Page 355 – The Times Of Central Asia

05 Mar 2025

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Uzbekistan Ratchets Up Drive Against “Evil” of Corruption

March 6, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced a major shakeup of Uzbekistan’s campaign against corruption on Wednesday, ordering the dismissal of the heads of anti-corruption bodies in 117 ministries and departments and saying many officials had fostered mistrust by failing to deliver clean government as promised.

Mirziyoyev, who took office in 2016, described corruption as an obstacle to Uzbekistan’s efforts to reform its economy. He said that, while there had been progress toward transparency, virtually every sector in the nation, including the media, schoolteachers, non-governmental groups and neighborhood authorities, should mobilize alongside the state to fight the scourge.

“Corruption is such an evil that it undermines people’s trust in the state, the Constitution and laws, and becomes a serious threat to sustainable development and security,” Mirziyoyev said at a meeting of the National Anti-Corruption Council, which was established in 2020 to lead efforts to curb graft.

International groups that study corruption have long said that autocratic tendencies, opaque bureaucracy and weak justice systems in Central Asia make it hard for those countries to get a comprehensive grip on the problem and hold the powerful – regardless of their political allegiances – to account for any wrongdoing.

Even so, Kazakhstan has taken some notable steps, expanding its outreach to other countries in an effort to recover stolen assets and considering the establishment of a public register of officials convicted of corruption-related offenses.

Uzbekistan has similarly made advances, while falling short on enforcement and other pledges. A 2024 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development noted that prosecution of corruption offenses in Uzbekistan “is generally ensured, but more efforts should be directed at countering high-level corruption;” that there is no specialized legislation related to the protection of whistleblowers; and that while Uzbekistan has a business ombudsman institution, “companies do not report cases of corruption for fear of negative repercussions from the state.”

Mirziyoyev’s remarks, which included scathing criticism of the alleged passivity of some officials, appeared designed to give new momentum to the kind of openness that his government deems essential to a successful, diversified economy.

“The Prime Minister was instructed to dismiss the heads of the “internal anti-corruption control” structures in 117 ministries and departments and replace them with honest, dedicated and professional personnel, and to set clear tasks for them,” Sherzod Asadov, the presidential press secretary, said in an account of the meeting that he posted on Facebook. Ministers will directly employ regional compliance officers and “take political responsibility and personally answer for corruption in the entire system,” according to the account.

Uzbekistan’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Abdulla Kuldashev, was recently fired because of fire safety bureaucracy and legal violations, the president said. He also expressed frustration that he had to personally instruct measures against wasteful spending in investment and healthcare programs last year, resulting in the saving of several hundred million dollars.

“But why should these works begin after the president gives an order?” he said.

One measure that Uzbekistan previously introduced is an index that rates the openness of state agencies. In the 2023 index, the statistics agency scored highest and the regional administration of Andijan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, was at the bottom.

Uzbekistan’s government has had an often fraught relationship with journalists and bloggers who say they fear persecution if they report on alleged wrongdoing by high-ranking officials or comment critically on sensitive issues. But the government appears to welcome a growing role for the media in calling attention to corruption.

“Previously, this topic was completely closed to journalists,” Asadov said on Facebook. “Currently, the current situation has completely changed in the direction of openness and transparency.”

05 Mar 2025

Central Asia, International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs

Russian Insurer Pays Compensation for AZAL Crash Near Aktau

March 5, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

The Russian insurance company AlfaStrakhovanie has completed payments under aviation hull insurance for the Embraer 190 aircraft operated by AZAL Airlines that crashed near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. Additionally, compensation payments to passengers have begun, according to Ilya Kabachnyk, Deputy General Director for Aviation and Space Insurance at the company.

“Full payment for the aircraft was made in February,” Kabachnyk stated, noting that a significant portion of the risk was reinsured by the Russian National Reinsurance Company (RNPC). While the exact amount of compensation has not been disclosed, industry experts estimate it to be between $25 million and $30 million.

