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13 Dec 2024

Home, Justice, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Features, Uzbekistan Justice

More Than Half of Uzbeks View Nepotism as a Corruption Problem

December 13, 2024
By Sadokat Jalolova

According to the United Nations, corruption costs developing countries approximately $1.26 trillion annually. Since 2016, Uzbekistan has undertaken significant reforms to combat corruption, including the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Agency, the simplification of public services, and the full digitalization of public procurement systems.

A recent study conducted by Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea sheds light on public attitudes toward corruption. The study used surveys, focus groups, and expert interviews, covering all 14 regions of Uzbekistan and gathering responses from 503 participants.

Key Findings

The study revealed that public understanding of corruption in Uzbekistan often focuses on bribery and nepotism. Over half of respondents identified abuse of office and nepotism as corrupt practices. However, less than 40% considered valuable gifts a form of corruption, with many viewings them as gestures of gratitude rather than bribes.

While bribery is widely condemned – 88.4% of respondents disapproved of it – attitudes toward small gifts for good service were more lenient.

Sectors Most Affected

The study highlighted the sectors most susceptible to corruption:

Healthcare and Education: Particularly in higher education.
Local Governance: Frequent opportunities for misuse of authority.
Traffic Safety Services, Internal Affairs, Roads, and Construction: Identified as high-risk areas, with rural residents particularly concerned about corruption in road construction.

Reporting Corruption

Despite witnessing corrupt practices, few respondents report such behavior to authorities. Among respondents:

Men: 79.2% were slightly more willing to report corruption than women (70.4%).
Women: Showed greater interest in using mobile applications or online portals for reporting (85.2% versus 79.2% of men).
Persons with Disabilities: Reported corruption less frequently, but expressed a high willingness to use online tools if made accessible.

Trust in Anti-Corruption Institutions

Trust in anti-corruption institutions varied significantly:

Urban Residents: Trusted the media (20.3%) and bloggers (17.3%) more than rural residents.
Rural Residents: Had higher trust in the Anti-Corruption Agency (21.4%).
Persons with Disabilities: Showed trust in the Anti-Corruption Agency, media, and bloggers.
General Public: Less than 5% said they trust no one to address corruption.

Moving Forward

The findings suggest that while public awareness of corruption is growing, attitudes toward certain practices, such as gift-giving, remain complex. Efforts to increase transparency, provide accessible reporting tools, and build trust in anti-corruption institutions are critical to further reducing corruption in Uzbekistan.

13 Dec 2024

Central Asia, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Hydropower Development in Kyrgyzstan Gets Boost from EDB

December 13, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, and the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan have signed a trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation for the Suusamyr-Kokomeren Hydropower Plant (HPP) Cascade Project.

The memorandum outlines the EDB’s commitment to providing financial support for the preparation of project documentation, including a pre-feasibility study. The agreement focuses on developing the financial and economic model for the project, estimating capital costs, evaluating social and environmental impacts, and determining technical solutions and government support measures needed for its success.

The Suusamyr-Kokomeren HPP Cascade will be located on the Kokomeren River and is expected to play a pivotal role in Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector. The cascade will consist of three hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 1,305 MW, meeting the country’s increasing electricity demands.

Sanjar Bolotov, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce, emphasized the significance of the project, commenting: “This major project will not only meet the country’s domestic electricity needs but also position Kyrgyzstan as a leading exporter of clean energy in the region.”

The EDB is a multilateral development bank that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan as member states. It is dedicated to investing in regional development initiatives across Eurasia.

The Suusamyr-Kokomeren HPP Cascade is part of the EDB’s flagship investment initiative, the Central Asian Water and Energy Complex. This mega-project aims to strengthen water and energy cooperation among Central Asian countries while addressing local socio-economic challenges.

13 Dec 2024

Home, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan International Affairs, International Affairs, Uzbekistan Features, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Uzbekistan International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan Features

West Monitors Syria for Plans of Jihadis, Some From Central Asia

January 21, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Some counterterrorism experts in the West are assessing whether the ouster of Bashar Assad´s regime in Syria will lead to a recalibration of the Islamic militant groups that opposed him, some of which include especially hardline recruits from Central Asia.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian group that led an offensive into Aleppo and Damascus and forced Assad to flee in a span of two weeks, is trying to turn to governance with a relatively moderate image even though it was associated with Al-Qaeda earlier in the Syrian civil war and is labeled a terrorist organization on some Western lists. It’s too early to say whether HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani will stick to a message of tolerance or can make it work in a fractured country with gutted institutions, but there are signs that some jihadis object to his message of inclusiveness.

