Page 35 – The Times Of Central Asia

06 Mar 2026

Central Asia, Home, Kyrgyzstan, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy, Features, Kyrgyzstan Features, Kyrgyzstan Home

Middle East Conflict Disrupts Logistics Routes for Deliveries to Kyrgyzstan

March 6, 2026
By Times of Central Asia

Military activity in the Middle East has caused serious disruptions to logistics routes used to deliver goods to Kyrgyzstan. In particular, the transit of cargo through Iran has completely stopped. This was reported to The Times of Central Asia by the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Kyrgyzstan.

According to industry representatives, the auto parts market is already experiencing some of the most significant consequences. A substantial share of goods from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East is delivered to Kyrgyzstan via the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf. The port is considered a key transit hub through which a large volume of international cargo passes.

However, due to the escalating situation in the region, maritime transport along this route has effectively been halted. As a result, many goods that have already been paid for and are intended for delivery to Kyrgyzstan remain stuck in ports of departure or transit zones.

“A large volume of cargo used to be transported through the port of Bandar Abbas. We used this route for transit to the Emirates, to Dubai and Sharjah. Now we are effectively cut off from maritime transport. All the countries of the Persian Gulf are closed to us, and there are serious problems with air traffic in this region. A lot of cargo normally goes from Sharjah and Dubai to Kyrgyzstan, but these deliveries have now been suspended,” Igor Golubev, deputy chairman of the Association of International Freight Carriers of Kyrgyzstan, told The Times of Central Asia.

According to him, equipment, auto parts, perfumes, and other goods are supplied to Kyrgyzstan from the countries of the Persian Gulf. If the conflict continues and logistics chains are not restored, Kyrgyzstan could face shortages of certain types of products.

“Ships from all over the world used to arrive at the port of Bandar Abbas. It served as a transshipment hub from which we received a wide range of goods. Now this transit hub is effectively closed,” Golubev said.

The disruptions have affected not only imports but also exports. According to the Association of Carriers, the transit of Kyrgyz cargo to Turkey and Europe, which previously passed through Iranian territory, has completely stopped. At present, more than 30 Kyrgyz trucks carrying goods remain in northern Iran, and their drivers are unable to return home.

Additional difficulties have emerged due to fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kyrgyz logistics companies actively use the port of Karachi in Pakistan, and some cargo has traditionally been delivered to Kyrgyzstan through Afghanistan. This route is now also effectively closed.

According to the Association of International Freight Carriers, negotiations are currently underway with Chinese partners on the possible use of alternative logistics corridors.

The state-owned organization Kyrgyz Export told The Times of Central Asia that it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in constant contact with carriers. Authorities are also holding talks with Iran and other states in the region while considering alternative routes to restore the import and export of Kyrgyz goods.

06 Mar 2026

Uncategorized

Uzbek Citizen Detained in Israel After Video Mocking Civilians During Rocket Alert

March 6, 2026
By Sadokat Jalolova

An Uzbek citizen working in Israel has been detained after a video circulated online showing him mocking civilians rushing to bomb shelters during a rocket alert.

The video, widely shared on social media, was first posted in a Facebook group for people from Bukhara. It shows people running toward shelters after warning sirens sounded, while the man filming the scene can be heard laughing and making derogatory remarks. In the recording, he says, “Look how the rats are running,” while filming civilians attempting to reach safety during what appears to be a missile warning.

The footage quickly sparked outrage among Israeli social media users, many of whom described the comments as offensive and inappropriate given that civilians were seeking protection from a potential attack.

Posts circulating within the Bukharan community claimed that Israeli singer Avi Hen later recognized the individual on the street and alerted authorities. Police reportedly arrived shortly afterward and detained the man for questioning.

Officials said the detention was carried out on suspicion of incitement and disturbing public order. An investigation into the case is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel released an official statement addressing the incident. According to the embassy, the episode occurred on February 28, when an Uzbek citizen identified as N.H. uploaded a video to TikTok during a rocket attack while air-raid sirens were sounding.

The embassy said the video contained inappropriate language and was later widely shared across Israeli social media platforms.

The statement added that an Israeli citizen identified as A.H. subsequently contacted the police about the video. After learning about the situation, the embassy’s consular department contacted the Uzbek citizen and held a conversation with him. Embassy representatives also communicated with the Israeli citizen who filed the complaint.