Compensation payments to passengers began in January and are ongoing. These payments are being made in accordance with the Montreal Convention of 1999 and Russia’s Compulsory Insurance of Civil Liability of Carriers (OSGOP) law, which provides for compensation of up to 2 million RUB (approximately $22,000) for injury or loss of life.

Regarding potential claims for damage to third parties, Kabachnyk said no such claims have been received so far.

“If they arise, we will work with the airline accordingly,” he added.

Investigation and Cause of the Crash

The crash occurred on December 25, 2024, during an AZAL flight from Baku to Grozny. There were 67 people on board, 38 of whom died, the majority of them Azerbaijani citizens.

According to Reuters, citing an unnamed source, the aircraft was shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S missile. Azerbaijani authorities have supported this claim, stating that they have recovered fragments of the missile.

In early February, Kazakhstan published a preliminary report on the crash, which described external damage to the aircraft.

05 Mar 2025

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Feminists in Kazakhstan Under Pressure Ahead of International Women’s Day

March 5, 2025
By Bruce Pannier

On March 8, the world marks the annual International Women’s Day, and in Kazakhstan’s commercial capital, Almaty, the authorities are again working to prevent public gatherings sponsored by feminist or LGBT groups.

Since early February, several members of the feminist group, Feminita, have been detained in Almaty.

Preemptive Measures

Late March 3, an Almaty court sentenced Aktorgyn Akkenzhebalasy of the feminist group Feminita to ten days in jail after finding her guilty of violating the law on organization of peaceful assemblies. The charge dated back to May 2024, when six members of Feminita held an unsanctioned march in downtown Almaty, demanding a life sentence for former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev.

Bishimbayev beat his wife to death in a private room in an Almaty restaurant in November 2023. His trial from March to May 2024 was broadcast over television and widely watched by the public in Kazakhstan.

Akkenzhebalasy was not the only Feminita activist to be jailed for participating in the May 2024 march. On February 28, Feminita co-founder Zhanar Sekerbayeva was jailed for ten days, meaning she would not be freed from jail until March 10, two days after International Women’s Day.

Sekerbayeva and another Feminita co-founder, Gulzada Serzhan, were detained on February 13 after Bagila Baltabayeva, the leader of a group called Kazakhstan’s Union of Parents, and several other women burst into a Feminita meeting. Baltabayeva is also the author of a widely circulated petition against LGBT propaganda.

Feminita activists said Baltabayeva called the police and complained that participants in the meeting were corrupting minors and had no permission to conduct their meeting. Kazakh independent media outlet Vlast cited witnesses as saying Baltabayeva also struck Akkenzhebalasy.

All 25 of the Feminita members at the meeting were detained but quickly released except Sekerbayeva and Serzhan, who were kept at the police station for several hours and eventually charged with conducting public activities of an unregistered social organization.

Baltabayeva and those who accompanied her to disrupt the meeting were not detained.

On February 14, Feminita tried to have another meeting, but a group of women from the charity fund Rahym interrupted, calling the Feminita activists “foreign agents” and demanding they “get out!“ Again, police questioned the Feminita activists but not the Rahym members who burst into the meeting.

On February 19, an Almaty court found Sekerbayeva and Serzhan guilty of holding a meeting of an unregistered organization and were each fined 393,000 tenge (about $1,500).

The Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law released a statement noting Feminita had tried repeatedly to register with authorities but was always rejected. The statement also mentioned that Feminita activists had been attacked during meetings in other cities in Kazakhstan and that “All this happened with complete inaction or direct connivance of the police against the aggressors.”

Women’s Day vs Women’s Rights

There are no reports indicating that the authorities in Almaty, or officials in any other city in Kazakhstan, have approved any requests from feminist groups to conduct public gatherings to mark International Women’s Day.

Such permission has been rare for nearly a decade.

The Almaty city administration has only granted permission for a women’s rights march in 2019, and a feminist march in 2021. All other years since 2017, requests for such gatherings on International Women’s Day have been denied.