“Many of them are Central Asians and they may look to go somewhere else. I think we’re inevitably going to see a certain amount of splintering from what happens in Syria,” said Colin Clarke, a terrorism researcher and author of After the Caliphate.

At an Atlantic Council event in Washington on Wednesday, Clarke said there is an “interplay” between religious extremism in Afghanistan and Syria, and that a number of groups with Central Asian members have those connections. Clarke said he will be watching to see whether the connections grow following Assad’s abrupt exit after more than two decades in power.

Some estimates put the number of Islamic militants who have traveled from Central Asia to Syria and Iraq over the years at around several thousand, though the figures vary and are difficult to confirm. Many joined the Islamic State group, which was defeated in Iraq and is much diminished in Syria although the U.S. recently carried out air strikes to prevent any resurgence by the group amid Syria’s current upheaval.

One jihadist group with Central Asia links that collaborated with HTS in the successful campaign against Assad is Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, designated a terror group by the U.S. State Department in 2022. The group carried out a Saint Petersburg, Russia metro attack in 2017 that killed 14 passengers and injured 50 others, as well as a suicide car bombing of the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2016 that injured three people, according to the U.S.

Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad is comprised mainly of Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz combatants, according to Daniele Garofalo Monitoring, which traces jihadist propaganda and military activity. There are an estimated 400-500 fighters in the group.

Another HTS ally is Katibat Mujaheddin Ghuroba Division, which has between 200 and 400 fighters, according to the Garofalo site. Many are Uzbeks, Tajiks and Uyghurs, though the group also has Arab militants.

There is also Jaysh al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, which dates to the early stages of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. The jihadist group is believed to have 400-500 fighters, mostly Chechens, Tajiks, Dagestanis, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs and Ukrainians, as well as Libyans, Saudis and Turks.

These groups and others “have strong ties to HTS and the territory; many of their fighters are married to Syrian women and have children born in Syria,” according to the Garofalo report.

At the Atlantic Council event, Morgan Tadych, a terrorism researcher and U.S. military veteran, said socioeconomic issues in Tajikistan, including endemic poverty, a lack of education and restrictions on religious practice, make the country “uniquely vulnerable” to recruiting efforts by the Islamic State branch that is active in neighboring Afghanistan. She said extremists have had success in portraying terrorism as ´´a legitimate outlet to solve all these social ills that someone might be facing.”

Tadych, however, noted the benefits of a years-long security partnership between the Virginia National Guard and Tajikistan, and said the United States “already has a decent base to build off of as a way that we can maybe pursue further engagement to help stem the issues at the source,” thereby reducing the need to track online extremism and battle terror groups once they emerge.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack involving Tajik suspects that killed about 145 people on March 22 at the Crocus City entertainment venue on the outskirts of Moscow. In June, U.S. media reported the arrests of eight people from Tajikistan with possible ties to the terror group who had crossed the border with Mexico and made their way to several U.S. cities.

John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and Uzbekistan, said Islam in Central Asia is historically tolerant and diverse and that religious extremism hasn’t won broad popular support in the region, partly because it only exists there “as an import.”

Still, Herbst said, the government in Tajikistan, and in Kyrgyzstan to a lesser extent, has limited effectiveness and “limited control of its territory,” and so “it’s not a surprise that we keep hearing” about Tajik militancy. Even so, he said, the United States has done some significant counterterrorism work with Tajikistan in the past couple of years, whilst Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also remain interested in collaboration with Washington.

“Now, they all worry about their big neighbors, principally Russia and China, who don’t look kindly at us,” the former ambassador said. “But on terrorism, they’ve been willing to talk to us and work with us, literally for decades.”

13 Dec 2024

Central Asia, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

At Start of Winter Freeze, Kyrgyzstan’s Electricity Demand Hits Record High

December 13, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy reported a record-breaking electricity consumption of 3,612 MW on December 12, with daily usage reaching 78.931 million kWh, the highest in the country’s history.

The rise in electricity usage is attributed to low temperatures across the country, as residents rely heavily on electric heating. This figure surpasses the previous record set on December 14, 2022, when electricity consumption reached 3,401 MW or 73.370 million kWh.

According to the Ministry, the surge in consumption has overloaded grid equipment in certain areas. To prevent failures, power distribution companies are switching users to alternative feeders, causing temporary outages of one to two hours.

Without such measures, critical equipment could fail. For example, a 220 kV transformer with a capacity of 250 MW costs $1.5 million and requires 150 days for manufacturing and delivery, followed by one to one and a half months for installation.

To alleviate this strain, the Ministry has called on citizens to conserve electricity wherever possible.

The Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), Kyrgyzstan’s largest, is currently operating at its maximum generating capacity of 1,260 MW, with a daily output of 27.528 million kWh. Located on the Naryn River, the plant supplies approximately 40 percent of the country’s electricity.

The Toktogul reservoir began the winter season with a water volume of 13.257 billion cubic meters, 1.5 billion more than the previous year. However, due to the recent surge in electricity usage, more than 1 billion cubic meters of this surplus have already been consumed.

As of December 12, the reservoir held 12.234 billion cubic meters of water. The Ministry of Energy warns that if current consumption levels persist, the reservoir could drop to 6.2 billion cubic meters by April 1, 2025 — close to the critical or “dead” level of 5.5 billion cubic meters, at which point the plant would no longer be able to generate electricity.

The Ministry continues to urge the public to use electricity sparingly to avoid this outcome.

13 Dec 2024

Home, Silk Road Treasures, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

UAE Embracing the Silk Road Narrative: Central Asia at Art Abu Dhabi 2024

January 14, 2025
By Naima Morelli

More than at any other time in recent history, the entire art world is this year tackling geopolitical identity issues. And while we usually delegate Biennales and non-commercial art events to take the pulse of our contemporary reality, this time an art fair took up this task: Art Abu Dhabi.

This year the fair was bigger than ever and had a hugely relevant Central Asian and Caucasus section, curated by Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec, which was aptly called “Drifting identities.”

Founder of the Warsaw Institute for Modern and Contemporary Asian Art (WIMCAA) Foundation – based on the spreading of Asian and global art – Djaltchinova-Malec was invited by the fair’s artistic director, Dyala Nusseibeh, to curate a section that presented different aspects of the rich cultural tapestry of the region without shying away from the political concerns and instability which often characterize this part of the world.

From left to right, Abdelmonem Alserkal – prominent art patron based in Dubai, founder of the Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Foundation, Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec, Almagul Menlibayeva, and Danagul Tolepbay image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec

Djaltchinova-Malec has been working on this concept of the Silk Road in different shows – namely Silk Road 2.0 – Artists re-loaded conference in Warsaw, Silk Road 2.0 – New Opportunities panel for art for 021 Art fair in Shanghai – adapting it to the changing geopolitical landscape of the region.

“Our foundation was established in 2016, and already, eight years ago, we started to explore the topic of the Silk Road,” Djaltchinova-Malec told TCA. “We wanted to understand the desire of China and countries who joined Chinese projects for the New Silk Road, and we invited artists and art professionals from Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Germany, Tibet, France, and Ukraine for the foundation’s first conference.”

The Belt and Road Initiative, sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations.

Tapestry by Almagul Menlibayeva; image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec

It’s the first time that the curator is presenting these artistic geographies in the context of the Gulf. On one hand, this is opening up Central Asian narratives to an Arab public that might be curious to learn more about art in this region. On the other hand, it is helping to open markets and create access to a different pool of new collectors. Thanks to an individual outreach which started well before the fair, the experiment proved successful.

“Fortunately, many collectors from the Gulf already know artists from Central Asia, as there are a few art galleries in the UAE which represent them, as well as institutions like the Sharjah Foundation,” Djaltchinova-Malec stated. In addition, many collectors and artists from Russia who are knowledgeable about Central Asian narratives and sensitive to colonization issues, are now based in the UAE.

“We tried to involve as many collectors from other circles as possible. We reached out to them with artist presentations, and we received good feedback even before the fair opened,” said Djaltchinova-Malec. “We wanted an exhibition in the booth which would not only be for the commercial space, but would represent a way to highlight these underrepresented voices.”

The curator fittingly highlighted that the very concept of the Silk Road was based on markets and the exchange of goods. “Unpredictable things can happen in a bazaar,” she said, “and in this sense an art fair is a modern-day equivalent of the medieval bazaar, a place to establish a spontaneous and multicultural dialog.”

Alejandra Castro Rioseco- Dubai based art collector & The Why Not Gallery, CH64 Gallery: image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec

Art Abu Dhabi 2024 offered a diverse array of artistic expressions. Divided into various segments, including emerging galleries, the Something New Something Bold section was curated by Myrna Ayad, whilst a new Collector’s Salon dedicated to bridging the past and present through antique art, geographies, and dialogue between civilizations was curated by Roxane Zand.

“We had a real good neighborhood in terms of focuses in the fair” Djaltchinova-Malec said, “so we could look on artist’s biographies, artist narrations from the New Silk Road, how we understood it in the past and how it is nowadays. The Silk Road, the history of it, is a very dynamic entity. It was impossible to plan the trajectory of travelers in medieval times, but it also is nowadays. There are always surprises, even when we schedule everything very carefully.”

