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28 May 2025

Home, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Korea Backs Kyrgyzstan’s Transition to Smart Electricity Metering

May 28, 2025
By Sergey Kwan

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy, in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has completed the construction of a Centralized Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System Operation Center, a milestone in the country’s energy sector modernization.

The completion ceremony, held last week, was attended by Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev, South Korean Ambassador Kim Kwang-jae, and KOICA Vice President Hong Seok-hwa.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the project began in 2023 with KOICA’s support. The agency provided approximately $10.5 million and donated 10,779 smart electricity meters under a grant agreement. The new centralized system is designed to manage up to 1.5 million smart meters nationwide.

“This ambitious project is the result of fruitful cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Korea,” said Minister Ibrayev. “Completion of the national Operation Center is a milestone in the digitalization of Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector. The Center will serve as a critical hub for managing the smart metering system, improving the reliability of electricity supply, enhancing distribution efficiency, ensuring billing transparency, reducing emergency shutdowns, and cutting power grid losses, an especially pressing need for our country.”

Ambassador Kim echoed this sentiment: “Kyrgyzstan has great potential in the energy sector, and Korea is proud to contribute to its energy future with our experience and technology. We hope this project lays a foundation for data-driven energy policies and reduced energy losses.”

Efficient electricity metering is vital for Kyrgyzstan, which suffers from recurring power shortages, particularly in winter. Although the country has the potential to produce up to 142 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, current production is just 14 billion kWh, roughly 10% of its hydropower capacity.

Kyrgyzstan currently generates 3,450 megawatts of electricity, while demand has climbed to 3,600 megawatts. In 2024, national consumption reached 18.3 billion kWh, up 1.1 billion kWh from the previous year. To meet the shortfall, Kyrgyzstan imported 3.63 billion kWh of electricity, an increase of 141.7 million kWh compared to 2023.

28 May 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Home, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan’s Air Quality Stagnates Despite Emission Reforms

November 20, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Over the past two decades, air pollution levels in Kazakhstan have remained persistently high, despite numerous reform pledges and reported reductions in specific emissions. This is the conclusion of a recent study by analysts at Ranking.kz.

Half the Country at Risk

According to 2025 data from the international service Numbeo, Kazakhstan ranked 30th out of 113 countries in urban air pollution, with an index of 73.2 out of 100. This marks only a modest improvement from a 2013 peak of 79.6. Neighboring Russia and Uzbekistan fared better, with scores of 59 and 54, respectively.

Kazhydromet, Kazakhstan’s meteorological service, reported that in 2023, only 23 of the 70 surveyed cities and towns were considered relatively environmentally friendly. Of these, just four were regional centers; the rest were smaller towns and villages. The remaining 47 locations displayed elevated or critically high pollution levels. Astana, Almaty, Karaganda, and Ust-Kamenogorsk were cited as the most concerning.

In these cities, pollution has either stagnated or worsened since 2005. Karaganda’s Air Pollution Index (API) rose from 13.9 in 2005 to 16 in 2023. Astana’s API nearly doubled, from 3.7 to 7. Although Almaty exited the “red” zone, it remains categorized as having elevated pollution.

In November 2023, Ust-Kamenogorsk authorities moved schoolchildren to remote learning due to thick smog, the first such decision on environmental grounds. Senators Olga Bulavkina and Shakarim Buktugutov proposed declaring the city an ecological disaster zone, but the government dismissed the need for a special commission.

The Emissions Paradox

According to the National Statistics Office, total pollutant emissions, comprising solid, liquid, and gaseous substances, declined from 3 million tons in 2005 to 2.3 million tons in 2023, a 24% decrease. However, greenhouse gas emissions increased by over 45% during the same period, rising from 233.8 million tons to 340 million tons, according to the international database OurWorldinData.