Both at those two sanctioned rallies and at unsanctioned rallies that took place several times since 2017, issues of not only women’s rights but tolerance towards the LGBT community have been raised.

Women’s rights remain a sensitive issue in Kazakhstan, where society is still rooted, as it is throughout Central Asia, in a patriarchal system.

LGBT rights remain a taboo issue, and as recently as February 6, a member of the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, Magerram Magerramov, described organizations supporting LGBT rights as “destructive forces… that are receiving grants from USAID.”

If there is a silver lining to all of this, it is that the issues of women’s rights, and to a far lesser extent, LGBT rights continue to be debated publicly in Kazakhstan, something which is not true in neighboring Central Asian countries.

05 Mar 2025

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USAID Pullback in Kazakhstan Creates Space for China and Raises Security Concerns – Expert

March 17, 2025
By Aliya Haidar

President Trump’s executive order restricting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) globally has led to a reduction in Western-funded projects in Kazakhstan. USAID previously funded initiatives in humanitarian aid, media, blogging, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As a result of the new U.S. administration’s actions, experts suggest that China is expanding its influence.

Gulmira Ileuova, head of the Strategy Foundation and a member of the advisory public organization, the National Kurultai, told TCA that the Kazakh government had already taken measures to limit foreign financial influence. “Kazakhstan was among the first post-Soviet countries to regulate foreign funding, requiring grant providers to be registered. Most of these organizations, including Soros-Kazakhstan and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, operate within legal frameworks,“ she stated.

Ileuova noted that German political foundations maintain a presence in Kazakhstan, while French grant-making organizations are largely absent. Beyond civil society projects, USAID also funded state-involved initiatives in education, healthcare, and energy. According to Ileuova, the withdrawal of USAID could lead to a shortfall in funding for NGOs, though state-backed projects are unlikely to be significantly affected.

China’s Expanding Role

Ileuova believes that China’s influence in Kazakhstan is growing faster than Russia’s, as Beijing has moved beyond economic partnerships to broader engagement.” Russia relies on language and media ties to sustain its influence, while China is actively reshaping its approach,” she said.

Ileuova highlighted China’s soft power initiatives, including the Community of a Common Destiny for Mankind, which promotes cooperation and mutual development among nations. She also pointed to growing cultural and educational exchanges, suggesting that China’s approach mirrors past Western strategies of funding local partnerships and academic institutions.

While China does not emphasize democracy or human rights in its outreach, its economic initiatives prioritize infrastructure development and poverty alleviation, often accompanied by media campaigns highlighting the benefits of Chinese investment.

In recent years, Kazakhstan and China have strengthened cultural and educational ties. In August 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated Chinese cultural centers in Astana and Beijing via video link. The Beijing Language and Culture University also opened a branch in Astana, marking the first Chinese university in Central Asia.

Additionally, in February 2025, China’s Consul General in Almaty, Jiang Wei, attended the opening of the Belt and Road scientific and educational center in Almaty.

Religious Extremism and Security Considerations

Ileuova also stated that the withdrawal of USAID and Western funds is unlikely to directly impact radical religious groups, as Western organizations primarily engage with urban, educated populations rather than communities at risk of radicalization.

In a recent interview, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, said that there is no immediate security risk from the return of Kazakh nationals who fought in Syria. According to official estimates, more than 30 Kazakhs remain in militant groups in Syria. From 2019 to 2021, the government carried out the Zhusan humanitarian operation, repatriating 600 individuals, including 413 children. Most male returnees were prosecuted and sentenced in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan continues to monitor and prosecute individuals linked to extremist groups. Recently, two individuals were sentenced to seven years in prison for spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.

In December 2024, authorities took legal action after a group of men blocked a highway near a mosque in Almaty for prayer, disrupting traffic. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan later clarified that obstructing public roads for prayer is not permitted in Islam.

