Page 218 – The Times Of Central Asia

15 Oct 2025

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EU Launches Major Initiative to Boost Digital Connectivity in Central Asia

October 16, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

The European Union has unveiled a major initiative to expand digital connectivity across Central Asia, aiming to bridge the region’s digital divide and promote inclusive socio-economic development, according to the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan.

The initiative, part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, was formally introduced during the political launch of the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia. It seeks to deepen cooperation with Central Asian governments and accelerate digital transformation through investments in infrastructure, satellite technologies, and human capital.

“The Global Gateway and the Team Europe Initiative on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia are opening a new chapter,” said Aleska Simkic, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan. “Through them, the European Union is connecting remote regions and villages in Central Asia to the internet via satellite connections. Today’s event marks an important milestone in advancing sustainable connectivity and strengthening EU-Central Asia cooperation for the years ahead.”

The TEI will be implemented through two core components. The Soft Pillar, known as the C4CA Project, will be carried out by a consortium of EU cooperation agencies led by Expertise France. It will focus on promoting safe and inclusive satellite connectivity, especially for women, youth, and marginalized groups, while supporting broader socio-economic inclusion through improved digital access.

The Hard Pillar, titled “Satellite Connectivity for Underserved Populations of Central Asia,” will be coordinated by the European Investment Bank and implemented by satellite operator SES. This component will finance and deploy satellite constellations and ground infrastructure to deliver high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas, boosting access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities.

“Connectivity, in all its forms, whether digital, infrastructural, or economic, lies at the heart of today’s global challenges,” said Sylvain Guiaugue, France’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan. “Working hand in hand with our partners in Central Asia, the consortium led by Expertise France will help develop the policies, skills, and technologies needed to ensure equal access to digital services and innovation.”

EU officials emphasized that the initiative aligns with the national digital strategies of Central Asian countries and represents a pivotal step in fostering long-term regional cooperation. Governments across the region voiced strong support for the program, highlighting its strategic importance for Central Asia’s sustainable and connected future.

15 Oct 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan

500 Meters of Illegal Fishing Nets Seized in Lake Issyk-Kul

October 15, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Inspectors from the Issyk-Kul Department of the Environmental and Technical Supervision Service have confiscated approximately 500 meters of synthetic fishing nets during a recent raid on Lake Issyk-Kul.

Large-scale efforts to clean and protect the lake have been underway since 2023. Ahead of this year’s tourist season, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov issued a decree banning the import and use of synthetic fishing nets nationwide. He later participated in a raid on the lake himself, publicly criticizing officials for failing to fully implement the ban.

Despite the government’s strict measures, poaching continues to pose a threat. According to inspectors from the Ministry of Natural Resources, although the latest seizure is not the largest on record, it is still substantial enough to harm the lake’s delicate ecosystem. Raids have been conducted almost continuously throughout the summer.

Just days earlier, divers from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations retrieved 1,500 meters of nets from the lake and rescued 114 fish caught in them. Since the beginning of the year, authorities have removed a total of 80,900 meters of illegal fishing nets from Issyk-Kul.

The State Customs Service also reported intercepting a large shipment of synthetic nets at the border with China. During a routine inspection of freight trucks, 750 kilograms of fishing nets were discovered and subsequently destroyed.

Authorities warn that synthetic fishing nets are especially hazardous because they often contain lead, which can release toxic substances into the water. These toxins poison fish and destabilize the lake’s aquatic ecosystem.

15 Oct 2025

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

Uzbekistan-Turkey Trade Reaches $2.6 Billion as Customs Cooperation Deepens

October 17, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan and Turkey have significantly expanded their trade partnership, with bilateral trade turnover reaching $2.6 billion, according to the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan. The milestone was announced during the fifth meeting of the Uzbekistan-Turkey Joint Customs Council, held in the historic city of Khiva.

Friendly ties between the leaders of the two countries have laid the foundation for enhanced cooperation across a broad range of sectors, including politics, trade, investment, culture, and humanitarian initiatives.

Since the inaugural Joint Customs Council meeting in 2018, trade turnover between the two countries has grown by 35%, rising from $1.9 billion to $2.6 billion by the end of 2024. Officials called this an impressive achievement in the context of ongoing global economic challenges and noted that there is still considerable room for further growth through deeper customs collaboration.

One of the most impactful developments has been the 2022 agreement on the exchange of advance information on goods and vehicles. The agreement is currently undergoing preparations for full-scale implementation. Additionally, the two countries have improved mechanisms for foreign trade data exchange and made progress in addressing statistical discrepancies during a bilateral meeting in Samarkand in September. The next round of talks on this issue is scheduled to take place in Turkey.

Another key topic at the Khiva meeting was the mutual recognition of authorized economic operators (AEOs), a proposal first introduced at the 11th meeting of customs authorities from Turkic states, held in Kazakhstan. A draft agreement on mutual recognition is currently under review by the Turkish side.

Over the past five years, Uzbekistan’s trade volume managed by AEOs has more than doubled, increasing from $1.3 billion in 2020 to $2.7 billion in 2024. Council members also reviewed a joint cooperation plan for 2025-2026, which aims to further strengthen economic relations and streamline customs procedures.

15 Oct 2025

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

Stanford University Names Two Tajik Scientists Among World’s Top Researchers

October 15, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Professors Mahsud Saimdinov and Farukh Sharopov are the only scientists from Tajikistan included in Stanford University’s prestigious “World’s Top 2% Scientists – 2025” list.

The ranking, compiled under the guidance of renowned Stanford epidemiologist Professor John Ioannidis, assesses the scientific productivity and impact of researchers worldwide. Conducted annually since 2019, it analyzes data from more than 100,000 scientists across disciplines using the Scopus (Elsevier) database.

