Page 43 – The Times Of Central Asia

12 Nov 2025

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Afghanistan Seeks Alternatives to Pakistan Trade; Fallout Likely for Central Asia

November 12, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Afghanistan must look for “alternative trade routes” that bypass neighboring Pakistan, a senior Afghan official said Wednesday. The remarks reflect deepening tension after border clashes between the two countries and are a blow to some ambitious trade projects that would link South Asia and Central Asia.

At the same time, the development could mean that Afghanistan will increasingly look to Central Asia for trade links as it cuts off business with Pakistan.

“All Afghan traders and industrialists should turn to alternative trade routes instead of Pakistan,” said Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs. “These routes have not only harmed our traders but have also caused difficulties for markets and the general public. I strongly urge all traders to implement alternative options for imports and exports as soon as possible.”

Baradar also criticized what he called the poor quality of medicine being imported from Pakistan and said medicine importers have three months to close accounts there. He said that if Pakistan wants to reopen trade routes with Afghanistan, it must provide solid guarantees that they won’t be closed again. Pakistan has said it needs security guarantees to normalize trade.

The minister’s comments were reported by TOLOnews, a Kabul-based outlet, as well as other regional media organizations.

Afghanistan and Pakistan share a 2,600-kilometer border and trade was severely disrupted after clashes between the two sides last month. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to militants who carry out attacks against Pakistani security forces, an allegation that the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan denies.

Several big Central Asia-South Asia projects would require close collaboration between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are the Trans-Afghan Railway, the TAPI natural gas pipeline and the CASA-1000 electricity project.

Three Central Asian countries – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan – have borders with Afghanistan and share ethnic ties with minority populations there.

In late October, the city of Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan, near the border with Uzbekistan, hosted a forum during which Afghan and Kazakh officials and business leaders discussed expanding trade. Deals worth several hundred million dollars were announced.

12 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Tajikistan Justice, Justice, Tajikistan

Tajik Citizens Arrested in U.S. in Connection with ATM Cyberattack

November 12, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

U.S. authorities have charged two Tajik nationals and one Iranian citizen with orchestrating a cyberattack on ATMs to steal cash using a method known as “jackpotting.” Two of the suspects have already been apprehended.

Law enforcement in Lincoln County, North Carolina, identified the suspects as 26-year-old Nurmuhammad Rahmonzoda, 35-year-old Firdavs Rajabov, and 36-year-old Milod Avazdavani of Iran. The crimes reportedly occurred in February 2025 in the state of Maine.

Investigators were able to identify the suspects using CCTV footage and license plate recognition systems. The group allegedly employed jackpotting, a cyber intrusion technique that manipulates ATMs into dispensing cash without recording a legitimate transaction.

The investigation was launched after multiple banks reported technical issues with their self-service terminals. Authorities later determined the cyberattacks had been premeditated and synchronized across several ATM locations. In total, the group is accused of stealing more than $10,000.

Avazdavani was arrested on March 13, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina. Rahmonzoda was detained two weeks later in Florida and transferred to Maine. Authorities have not confirmed whether Rajabov has been taken into custody.

Rahmonzoda has been formally charged with theft. A court has ordered him to pay $38,480 in restitution to the victims. If he fulfils the court’s compensation order, the felony charge may be downgraded to a misdemeanor, though full criminal liability will still apply. Further proceedings in the case are set to continue in Florida.

Previously, U.S. media reported the arrests of other Tajik citizens in unrelated cases involving terrorism and immigration violations.

12 Nov 2025

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

Kyrgyz National Bank Conducts Largest Currency Intervention of 2025

November 12, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

To stabilize the som exchange rate, the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR) carried out its largest currency intervention of 2025, selling nearly $174 million on the foreign exchange market.

According to the NBKR, $65.3 million was sold on the day of the transaction, with an additional $108.6 million sold under deferred payment terms. This marks the bank’s sixth intervention of the year and its most substantial by volume.

In previous months, the NBKR intervened with $158.3 million in April, $81.5 million in September, and $38 million in October.

The regulator emphasized that the som remains a floating currency and that interventions are undertaken solely to limit excessive volatility and ensure market stability.

Throughout 2025, the NBKR has only conducted dollar sales, without any reverse interventions to repurchase foreign currency. This pattern reflects sustained demand for foreign currency and active trade flows within the country. As a result of these actions, the som has remained stable, with the exchange rate holding just above 87 soms per $.

Since the beginning of the year, the NBKR’s total foreign currency sales have exceeded $590 million. Over the past five years, the bank has carried out 99 interventions, selling nearly $3 billion on the market.

12 Nov 2025

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Traffic Jam of 1,500 Trucks Reported at Kazakhstan-China Border Crossing

November 12, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Approximately 1,500 freight trucks have been stranded at the Nur Zholy border checkpoint between Kazakhstan and China, Nur.kz has reported, citing the State Revenue Committee (SRC) of Kazakhstan.

According to the SRC, the congestion occurred despite a prior agreement with China to allow at least 800 trucks to pass through the crossing daily, with plans to increase that figure to 1,000 by year-end. However, from November 8 to 12, the actual number of vehicles processed by the Chinese side averaged only 700 to 750 per day. This shortfall was cited as the primary reason for the backlog on the Kazakh side.

Compounding the issue, repair and installation work at the Kalzhat-Dulaty crossing significantly reduced its capacity for about a week. As a result, part of the freight traffic was diverted to Nur Zholy, placing additional pressure on its infrastructure.

