partnership by signing a joint venture agreement in Amsterdam.

Mussin stated that national operators have now completed site surveys of the coastal infrastructure, identifying locations for both a beach manhole and a cable landing station. A specialized survey vessel, currently operating from the Kazakh port of Bautino, is mapping the seabed to assess depth, terrain, underwater currents, and geological conditions to finalize the cable route.

“The bridge’s capacity is designed to meet future demands and will support at least 400 Tbit/s. When the first byte of data travels through this artery, the Caspian will become a unique digital bridge between Asia and Europe,” Mussin said.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the total cost of the project is estimated at $50.6 million.

The cable is part of a wider regional initiative to advance digital transformation and sustainable connectivity across Eurasia.

07 Aug 2025

Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Secures €9 Million in EIB Funding for CASA-1000 Energy Project

August 7, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Finance has approved the signing of a €9 million financing agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the ongoing implementation of the CASA-1000 regional energy project.

Under the terms of the agreement, the EIB will provide the Kyrgyz government with a 29-year loan, including an eight-year grace period, at an interest rate of 3.6% per annum. The funds will be used to complete infrastructure work under CASA-1000, a cross-border initiative aimed at exporting surplus summer electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the funds will be re-lent to the state-owned National Electric Grid of Kyrgyzstan (NEGK), the country’s main electricity transmission operator and the contractor responsible for CASA-1000 infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan.

Officials stated that the loan will not place additional pressure on the state budget. Repayment will be made through revenue generated by NEGK from electricity exports to South Asia. In line with the Kyrgyz Constitution, the agreement requires parliamentary approval by the Jogorku Kenesh before the funds can be disbursed to a dedicated Ministry of Finance account.

The CASA-1000 project is now in an advanced stage of implementation. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon recently attended the inauguration of the 480-kilometer Datka-Sughd high-voltage transmission line, which connects the two countries’ power systems. This event marked the completion of all CASA-1000 infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan.

Construction continues in southern Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The full CASA-1000 corridor spans four countries, with a total transmission line length of 1,400 kilometers and an estimated total cost of $1.1 billion. Initial electricity deliveries to Afghanistan and Pakistan are scheduled for 2027.

07 Aug 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Business & Economy, Uzbekistan Business & Economy

Uzbekistan and Belarus Deepen Nuclear Energy Cooperation

August 7, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan and Belarus are moving to strengthen bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, following a high-level meeting in Minsk on August 5. The talks were hosted by Belarusian Energy Minister Denis Moroz and attended by a delegation from Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Atomic Energy Agency, led by Director Azim Akhmedkhadjaev.

Discussions covered a broad range of potential collaboration areas, including nuclear infrastructure development, specialist training, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, and integration of nuclear power into national energy systems.

“We welcome Uzbekistan’s decision to join the club of states using atomic energy for peaceful purposes and implementing a national nuclear program,” Moroz said, expressing Belarus’s readiness to share its experience.

The Uzbek delegation is expected to visit the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant in Ostrovets, where technical teams from both countries will explore concrete areas for cooperation.

Moroz emphasized that the launch of the Belarusian plant has bolstered national energy security and driven innovation in sectors such as electric transport and housing electrification. “The nuclear power plant has become a springboard for Belarus to reach a new technological level,” he said, adding that the facility complies fully with international safety standards.

Uzatom Director Akhmedkhadjaev commended Belarus’s progress in the nuclear sector, calling it “advanced and highly successful.” He expressed interest in involving Belarusian experts in Uzbekistan’s nuclear development efforts.

The Uzbek delegation also visited the dispatch control center of Belenergo, Belarus’s national energy company, to observe nuclear grid integration in practice.

Uzbekistan signed a contract with Russia’s Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom, in May 2024 to build a small modular nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh Region. The design includes six 55 MW reactors with a combined capacity of 330 MW. In February 2025, Uzatom also formed an international consortium to expand its nuclear capacity, incorporating technologies from Russia, China, Europe, and the United States.