According to the embassy, the Uzbek national is currently safe, and the situation remains under the supervision of the consular department.

06 Mar 2026

Uncategorized

Uzbek Citizen Evacuation Flights Continue from Middle East

March 6, 2026
By Sadokat Jalolova

More than 9,300 citizens of Uzbekistan had been evacuated from countries in the Middle East as of March 5.

According to the press service of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between March 1 and 10:00 a.m. local time on March 5, a total of 9,361 Uzbek citizens safely returned home from several countries in the region.

Officials said the largest number of evacuees arrived from Saudi Arabia, where 8,114 people were transported to Uzbekistan on both regular and specially arranged charter flights.

Another 1,192 citizens have so far been repatriated from the United Arab Emirates. Smaller groups were also evacuated from other countries in the region, including 23 citizens from Iran, 25 from Bahrain, and seven from Oman.

The ministry said the return of Uzbek nationals is being organized in a structured and phased manner. Officials added that evacuation operations are currently focused on countries whose airspace remains open to civilian flights, with additional flights to be arranged once airspace restrictions are lifted elsewhere in the region.

Separately, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport reported that by March 5 a total of 41 special flights had been carried out to bring citizens home from the Middle East.

According to the ministry, several Uzbekistan-based airlines, including Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air, Qanot Sharq, Fly One Asia, Fly Khiva, and Air Samarkand, have been operating evacuation flights.

These included routes from Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia to Tashkent, Andijan, Namangan, Urgench, Qarshi, and Samarkand, as well as flights from Dubai to Tashkent.

Transport officials said that 36 flights departing from Jeddah and Medina transported 7,988 passengers to Uzbekistan. An additional five flights from Dubai carried 838 people.

Several flights were still operating at the time of the ministry’s latest update, including routes from Dubai and Jeddah to Tashkent and Samarkand.

Authorities stated that the evacuation process is continuing step by step and urged Uzbek citizens abroad to remain calm, follow local laws, and rely only on official information issued by Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions and government agencies.

06 Mar 2026

Central Asia, Turkmenistan Home, Home, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Prices in Turkmenistan Rise Sharply Due to the Situation in the Middle East

March 6, 2026
By Vagit Ismailov

Military activity in neighboring Iran has begun to directly affect Turkmenistan’s economy. Disruptions to supplies from a key trading partner have triggered a sharp increase in prices for food, household chemicals, building materials, and cigarettes. According to retailers, this may only be the beginning as existing stocks are running low and prices continue to climb.

Despite having domestic production, Turkmenistan remains heavily dependent on imports from Iran, particularly for food products, household chemicals, and construction materials.

The conflict in Iran has disrupted established logistics routes, causing prices for several categories of goods to rise significantly across Turkmenistan.

Vegetables and citrus fruits have seen some of the steepest increases. Prices for potatoes and cucumbers have risen by three to three-and-a-half times, while citrus fruits have become about 50% more expensive. Cigarette prices have already increased by roughly 40%, and traders warn that further rises are likely.

At the end of February, a kilogram of potatoes imported from Iran cost between $1.45 and $1.74 in Ashgabat. The price has now risen to $4.93 per kilogram. A similar trend has been observed for cucumbers, whose price increased from $2.32 to $4.93 per kilogram.

Citrus fruits have become even more expensive. Oranges have risen in price from $2.61 to $5.22 per kilogram, while mandarins have increased from $3.48 to $6.38.

Residents of Turkmenistan are also facing higher prices for household chemicals. Although the increase has not yet been as dramatic, retailers say the upward trend is clear. Tobacco products have also risen significantly in price, with cigarettes increasing by an average of about 35%.

The construction sector has also been affected. Prices for cement, wood, metal, and other building materials have increased by around 40%.

These increases are linked to disruptions in established supply routes. Some construction materials were previously imported from the United Arab Emirates via Iran. Businesses are now being forced to search for alternative logistics routes, including through Georgia and Azerbaijan, which significantly increases transportation costs.

On March 4, customs regulation issues were discussed at a meeting of Turkmenistan’s Security Council.

However, according to a report by the state news agency TDH, the head of the State Customs Service, Maksat Khudaygulyev, did not address the current supply disruptions. His remarks focused on the planned development of the agency.

Price increases linked to events in Iran are not new for Turkmenistan. A similar situation was observed in the summer during the 12-day war.