To alleviate the congestion, authorities have implemented a temporary adjustment to the electronic queue system. Starting November 13, daily vehicle entries will be capped at 650 to ensure a more balanced distribution of traffic and to support operational stability. The SRC stated that the situation is under constant monitoring and that negotiations with Chinese officials have resulted in mutual agreement on measures to improve border throughput.

In May, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issued a formal reprimand to then Transport Minister Marat Karabayev for persistent problems at border crossings and delays in key transit infrastructure projects. Karabayev was dismissed from his post the following month.

12 Nov 2025

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Home, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Former Soviet Nuclear Test Site in Semipalatinsk to House Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Waste

November 12, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan plans to establish disposal sites for radioactive waste from its nuclear power plants at the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in the eastern part of the country, Deputy Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency Gumar Sergazin announced during a briefing in Astana.

Sergazin stated that the operation of two 1,200 MW reactors, similar to those under construction at the country’s first nuclear power plant in the Almaty region, will produce approximately 50 cubic meters of radioactive waste annually.

Burial in the Semipalatinsk Zone

A new bill on radioactive waste management, presented to parliament this week, outlines plans to develop burial sites within the Semipalatinsk nuclear safety zone.

“This is already a contaminated area: the total area of the site is 18,000 square kilometers, of which about 8,300 are zones of elevated radiation,” Sergazin said.

The National Nuclear Center is scheduled to begin site preparation in 2026. The depth of burial will depend on groundwater levels, with international norms typically placing high-level waste at depths of up to 400 meters.

“Sanitary requirements will determine technical standards, including the type of cement and sealing techniques to prevent radiation leakage. Liquid radioactive waste will not be buried,” he clarified.

Sergazin emphasized that the Semipalatinsk site will serve as a centralized repository for waste from all future nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan. He also noted that radioactive waste is already present in the country, even in the absence of operational nuclear power stations.

Scale and Sources of Radioactive Waste

Kazakhstan has accumulated approximately 293 million cubic meters of radioactive waste to date, of which 290 million cubic meters are low-level waste, Sergazin said.

“The majority, about 237 million cubic meters, is located at the Semipalatinsk test site,” he noted.

The remaining waste, consisting of medium and high-level material, originates from industrial and scientific operations. Key contributors include the National Nuclear Center, the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in East Kazakhstan region, and facilities in Western Kazakhstan such as Koshkar-Ata and the Chemical and Hydrometallurgical Plant.

The agency estimates that safe disposal of liquid radioactive waste alone will require around $40 million.

Funding and International Participation

Given the scale and cost of the project, Kazakhstan intends to secure international grant funding. Sergazin confirmed that negotiations have begun with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. A draft agreement and roadmap have already been prepared as part of the Central Asia Environmental Safety Program.

“Participating countries are expected to provide grant-based funding. Adoption of the new legislation will establish the legal foundation necessary to attract external resources, avoiding the need for increased domestic budget spending,” he said.

Previously, The Times of Central Asia reported that Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant is slated for construction by the Russian state corporation Rosatom by 2035, while the second and third plants are expected to be built with the involvement of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

12 Nov 2025

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

Kazakhstan Attracts Over $150 Million in Geological Exploration Investment in 2025

December 11, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Investments in geological exploration in Kazakhstan surpassed $150 million during the first nine months of 2025, Deputy Minister of Energy Kayirkhan Tutkyshbaev announced at a recent government meeting. The exploration efforts led to the registration of five new deposits, boosting the country’s proven reserves of gold, copper, manganese, and phosphorites.

Tutkyshbaev noted that geological exploration projects attracted approximately $285 million in 2023 and $304 million in 2024. “By the end of this year, the volume of investment is expected to be no less than in previous years,” he stated.

According to the Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan currently has 324 active hydrocarbon subsoil use contracts: 15 for exploration, 170 for combined exploration and production, 131 for production, and 8 production sharing agreements (PSAs).

Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharhan reported that five deposits, Kok-Zhon, Altyn-Shoko, Samombet, Student, and Takyr-Kaljir, have been newly registered. These discoveries have added an estimated 98 tons of gold, 36,000 tons of copper, 11 million tons of manganese, and 1.3 million tons of phosphorites to the country’s reserves.

“To date, 2.1 million square kilometers have been explored, and by the end of the year, this figure will reach 2.3 million,” Sharhan said. He added that the next phase involves more detailed studies to identify promising areas earlier in the exploration process.

From 2026 to 2028, the government plans to explore an additional 100,000 square kilometers, followed by 30,000 square kilometers annually. Next year, 44.4 billion tenge (approximately $84 million) is allocated for comprehensive geological and geophysical research, seismic exploration, and the development of industry infrastructure.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has directed the construction of a modern geo-laboratory in Astana, scheduled to begin in 2026, to support mineral-geochemical and analytical research. He also ordered the establishment of a National Digital Geological Information Fund, which will consolidate more than 5 million pieces of primary geological data collected over the past 80 years.

Currently, 83% of this archive, around 3.8 million records, has been digitized. The digitization rate is expected to reach 97.5% by the end of 2025, with full digital transition projected by the end of 2026.

Separately, The Times of Central Asia recently reported that new geological surveys at Kuirektykol, the country’s largest, rare earth metal deposit located in the Karaganda region, have revealed significantly higher reserves than previously estimated.