DUSHANBE (TCA) — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on July 10 approved US$50 million from the International Development Association for the Strengthening Critical Infrastructure Against Natural Hazards Project in Tajikistan. The project will strengthen the country’s capacity to prepare for, mitigate and respond to natural disasters. Related investments will help Tajikistan—a country prone to floods, mudslides, and earthquakes, and exposed to considerable climate change risks—to be able to prepare for potential natural disasters and to improve critical infrastructure, the World Bank said.

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ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan last week participated in a meeting of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body, during which the trade policy and practice of the European Union were discussed on the basis of reports prepared by the European Commission and the WTO Secretariat, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — The Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister of Finance, Ueli Maurer, visited Kyrgyzstan from 9 to 10 July on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the joint voting group in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The visit included meetings with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, Minister of Finance Adylbek Kasymaliev, Governor of the National Bank Tolkunbek Abdygulov, as well as with local entrepreneurs and opinion leaders, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic said.

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ASTANA (TCA) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Board of Directors has approved a new country strategy for Kazakhstan, which outlines the Bank’s primary areas of investment and policy engagement in the country over the next four years, the Bank said on July 10.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — On July 10, in Bishkek, in the presence of Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev, the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the Czech company Liglass Trading CZ, SRO signed agreements on the construction, commissioning and maintenance of Akbulun and Naryn-1 hydropower plants (HPPs) of the Upper Naryn HPPs Cascade, as well as on the implementation of a project to build small hydro power plants in Kyrgyzstan, the president’s press service said.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — A regular meeting of the International Press Club which recently took place in Tashkent discussed such issues as the risk of disagreements between India and Pakistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) format, and the role and plans of Uzbekistan in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Jahon information agency reported.

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