This surge contradicts Kazakhstan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, which it joined in 2016. The primary culprits remain unchanged: coal-fired thermal power plants. In 2023, stationary sources accounted for 2.2 million tons of the 2.3 million total emissions. The number of such sources has more than doubled since 2005, reaching 233,800.

Between Optimism and Routine

In a bid to reverse the trend, Kazakhstan has approved a national strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The plan targets a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 324.4 million tons by 2030, with full carbon neutrality by mid-century. Measures include expanding renewable energy, constructing nuclear power plants, and integrating low-carbon technologies in industry.

Despite these ambitions, emissions have yet to return even to 2005 levels. While some progress has been made, it is not enough to offset broader environmental deterioration. In the country’s largest cities, residents continue to breathe air laced with harmful pollutants, contributing to increased cancer rates and a declining quality of life.

If Kazakhstan succeeds in implementing even part of its environmental roadmap, then perhaps within the next decade, smog alerts, pollution spikes, and remote learning due to air quality may become rare exceptions rather than seasonal norms.

28 May 2025

Central Asia, Tajikistan International Affairs, Tajikistan, International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Hold Talks on Consular Cooperation and Citizen Rights

May 28, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Officials from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan met in Dushanbe on May 27 to discuss consular cooperation and the protection of citizen rights, according to the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The consultations brought together delegations from both countries’ foreign ministries. The Tajik delegation was led by Bahodur Safarzoda, Head of the Main Consular Department, while the Kyrgyz side was headed by Seitek Zhumakadyr uulu, Director of the Consular Service Department.

Discussions focused on improving bilateral cooperation, including measures to protect the rights of citizens living or traveling in each other’s countries, streamlining border-crossing procedures, and enhancing the efficiency of consular services.

The meeting was part of broader efforts to strengthen trust and cooperation between the two neighboring countries. In March, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed a landmark agreement in Bishkek to resolve the long-standing dispute over the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

Under the terms of that agreement, both national parliaments must ratify the deal before it becomes official. If approved, the final step will be the formal exchange of ratification documents, expected to occur on March 31 during a summit in the Fergana Valley. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is also expected to attend. Only after this exchange will the physical demarcation of the border begin.

28 May 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Jennifer Lopez to Perform in Tashkent for the First Time

May 28, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Global pop icon Jennifer Lopez will perform in Tashkent on August 7, as part of her Up All Night – Live in 2025 world tour, according to Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation.

The concert, set to take place at Milliy Stadium, will mark Lopez’s debut performance in Uzbekistan. The event is part of a broader initiative by the Foundation to promote international cultural exchange and boost the country’s tourism sector.

Earlier, The Times of Central Asia reported that Lopez is also scheduled to perform in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana later this summer. Local organizers there estimate her concert could generate over $12 million in economic activity and yield nearly $800,000 in tax revenue.

Jennifer Lopez, known as J. Lo, is one of the most prominent entertainers of her generation. A singer, actress, and dancer with a career spanning more than 30 years, she has received numerous accolades, including the Billboard Icon Award and the MTV Video Vanguard Award. To date, she has sold over 80 million records worldwide.

28 May 2025

Home, International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Energy, Industry, and Diplomacy: Kazakhstan-Italy Relations Reach New Heights

May 30, 2025
By Andrei Matveev

On May 30, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan. The same day will also mark the inaugural Central Asia-Italy summit, to be held in Astana with the participation of regional heads of state.

In anticipation of the visit, the Kazakh-Italian Business Forum opened in Astana on May 28, focusing on the development of trade and logistics cooperation. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted a key milestone in bilateral relations: trade between the two countries increased by 25% in 2024, reaching nearly US$20 billion. Of this, Kazakh exports accounted for more than US$18 billion.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Italy were established in 1992. Italy opened its embassy in Kazakhstan in October of that year, followed by the opening of the Kazakh embassy in Italy in 1996. In 1994, then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev made his first official visit to Rome. A reciprocal visit by Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro followed in 1997. Over the ensuing decades, Kazakhstan received visits from Italian Prime Ministers Romano Prodi, Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Monti, and Matteo Renzi.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Italy twice before assuming the presidency: first as Foreign Minister in 1997, and again in 2018 as Chairman of the Senate. His first presidential visit to Italy took place in January 2024.

