Page 214 – The Times Of Central Asia

03 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Tajikistan Justice, Justice, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Features, Tajikistan Home

Tajik Security Forces Thwart Major Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Attempt from Afghanistan

July 4, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Tajik authorities have disrupted an attempt by an Afghan drug trafficking group to smuggle a significant quantity of narcotics into the country, according to the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Tajikistan.

The operation unfolded in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of Khatlon region, where four Afghan nationals illegally crossed the border near the village of Kishty. The group, led by 50-year-old Azarkhon waladi Saidumar from Badakhshan province, aimed to transport narcotics into Tajik territory.

The SCNS reported that regional security officers, working with border guards from outpost No. 5 of the Hirmandjo unit, tracked the smugglers’ movements and launched a targeted operation. When authorities attempted to apprehend the group, the traffickers opened fire. In the ensuing clash, Azarkhon and another group member, 30-year-old Rozmuhammad Azizi, were killed. The remaining two suspects escaped back across the border into Afghanistan.

Security forces recovered two Kalashnikov rifles with 17 rounds of ammunition, a night vision device, a rubber boat, and three sacks containing 59 packages of narcotics. Forensic analysis confirmed the substances included over 57.5 kilograms of opium and 960 grams of methamphetamine, totaling 58.475 kilograms.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated under several articles of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, and authorities are pursuing efforts to identify and apprehend the remaining suspects.

In a statement, the SCNS highlighted the critical importance of safeguarding the country’s borders and urged residents in border regions to assist law enforcement.

“Every citizen has a sacred duty to protect the homeland,” the SCNS said, warning that drug trafficking poses a direct threat to national health and security.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to combating drug trafficking, cross-border crime, terrorism, extremism, and the illegal arms trade.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, beginning in 2026, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will begin delivering weapons and military equipment to its member states to strengthen the alliance’s southern frontier, with a particular focus on the Tajik-Afghan border.

03 Jul 2025

Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Rises to Third Place Globally in Gold Exports

July 3, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Kyrgyzstan ranked third in the world for gold exports in the first quarter of 2025, selling 3.8 tons of the precious metal on the international market, according to data from the World Gold Council.

Despite this export success, Kyrgyzstan’s official gold reserves remain among the lowest in Central Asia. The country holds 34.2 tons of gold, compared to Kazakhstan’s 290 tons and Uzbekistan’s 367 tons. Uzbekistan led global gold exports during the same period with nearly 15 tons sold, while Kazakhstan opted to bolster its reserves, adding 6.5 tons in the first three months of the year.

However, figures from Kyrgyzstan’s National Bank tell a different story. In June 2025, National Bank Chairman Melis Turgunbaev told parliament that the country’s reserves had reached 52 tons. This suggests either a sharp two-month increase or a discrepancy between national and international reporting standards.

“Our analysts monitor gold prices and market conditions daily. We buy or sell gold as needed, just like currency, that’s one of the bank’s core functions,” Turgunbaev explained. “Last year, we achieved substantial income through effective reserve management. The first five months of this year have also yielded strong results.”

Members of parliament expressed satisfaction with the size of the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves, which currently stand at an estimated $3.7 billion, exceeding Kyrgyzstan’s annual state budget.

Kyrgyz mining operations produce approximately 20 tons of gold annually. A significant share of this output is exported, leaving domestic jewelers with limited access to raw materials. Sales channels include the London Commodity Exchange and buyers in Switzerland. The National Bank also offers measured gold bars for public purchase at a modest premium.

03 Jul 2025

International Affairs, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan

CICA Headquarters Officially Inaugurated in Astana

July 3, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan marked a milestone in its diplomatic history with the official opening of the headquarters of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presided over the ceremony, calling it a moment of “symbolic and strategic importance.”

CICA, a multilateral forum aimed at enhancing peace, security, and cooperation across Asia, was founded on October 5, 1992, at the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev. He proposed the creation of a pan-Asian platform during the 47th session of the UN General Assembly.

Today, CICA comprises 28 member states, with 10 additional countries and five international organizations, including the United Nations, holding observer status. Its executive body, the CICA Secretariat, is now permanently based in Kazakhstan’s capital.

Speaking at the June 2025 inauguration, President Tokayev highlighted the organization’s enduring relevance amid rising global tensions.