07 Aug 2025

Home, Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Turkmenistan Justice, Justice, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Features, Features

UN Special Rapporteur Urges Turkmenistan to Release Activist Murat Dushemov

August 12, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has called for the immediate release of Turkmen civil activist Murat Dushemov, who was recently re-imprisoned under disputed circumstances.

Lawlor stated that the new charges against Dushemov are fabricated and appear to be retaliation for his peaceful activism and exercise of free expression.

“I will closely monitor the trial of civil activist Murat Dushemov, who has been in prison since 2021 and is now facing new criminal charges in apparent retaliation for his peaceful activism and for exercising his freedom of expression in Turkmenistan. I call for his immediate release,” Lawlor posted on X.

Her call was echoed by the Regional Office for Central Asia of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which reaffirmed support for Dushemov’s release.

Renewed Persecution

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Dushemov was originally scheduled for release on June 14, after serving a four-year sentence. However, just days before his expected release, he was transferred to a pre-trial detention facility in Turkmenabat. Authorities have accused him of participating in a prison altercation, an allegation he claims is entirely fabricated.

“The person who wrote the statement against me started banging his head against the wall, injuring himself and staining the wall with his blood. They want to slander me again to prolong my stay here,” Dushemov reportedly said.

Despite assurances from Prosecutor Agajan Nuryev that a hearing would take place in mid-July, no trial date has been announced. Details remain withheld even from Dushemov’s family, in clear violation of Turkmenistan’s judicial transparency laws.

Background and First Conviction

Dushemov was first detained in 2021. He was convicted of extortion and causing bodily harm and sentenced to four years in prison. Human rights groups say the trial was politically motivated, noting that Dushemov had openly criticized the government’s pandemic response, including mandatory mask policies and vaccination campaigns, which he considered unlawful.

The initial charges centered on two incidents: an alleged extortion attempt involving a chief doctor, and accusations of assault made by fellow inmates, claims that mirrored the current allegations against him.

Widening International Support

Several human rights organizations have joined the campaign to secure Dushemov’s release. These include the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Turkmen.News, the Turkmen Human Rights Initiative, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia.

“The authorities must drop the new criminal charges brought against civil activist Murat Dushemov as clear retaliation for his activities and release him immediately,” the organizations said in a joint statement. They also urged Turkmenistan’s international partners to pressure Ashgabat to cease persecution of activists, journalists, and dissenters.

Human Rights Watch has also issued a statement supporting Dushemov, calling for his “immediate and unconditional” release and demanding an end to abuses prolonging his detention.

Lawlor has previously highlighted rights violations in Turkmenistan. In April, she called for an investigation into the alleged poisoning of independent journalist Soltan Achilova. She is also monitoring the case of Baloch rights activist Mansur Mingelov, who has spent 13 years in prison on what are widely believed to be politically motivated charges. Due to prolonged torture and poor prison conditions, Mingelov reportedly developed tuberculosis in his knee joints.

07 Aug 2025

Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyz Authorities Take Action to Curb Rising Food Prices

August 7, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Bakyt Torobaev has directed key government agencies to implement urgent measures aimed at stabilizing prices for socially significant food products.

According to official information, the government’s list of essential goods includes meat, vegetable oil, flour, potatoes, sugar, carrots, onions, and other staples, totaling 50 items.

Torobaev’s directive includes enhanced monitoring of price fluctuations, tighter oversight of food imports and exports, and a focus on inflation risk mitigation. He has called for the development of short-term mechanisms to contain price increases.

The Antimonopoly Regulation Service and the National Statistics Committee have been tasked with conducting daily price monitoring in major cities. The State Tax Service has been instructed to explore the possibility of reducing VAT on imported food products. In parallel, the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan is expected to design preferential loan mechanisms for agricultural producers and livestock breeders.

Torobaev emphasized the urgency of these measures, noting that approximately 65% of the population derives income from agriculture, and that expanded state support is critical to economic stability.