Over the years, bilateral relations have reached a high level of maturity. A sustained political dialogue is ongoing, mutual trade is rising, the legal framework is expanding, and multilateral cooperation is strengthening.

A pivotal moment in this relationship came in 2009 with the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement. During a productive visit by Nazarbayev to Italy, multiple agreements were signed, facilitating mutual investments exceeding US$6 billion.

Italy is now Kazakhstan’s third-largest trading partner, following China and Russia, and ranks among the top five foreign investors in the Kazakh economy. In 2023, bilateral trade turnover was around US$20 billion. Approximately 250 Italian companies operate in Kazakhstan, contributing significantly to sectors such as oil and gas, renewable energy, machine building, and agriculture.

Over the past two decades, Italy has invested US$7.6 billion in Kazakhstan, prioritizing the oil and gas sector, green energy, machinery, and the agro-industrial complex. Kazakhstan’s main exports to Italy include crude oil, ferroalloys, wheat and meslin, copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, scrap precious metals, fuel oil, and cranes. In turn, Italy supplies Kazakhstan with pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, pumps, and other finished goods.

According to the Italian media, Prime Minister Meloni’s upcoming visit aims to strengthen energy and industrial cooperation. Meloni is expected to sign a cooperation agreement alongside President Tokayev between Italian firm, Maire, and Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna to establish an engineering and industrial hub.

Samruk-Kazyna is also slated to sign an agreement with Ansaldo Energia for the production of gas turbine components for power plants. In January 2024, during Tokayev’s visit to Rome, Ansaldo committed to supplying gas turbines and generators for the reconstruction of the TPP-3 power plant in Almaty, as well as collaborating on new energy projects.

Additional agreements expected during the visit will address environmental protection, critical raw materials, and collaboration in training and research.

Follow our special coverage on the Astana International Forum here.

28 May 2025

International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan Features

Russia Warns of Rising Security Threats in Central Asia During CSTO Talks in Bishkek

May 28, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ruslan Mukambetov met with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Bishkek to discuss the future of bilateral military cooperation. The meeting concluded with the signing of a Strategic Partnership Program in the Military Field extending through 2030.

Belousov’s visit comes ahead of the annual meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), also taking place in the Kyrgyz capital. As part of the lead-up to the event, the two ministers held direct bilateral talks.

Speaking at the meeting, Belousov stated that CSTO member states are “living in conditions of global instability” and must remain vigilant.

“Both within the CSTO and in our bilateral relations, we must treat the emerging threats with the utmost care. And there are more and more of them,” he said.

Belousov identified radical groups operating in Afghanistan as the primary security threat in Central Asia, citing Russian intelligence estimates that place their numbers at over 15,000 fighters. He also pointed to growing instability in the Middle East, which, according to Russian officials, has led to an increase in foreign fighters entering the region.

Mukambetov, for his part, expressed satisfaction with the depth of military cooperation with Russia and highlighted continued collaboration across all defense sectors. The ministers discussed both current and prospective issues related to military and military-technical cooperation.

Despite Moscow’s ongoing warnings about extremist threats in the region, some experts argue that Russia may be inflating the scale of the danger. The narrative of a looming Islamic threat remains a consistent theme in Russian security rhetoric.

In a potentially contradictory move, the Russian Supreme Court recently lifted its long-standing ban on the Taliban movement. Nevertheless, Russian officials continue to present information on Afghan-based terrorist threats to their CSTO allies.

The Kremlin has also voiced concerns about growing Western influence in Central Asia. According to reports, Russian officials believe Western countries have gained excessive sway in the region, a development Moscow sees as a strategic challenge.