“More than three decades ago, Kazakhstan initiated the creation of the CICA, an initiative that received broad international support as a timely step towards strengthening regional stability and security,” he said. “Today, when geopolitical tensions are intensifying, the principles of trust, mutual understanding, and dialogue are becoming particularly relevant. The CICA, covering almost 90% of Asia’s territory and representing more than half of the world’s population, plays an important role in shaping the new architecture of international relations.”

Tokayev emphasized the need for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

“Force is increasingly replacing legal principles. In these circumstances, it is particularly important that all states unconditionally adhere to international law and the UN Charter, without resorting to selective interpretation,” he stated.

He also reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s domestic reform agenda and its vision for regional integration.

“We are actively modernizing our transport and logistics infrastructure, railways, highways, and seaports, in cooperation with international partners. This is critically important both for domestic growth and for ensuring the sustainability of regional supply chains,” he noted.

Digital transformation was another focal point of Tokayev’s address.

“We are striving to build a digital state in which AI will be a driver of innovation, growth, and digital sovereignty. Kazakhstan is forming a sustainable, environmentally responsible economy integrated into global value chains,” he said.

The broader geopolitical climate, including ongoing instability in the Middle East, has further highlighted the need for cooperative mechanisms like CICA. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, both CICA members, risks disrupting vital trade and transport routes in Central Asia’s southern corridor.

The opening of CICA’s headquarters thus reinforces Kazakhstan’s longstanding ambition to serve as a platform for dialogue and diplomacy in an increasingly polarized world.

03 Jul 2025

Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan, International Affairs

Turkmen Woman Appeals to President After Year-Long Travel Ban

July 3, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Zulfiya Kazhyr, a citizen of Turkmenistan, and her six-year-old daughter have been barred from leaving the country for nearly a year, despite renewing their passports and submitting multiple appeals to authorities in both Turkmenistan and Turkey. Kazhyr has now made a public appeal to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, urging him to intervene.

Trapped in Limbo

Kazhyr, a Turkmenistan national living in Turkey, traveled to Ashgabat in the summer of 2024 to renew her passport. After the renewal was completed, her husband, Turkish citizen Ahmet Sefa, bought tickets for their return to Istanbul. However, when they arrived at the airport, Kazhyr was unexpectedly prevented from boarding the flight.

Immigration officials provided no explanation. Her daughter, who holds Turkish citizenship and suffers from autism and celiac disease, a condition requiring a strict gluten-free diet and regular medical supervision, remains in Turkmenistan with her.

“Please, I beg you, help us. My daughter is exhausted; she has been sick twice here,” Kazhyr pleaded in a video addressed to President Berdimuhamedov. “I cannot manage her condition properly here. There are no suitable products, and this is not my home.”

While authorities do not restrict the child from leaving, her mother is not permitted to depart. Sefa continues to send specialized food from Turkey, but proper care remains impossible in his absence.

Sefa said he has appealed to the foreign ministries and embassies of both countries but has received no response. “We’re in a hopeless situation. My daughter can leave, but how can they separate a child from her mother?” he said.

Attempts by journalists to reach Turkmenistan’s migration service were unsuccessful. Officials declined to comment and advised Kazhyr to “call herself.”

A Systemic Issue

According to Istanbul-based Turkmen activist Zarina Akhtyamova, such restrictions are not uncommon. She cites poverty, unemployment, and inadequate medical access among Turkmen migrants in Turkey as likely motivations for the state’s unofficial control over citizens’ departures.

In January 2025, two Turkish nationals publicly appealed to Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Serdar Berdimuhamedov to permit their Turkmen wives to leave Ashgabat. The women, like Kazhyr, had traveled home solely to renew their passports and were then prevented from departing without explanation.

Activists report that at least 60 families have faced similar issues. Following the January appeal, authorities reportedly allowed some women to leave. A source within the migration service said that of approximately 150 affected individuals, 60 have since returned to Turkey.

Kazhyr and her daughter, however, remain in Ashgabat. The child’s health continues to decline, and the family’s calls for justice remain unanswered.

03 Jul 2025

Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Local Politics, Local Politics

Turkmenistan Still Requires COVID Tests and Visas for All Visitors

July 3, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Turkmenistan continues to enforce some of the strictest entry requirements in the world, including COVID-19 testing and complex visa procedures. According to a recent report by The Telegraph, all international arrivals are still subject to a mandatory PCR test at Ashgabat International Airport, despite the global rollback of pandemic-era measures.