In Bishkek, the government plans to open municipal pavilions where essential food items will be sold at fixed prices. If successful, the model will be scaled to other regions as part of broader anti-crisis efforts.

“The Cabinet of Ministers is continuously working on implementing and overseeing a unified pricing policy,” said Torobaev.

According to the National Statistics Committee, Kyrgyzstan’s consumer price index rose by 4% in the first half of 2025. Food prices increased by an average of 6%, with potatoes showing the steepest rise, nearly 50%, during the same period.

06 Aug 2025

International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan

Tokayev Calls for Global Action at UN LLDC3 Summit in Turkmenistan

August 27, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

At the Third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), held from August 5-8 in the Turkmen resort town of Awaza, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged the international community to deepen cooperation, enhance regional connectivity, and take decisive collective action in support of the 32 countries that lack direct access to the sea and remain on the periphery of global trade.

A Global Call for Equality and Interconnectedness

Speaking at the plenary session, Tokayev highlighted Kazakhstan’s leadership in advancing the LLDC agenda. In 2003, Almaty hosted the first UN conference on landlocked countries, which culminated in the Almaty Programme of Action (APoA). Two decades later, the president noted, structural barriers, such as limited market access, underdeveloped infrastructure, and high exposure to geopolitical shocks, remain largely unchanged.

“Landlocked countries should be seen as equal and promising partners in global development,” Tokayev said. “Our voice must be louder and our cooperation deeper.”

@akorda

The Awaza Action Programme: A Roadmap for 2024-2034

The centerpiece of LLDC3 was the adoption of the Awaza Action Programme for the coming decade, structured around five strategic priorities: structural transformation of economies, development of sustainable infrastructure, trade facilitation, regional integration, and resilience.

Kazakhstan endorsed the plan and called for stronger political and financial support from transit countries, international institutions, and private investors. Tokayev emphasized the need for innovative financing tools to mobilize investment in transport, energy, and digital infrastructure.

Addressing the Climate Challenge

The president also highlighted the disproportionate climate-related vulnerabilities faced by LLDCs, including water scarcity, glacial melt, and desertification.

He called for a balanced and inclusive approach to climate policy and invited participants to the Regional Environmental Summit, scheduled for April 2026 in Astana, to be co-hosted with the United Nations.

Tokayev also pointed to Kazakhstan’s recent achievements in digital innovation and sustainability, citing the launch of the Alem.AI Artificial Intelligence Center and the commissioning of a new national supercomputer. “We are open to international scientific cooperation,” he said.

@akorda

Central Asia as a Model of Regional Resilience

Despite geographic constraints, Tokayev presented Central Asia as a case study in overcoming isolation through cooperation. “Geography does not determine destiny,” he said.

“With political will, strategic investment, and international partnership, lack of access to the sea can become not a barrier but a source of growth.” Kazakhstan is investing heavily in transport corridors such as the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Route) and the North-South Corridor, strengthening its role in the Eurasian logistics network.

Energy Diplomacy and Regional Projects

On the sidelines of the conference, Central Asian leaders convened for informal talks, where they discussed priority areas of cooperation, including energy. Topics included development of Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh Gas Field, one of the world’s largest, and ongoing transport projects such as the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway and the Turkmenbashi-Garabogaz-Kazakhstan border highway.

According to the UN, trade costs in LLDCs are 74% higher than in coastal states, and cross-border shipping takes twice as long. Collectively, these countries account for only 1.2% of global trade. Tokayev argued that such disparities demand systemic solutions and genuine international solidarity.

He also cited Kazakhstan’s recent agreement to host a UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Almaty as evidence of the country’s commitment to promoting inclusive regional growth.

@akorda

A Moment for Global Justice

The LLDC3 summit served not only as a policy forum for landlocked nations but also as a litmus test for the international community’s commitment to equitable development.

“Only by strengthening international partnerships,” Tokayev concluded, “will we ensure that landlocked countries become an integral part of the global development agenda.”