While the long-term influence of radical groups remains difficult to assess, experts emphasize that Kazakhstan continues to implement counter-extremism measures.

05 Mar 2025

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Four New Reservoirs to Be Built in Kazakhstan

March 5, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation plans to begin construction of four new reservoirs in the west and south of the country this year, Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov announced at a government meeting.

Kazakhstan regularly faces two conflicting water-related challenges: the risk of spring floods inundating settlements and a summer water shortage for agricultural irrigation. To address both issues, construction of the new reservoirs will begin in 2025. The Akmola and Kalguty reservoirs will be built in the Zhambyl region in southern Kazakhstan, while the Karaozek reservoir will be located in the Kyzylorda region in the southeast. The Bolshoi Uzen reservoir will be built in the West Kazakhstan region.

“The Akmola, Kalguty, and Karaozek reservoirs will ensure water supply for 22,500 hectares of irrigated crops during the growing season, while the Bolshoi Uzen reservoir will help retain flood and meltwater, preventing flooding in two settlements with a combined population of 5,000,” Nurzhigitov said.

In addition to the new reservoirs, the government plans to reconstruct the Ters-Ashchybulak and Karakonyz reservoirs in the Zhambyl region, as well as the Koskorgan reservoir and the Koksarai counter-regulator in the Turkestan region in 2025. As part of an irrigation infrastructure modernization program, 115 canals covering a total of 3,452 kilometers will be upgraded across six regions: Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetysu, West Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan. Additionally, new structures will be built to replenish the Astana reservoir.

“By the end of the year, 12 projects for the construction and reconstruction of group water pipelines will be completed, providing 153 villages, home to 423,000 people, with access to quality drinking water. At the same time, 52 settlements will be connected to a centralized water supply system,” Nurzhigitov added.

Flood Preparedness Concerns

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s ruling AMANAT party held a meeting of its Party Control Committee, which sharply criticized the country’s flood preparedness. According to party officials, 1,223 settlements across Kazakhstan are currently at risk of flooding.

The country has 1,395 hydraulic structures designed to control water flow, but 564 of them require repairs, including 20 that are in critical condition. In the event of their failure, 536 settlements, home to more than 1.3 million people, could be at risk of severe flooding.

The party emphasized that public concerns over flood preparedness remain high, with approximately 100 complaints submitted this year regarding the condition of dams, drainage channels, and other protective infrastructure.

As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kazakhstan began releasing water from reservoirs as early as January to maximize storage capacity ahead of the flood season.

05 Mar 2025

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UN General Assembly Backs Kazakhstan’s Initiative to Establish UN Center in Almaty

March 5, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. The initiative was put forward by Kazakhstan on behalf of the Central Asian states. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, 152 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution, underscoring its broad international support and high significance.

Kazakhstan’s Role in Regional Development

The idea to establish the UN SDG Centre was first proposed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. He suggested locating the center in Almaty’s new Building of International Organizations, which already hosts 18 UN agencies.

Tokayev emphasized that, as the largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan is committed to strengthening regional cooperation and promoting sustainable development. He highlighted the growing role of middle powers in global governance, positioning Kazakhstan as a key player in fostering regional integration and international collaboration.

A Hub for Regional Cooperation

The new UN SDG Centre will serve as a platform for coordinating international and regional efforts, facilitating best practice exchanges, providing technical assistance, and implementing joint projects. It will work closely with governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to achieve measurable development outcomes.

Additionally, the center will play a crucial role in revitalizing the UN system at the regional level. Its mission includes enhancing coordination between UN agencies, adapting global initiatives to regional priorities, and promoting inclusive multilateral cooperation, a goal aligned with ongoing UN reforms aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Supporting Afghanistan’s Economic Stability

A key focus of the center will be economic development in Afghanistan, as the country’s stability and prosperity are directly linked to the security and well-being of Central Asia. By addressing Afghanistan’s economic challenges, the center aims to contribute to long-term regional stability and growth.