In 2025, just two researchers from Tajikistan, Farukh Sharopov and Mahsud Saimdinov, were included in the top 2% of global scientists based on their citation impact and publication record.

Researchers in the 98th percentile or above in their field qualify for inclusion.

Farukh Sharopov: Pioneer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Born in 1976, Farukh Safolbekovich Sharopov is among Tajikistan’s leading chemists. A graduate of the Chemistry Department at the Tajik State University (1998), he defended his doctoral dissertation at the V. I. Nikitin Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan in 2002.

Sharopov has held positions as a senior and leading researcher at the Institute of Chemistry and has taught at the Abu Ali ibn Sina Medical University. Since 2019, he has served as a senior researcher at the China-Tajikistan Innovation Center for Natural Products.

In October 2025, he successfully defended a doctoral dissertation titled “Chemical Study of Secondary Metabolites of Essential Oil Plants Using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry.”

According to Scopus data as of October 14, 2025, Sharopov has authored 105 publications, which have been cited 6,881 times. He holds an h-index of 40 and ranks 692nd globally in the pharmaceutical and biomolecular chemistry field.

Mahsud Saimdinov: Global Leader in Nanotechnology

Mahsud Ismatboevich Saimdinov, born in 1988 in Isfara, is recognized internationally for his contributions to nanotechnology. A graduate and postgraduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, served as a visiting researcher at MIT, and taught at the University of Toronto.

Currently, he holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Advanced Functional Materials and is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Victoria in Canada.

According to Scopus, Saimdinov has published 170 scientific papers, which have received 24,886 citations. His h-index stands at 69. In the category of nano and nanotechnologies, he ranks 630th globally, placing him among the field’s top-tier scientists.

15 Oct 2025

Central Asia, Home, Kyrgyzstan Justice, Justice, Kyrgyzstan, Features, Kyrgyzstan Features, Kyrgyzstan Home

Kyrgyz Authorities Open Public Debate on Death Penalty Bill

October 17, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Following a series of high-profile murders and sexual assaults targeting young women, Kyrgyz authorities have initiated a public discussion on the possible reinstatement of the death penalty for convicted murderers and rapists. President Sadyr Japarov proposed the nationwide debate in response to growing public outrage.

The president’s office has prepared a draft bill that would allow for the introduction of capital punishment for particularly grave crimes committed against women and children.

“Currently, Kyrgyzstan is witnessing an increase in particularly serious crimes against children and women, including rape and murder involving rape, which are causing deep concern to both society and the state,” reads the explanatory note to the document.

According to the bill, its primary aim is to protect the lives and health of women and children from violent crimes. The Constitution of Kyrgyzstan identifies life and health as the highest values of the state, while guaranteeing special protection of citizens’ sexual integrity.

The authors of the bill also reference the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, adopted by General Assembly Resolution 48/104 on December 20, 1993, which calls on member states to develop legal measures, including criminal and administrative sanctions, to combat physical and sexual violence against women.

Statistics from the Prosecutor General’s Office indicate a steady rise in violent crimes in recent years. In 2021, there were 39 murders; 36 of the victims were women and three were children. By 2024, the number had increased to 43 (34 women and nine children). In the first eight months of 2025 alone, 28 people were killed.

Official data also show that more than 80 women, most of them minors, are raped each year. A large proportion of such crimes remain unreported or unresolved, as families often avoid publicizing the cases due to stigma and fear of reprisal.

The draft legislation proposes reinstating the death penalty only for two categories of crimes: the rape of minors and murders committed in conjunction with rape.

“The facts of violence against children and the murder of women accompanied by rape no longer shock society, it is becoming commonplace, and that is alarming,” the bill’s authors stated.

Public consultation on the proposal will continue until October 28, with parliamentary consideration scheduled until November 4.

Kyrgyzstan formally abolished the death penalty in 2007; the last execution was carried out in 1998. In December 2010, the country ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, committing to the eventual and permanent abolition of capital punishment.

15 Oct 2025

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

Legal Imports of Chinese Smartphones Surge in Kazakhstan

October 15, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Mandatory verification of mobile phones imported into Kazakhstan has led to a significant reduction in the shadow market, according to Deputy Minister of Finance Yerzhan Birzhanov. He stated that official imports of many popular Chinese smartphone models have increased 1.5 times and for some models, up to four times.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakh authorities introduced a policy in March 2025 requiring telecom operators to check the IMEI codes of smartphones and disable illegally imported devices. This measure applied to all phones brought into the country after March 24.

Parliamentary deputy Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva supported the move, citing that 64% of mobile devices in Kazakhstan were previously brought in through illegal or “gray” channels. In 2024 alone, this led to an estimated loss of nearly 100 billion tenge (approximately $196 million) in unpaid value-added tax (VAT).

The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry, later reorganized as the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, reported even higher levels of illicit trade. According to its data, around 5 million smartphones were sold in Kazakhstan in 2024, with up to 75% believed to have been imported illegally.

However, there has been no immediate impact in the premium segment. “This was expected, as consumers were awaiting the release of new models from brands like Apple and Samsung. We anticipate growth in legal volumes from these brands as soon as sales data from October becomes available,” Birzhanov added.

Under the new system, all smartphones imported into Kazakhstan after March 2025 are categorized based on their IMEI codes into three lists: white, gray, and black.

The white list includes legally purchased and customs-cleared devices. The gray list comprises phones with suspicious or duplicate IMEI codes; owners of these devices have 30 days to verify their legitimacy. The black list includes stolen or counterfeit devices, which are barred from network access.

In a further step to combat illegal imports, Kazakhstan also introduced personal import limits. As of this year, individuals are permitted to bring in no more than two smartphones and two tablets per year without customs clearance.