While Georgia is not part of Central Asia, it was among the countries represented. For Djaltchinova-Malec, the inclusion of Georgian artists was a natural fit, as the Caucasus region has been intricately woven into the cultural tapestry of the Silk Road.

“Georgia was a country on the medieval Silk Road, and the Caucasus was very naturally involved in this cultural trade, in the dialogue of technology and the exchange of ideas,” she said.

The decision to invite Georgian artists was also driven by a desire to represent the narratives of identity and decolonization.

“The Silk Road: Drifting Identities” featured the Astana-based Pygmalion Gallery, founded by Danagul Tolepbay, which curated the Kazakh National Pavilion on Decolonial Futurism in the Venice Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, the Berlin gallery Galerie Michael Janssen with Kazakh artist Gulnur Mukazhanova, and two galleries from Tbilisi, Georgia: The Why Not Gallery and CH64 Gallery.

Artwork by Yerbolat Tolepbay; image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec

“Pygmalion Gallery from Kazakhstan brought three generations of artists, the Georgian galleries brought six artists with different backgrounds and angles, and Michael Jansen brought a solo show. Artist Yerbolat Tolepbay in the Pygmalion booth spoke about his memories of the Soviet Union, Perestroika and the painful transformation of society. At the same time, he stood at the forefront of creating a national school of contemporary art.”

The curator also strongly resonated with the works of Almagul Menlibayeva, Gvantsa Jishkariani, and Gulnur Mukazhanova. These female artists turned the traditional medium of textiles and felt making techniques into a language of rebellion that speaks powerfully about their paths in search of identity.

Gvantsa Jishkariani- Georgian artist, textile and felt works, The Why Not Gallery; image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec

“In light of the recent events in Georgia, the art of Mikheil (Mishiko) Sulakauri – a graffiti artist represented by Tbilisi’s CH64 Gallery – seems to represent the position of young artists from the New Silk Road. These artists are coming from the streets and are able to shout out the pain and desperation of society in response to the hypocrisy and political entanglements of the elites.”

The response from collectors, both from the region and beyond, was overwhelmingly positive. The fair also attracted a diverse audience, including school groups, university students, and art enthusiasts. “Some kids are well-prepared as they often visit the many museums in Abu Dhabi,” stated the curator. “They asked many questions, wanting to learn about Central Asia, about mythology, literature, nature, the flora and fauna, hunting with eagles, pigments and textile traditions.”

Despite tackling delicate themes, such as the ethnic cleansing committed against the Kalmyk people during the establishment of communist power by the Soviet Union and independence fighters from the nations of the former Russian Empire, there was no form of censorship in place. On the contrary, in an art fair taking place in a turbulent time of war, art seems to not only be a tool of soft power, but an instrument to bring clarity and nuance to the Far and near East as a whole.

As Djaltchinova-Malec explained: “The main thing I was interested in is a biography of the artist, their lineage in the history of their region or country, city or community.”

This approach allowed for a multifaceted representation of the artistic landscape of Central Asia.

12 Dec 2024

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

Kazakhstan Boosts Subsidies for Farmers Using Water-Saving Technologies

December 12, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has announced an increase in state subsidies for farmers employing water-saving technologies, raising support to 85% for irrigation water costs. This move aims to encourage the widespread adoption of modern water-saving methods, which are expected to reduce water consumption and expand agricultural land.

Berikbol Mandibayev, Director of the Ministry’s Department for the Development of Water-Saving Technologies, highlighted the initiative’s potential impact. “The increased subsidies will motivate farmers to adopt modern water-saving technologies, saving 20–30% of irrigation water and enabling the expansion of the country’s agricultural land by 1.3 million hectares by 2030,” Mandibayev said.

Subsidies for the purchase and installation of water-saving systems were also raised this year, increasing from 50% to 80%.

The Ministry has outlined a Roadmap for Water Conservation for 2024-2026, which includes measures to improve water legislation, digitalize the water sector, and implement advanced water metering and conservation technologies. Additionally, master plans for introducing water-saving systems through 2030 have been approved.

Kazakhstan’s agricultural land spans 23.3 million hectares, of which 1.9 million hectares are irrigated, primarily in the country’s arid southern regions. However, the adoption of water-saving technologies remains limited. In 2023, only 17% of irrigated land (312,000 hectares) utilized such technologies, with drip irrigation employed on just 84,000 hectares.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has criticized the slow pace of progress in adopting water-saving practices, citing annual water losses of up to 40% in some regions. The agricultural sector’s inefficiency prompted calls for urgent reforms earlier this year.