The nasal swab test, which costs approximately US$31, remains a compulsory step for entry, even though proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required.

All foreign nationals must also obtain a visa and an official invitation letter before travel. For tourists, this invitation must come from a licensed Turkmen travel agency. Business travelers need a letter from the host organization, whether a private company or a government ministry. Applicants must then submit their visa request, along with the invitation, to a Turkmen embassy. Processing can take up to a month unless expedited service is requested, available for approximately US$150 for a 24-hour turnaround.

Travelers holding a certified invitation may be eligible for a visa on arrival at Ashgabat airport, but they must present the invitation letter upon entry. Without proper documentation, visitors risk being detained at the airport and denied entry.

Even transit passengers are subject to the same strict requirements, including a visa and invitation letter. A special short-term transit visa, valid for stays under five days, is available in limited cases. In addition, anyone staying in Turkmenistan for more than three days must register with the State Migration Service within 72 hours of arrival.

All foreign guests must also pay mandatory entry fees: a US$14 “migration fee” and a tourism tax of roughly US$2 per day.

A potential shift is on the horizon. In April 2025, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved legislation introducing an electronic visa system. Once implemented, travelers will be able to complete a simplified online application process without the need for the traditional invitation letter. Authorities say the e-visa initiative is designed to streamline travel and boost tourism.

Until the new system is in place, however, Turkmenistan remains a tightly controlled destination with elaborate entry requirements and limited flexibility for international visitors.

03 Jul 2025

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

Kazakhstan’s Cotton Sector Continues to Shrink

July 3, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Kazakhstan’s cotton industry is in protracted decline, with key indicators – acreage, harvest volume, and profitability – showing sustained deterioration. Analysts at Energyprom.kz report that small farms, which dominate the sector, are increasingly abandoning cotton in favor of less expensive crops.

A Smallholder Sector in Crisis

According to the National Statistics Bureau, raw cotton production totaled 61.2 billion KZT ($117.4 million) in 2023, down 8% in real terms from the previous year. This marked the second consecutive year of decline in the physical volume index (PVI), reflecting waning interest in cotton cultivation.

The sector comprises around 25,000 agricultural enterprises and employs approximately 70,000 people. Small farms produce 91% of total output but are experiencing the steepest decline: their PVI fell to 88.6% in 2023. In contrast, large enterprises, which account for a minor share of production, saw a 50.7% increase in output.

Cotton is grown exclusively in the Turkestan region, where the cultivated area has shrunk from 223,700 hectares in 2003 to just 106,400 hectares in 2023. The gross harvest last year was 301,700 tons, 35.4% less than two decades ago. Modern agricultural technologies have helped maintain relatively stable yields despite shrinking acreage.

Water Shortages Undermine the Industry

The Ministry of Agriculture identifies severe irrigation water shortages as the primary obstacle to cotton production. While some losses have been mitigated through drip irrigation systems, such technologies are affordable only to large or investor-backed farms. For most smallholders, cotton cultivation has become too costly, prompting a shift to alternative crops.

The problem is systemic. In a parliamentary inquiry, Senator Murat Kadyrbek highlighted inadequate financing for agronomic measures and low purchase prices, which leave many farmers barely covering operating costs. Producers are seeking loan deferrals until they can secure income from harvests.

Eighty-five percent of Kazakhstan’s cotton is exported as raw material, with only 15% processed domestically. Even this limited share struggles to find buyers. In 2023, domestic processing plants operated at just 19.5% of their design capacity, according to the Bureau of National Statistics. Despite the launch of new facilities, including some with foreign investment, processing remains the industry’s weakest link.

Rising Costs, Competitive Pressures

High processing costs pose a major challenge. Processing cotton in Kazakhstan costs 150,000-170,000 KZT (approximately $300) per tonne, triple the cost in neighboring Uzbekistan and China.

Compounding the issue is poor fiber quality. While the global market demands fiber lengths of 35-60 cm, Kazakh cotton typically falls in the 20-25 cm range.

“To improve product quality and competitiveness, a dedicated state program for cotton development is urgently needed,” members of parliament urged. They advocate for collaborative action from both government agencies and producers to revitalize the sector.