BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Central Asia is an important geopolitical area that is playing an exclusive role between Europe, Russia and China. It is in Central Asia that world powers have confronted each other for centuries; it is here that China needs to succeed with its new Silk Road Belt for a direct access to the market of the West; and it is here that a large wealth of raw materials has its origin. Central Asia has always been the transit point of the economic and cultural development between the East and West from the time of Alexander the Great, from centuries before Christ until the present time. Every week thousands of news appears all over the world in printed and online media and it is quite understandable that many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to a peaceful development and better knowledge of the region, and for this reason we are presenting a Weekly Digest on Central Asia compiling what other media have written and published during the past week.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — As international attention is being focused on new foreign policy and economic priorities of the new Uzbek president, we are republishing this article by Umida Hashimova, originally published by The Jamestown Foundation’s Eurasia Daily Monitor:

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BISHKEK (TCA) — It is necessary to reduce the number of universities and improve the quality of education in Kyrgyzstan, deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament said on December 16 discussing the situation in the country’s education system. The meeting was attended by Vice Prime Minister Cholpon Sultanbekova.

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LONDON (TCA) — “Classical” cases such as the massive amounts of money embezzled by former BTA bank chief Mukhtar Ablyazov and ex-mayor of Almaty Viktor Khrapunov have been haunting Kazakh law enforcers for well over a decade. But white collar crime, meaning not bribes and extortions but straightforward swindle and theft, have become endemic in Kazakhstan during the last couple of years.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — As a new Cabinet has been formed in Uzbekistan following the country’s new President’s inauguration this week, we are republishing this article originally published by EurasiaNet.org:

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DUSHANBE (TCA) — On December 15, a new EU funded project started working on establishing a water treatment plant in the city of Istiklol (formerly Taboshar) in northern Tajikistan. The project is part of the EU’s programme for Central Asia on Environmental Remediation, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan said.

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