Supply problems also emerged in the fall of 2024, when Iran temporarily closed its border. During that period, vegetable oil prices increased significantly and shortages were reported.

06 Mar 2026

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

Kazakhstan Increased Agricultural Export Revenue by More than a Third in 2025

March 6, 2026
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Export revenues from Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex reached $7 billion in 2025, an increase of 37% compared to the previous year. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov.

A year earlier, export revenues from agriculture totaled $5.1 billion. That figure was nearly 1.7 times higher than in 2018, when Kazakhstan’s farmers exported $3.1 billion worth of products.

According to Taszhurekov, more than half of the export revenue in 2025, about $3.6 billion, came from processed agricultural products. Supplies of processed goods to foreign markets grew by 35% compared to 2024, when their exports amounted to $2.7 billion.

“Significant growth in production allows us not only to fully supply the domestic market, but also to actively increase export volumes,” the deputy minister said.

He also noted that the share of processed products in total agricultural output continues to rise. While it accounted for about 50% in 2024, preliminary data for 2025 suggests this figure has increased to 60%.

Overall, Kazakhstan’s gross agricultural output rose by 5.9% in 2025, reaching 9.8 trillion tenge (about $19.6 billion).

Among the sector’s key achievements were high yields of grain and oilseeds. Last year, the country harvested 25.9 million tons of grain in net weight, including 19.3 million tons of wheat. A record harvest of oilseeds was also recorded at 4.8 million tons, along with more than 1 million tons of legumes.

According to Taszhurekov, changes in the structure of cultivated areas were the result of a policy aimed at agricultural diversification. The area planted with wheat was reduced by nearly 900,000 hectares, while the area under legumes increased by 275,000 hectares and oilseed crops expanded by more than 1 million hectares.

“This creates a more sustainable agricultural model and expands the raw material base for processing enterprises,” he said.

One of the most promising areas of development remains deep grain processing. By 2028, Kazakhstan plans to launch new production facilities with a total capacity of 5.8 million tons per year. Investment in these projects is estimated at approximately 1.9 trillion tenge (about $3.8 billion), and more than 3,300 jobs are expected to be created.

The product range will also expand, with enterprises planning to produce amino acids, syrups, vitamins, and other high-value processed products.

Taszhurekov also noted the expansion of state support instruments for the agro-industrial complex. Preferential loans have been introduced for processing enterprises to purchase fixed assets at an interest rate of 2.5% and to finance working capital at a rate of 5%.

In addition, investment subsidy programs have been expanded. While the standard reimbursement rate is 25%, it has been increased for several priority sectors, to 40% for sugar production and egg processing, and to 50% for high-tech agricultural industries.

“Thanks to the state support measures adopted, the industry is showing steady positive dynamics,” the ministry representative said.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan also plans to bring one of its iconic agricultural products, Aport apples, to international markets.

05 Mar 2026

Uncategorized

Daines Retirement Leaves Uncertainty for Senate Central Asia Caucus

March 7, 2026
By Stephen M. Bland

Senator Steve Daines has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026, a decision that could have implications for congressional initiatives focused specifically on Central Asia. Daines has been among the most active advocates in Congress for strengthening U.S. engagement with the region, particularly on trade policy and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

In 2024, Daines partnered with Democratic Senator Gary Peters to launch the U.S. Senate Central Asia Caucus, a bipartisan forum intended to raise the region’s profile in Washington and encourage cooperation on trade, investment, and security. The initiative reflected growing interest in Congress as Central Asia has gained strategic importance amid shifting global supply chains and efforts by governments in the region to diversify partnerships beyond Russia and China.

One of the caucus’s key policy priorities has been the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson–Vanik Amendment, which still applies to multiple former Soviet states. Its continued presence in U.S. law is widely viewed as an outdated barrier to deeper economic engagement. Momentum for its repeal has grown as policymakers seek to expand trade with Central Asia and modernize the legal framework governing U.S. economic relations with the region.

Supporters argue that removing the amendment would encourage American investment in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and critical minerals while aligning U.S. trade policy with Washington’s broader strategic outreach to Central Asia. Debate in Washington over normalizing trade relations has increasingly been framed as part of a wider push to strengthen economic ties with the region. With both Daines and Peters expected to leave the Senate by 2027, the caucus’s founding leadership will soon depart Capitol Hill, potentially narrowing the window for congressional action on the issue.