Page 599 – The Times Of Central Asia

15 Aug 2024

Central Asia, International Affairs, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

USAID Modernizes Kazakhstan’s Customs System

August 15, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has upgraded Kazakhstan’s customs infrastructure by providing advanced computer servers to Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee (SRC).

SRC Chairman Zhandos Duisembiyev accepted the state-of-the-art servers at a ceremony on August 14, which was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Daniel Rosenblum.

The new servers will replace outdated equipment that has hampered performance.

Ambassador Rosenblum commented that adopting innovative technologies will streamline processes, enhance accuracy, improve transparency, and foster a business-friendly environment, attracting more investors and boosting economic growth.

USAID is supplying advanced servers made by Dell Inc. to support the SRC’s new customs Keden IT system, which replaces the outdated Astana-1 system. By leveraging automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, the new Keden system will reduce clearance times and enhance data security.

Rosenblum also emphasized the shared vision between the United States and Kazakhstan for a transparent and secure trade environment as Kazakhstan secures its position as a leading regional trade hub.

15 Aug 2024

Central Asia, International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Why Kyrgyzstan and China Are Reporting Different Figures on Bilateral Trade

August 15, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

At a press conference in Bishkek, Azamat Jumabekov, a representative of Kyrgyzstan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, explained the significant difference in Kyrgyzstan-China trade statistics reported by Kyrgyz and Chinese authorities.

According to Jumabekov, this happens because significant parts of goods that arrive in Kyrgyzstan from China are intended for further transit to other countries. Still, the owners register their goods as exports to Kyrgyzstan; hence, the Chinese statistics are incorrect.

For instance, according to the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, the volume of Chinese goods imported to Kyrgyzstan in 2023 was $5.4 billion; the Chinese Customs Administration reported the figure as $19.7 billion.

Kyrgyz statistics show that in the first half of this year, Kyrgyzstan imported $3.1 billion worth of Chinese goods, a 42.5% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the Chinese Customs Administration, in the first half of 2024, China exported goods worth $9.4 billion to Kyrgyzstan and imported $95.5 million.

According to Chinese statistics, China’s trade turnover with Central Asian countries increased by 11.3% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, reaching $44.32 billion.

Trade with Kazakhstan increased by 19.4%, amounting to $21.7 billion.

Trade with Uzbekistan increased by 2.5%, amounting to $6.25 billion.

Trade with Tajikistan decreased by 14.2%, amounting to $1.81 billion.

Trade with Turkmenistan decreased by 4.9%, amounting to $5.28 billion.

During the first half of 2024, China’s exports to Central Asian countries increased by 14.6% to $30.21 billion. Exports from Central Asia to China increased by 4.8% to $14.11 billion.

Turkmenistan was the only exception, showing a positive balance in trade with China. Exports to China amounted to $4.82 billion (mainly Turkmen natural gas), while imports from China amounted to $460.2 million.

15 Aug 2024

Home, Life & Culture, International Affairs, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Unveiling the Magic: Behind the Scenes of “Baikonur”

March 24, 2025
By Stephen M. Bland

Space continues to capture our imagination and inspire our stories, as we try to make sense of this vast final frontier. In the last part of our series on Baikonur, we explore its depiction within cinema. In 2011, German filmmaker, Veit Helmer released Baikonur, a story about space, scavenging and misguided love that was shot within the region. TCA spoke to him about filming in this heavily restricted landscape.

TCA: What was the inspiration behind your film, Baikonur? What drew you to this subject matter?

Helmer: I was fascinated by the actual place, or what I knew about it; a hidden city with such a glorious past. Whilst researching, I found out about the scavengers who collect the pieces which fall on the steppe when the rockets are heading to space. To tell both stories at the same time intrigued me: space exploration and hunting for scrap metal.

TCA: Given you also directed Absurdistan and Tuvalu, would it be fair to say you’re drawn to far-flung places?

Helmer: Yes, I love to explore and find locations which haven’t been filmed before. But compared to the locations of my previous films – Tuvalu, which was shot in Bulgaria, and Absurdistan, which was shot in Azerbaijan – to travel to Baikonur was a much longer journey.

Still from the film, “Baikonur,” Alexander Asochakov as “Gagarin” leaving, villagers standing near yurt; image: Veit Helmer

TCA: As stated in the tagline of your film, “Whatever falls from heaven, you may keep. So goes the unwritten law of the Kazakh seppe. A law avidly adhered to by the inhabitants of a small village, who collect the space debris that falls downrange from the nearby Baikonur space station.” The village scavengers portrayed in your film are based in reality; how did you find out about them, and what was your experience with them?

Helmer: It was very funny reading the first review from Kazakhstan, where a young journalist wrote that the film is based on the old Kazakh law “Whatever falls from heaven, you may keep,” which in reality was an invention by my screenwriter, Sergey Ashkenazy. But as this fable seems to feel so real, I never tried to dispel that myth. When writing the screenplay, Sergey and me went to Zheskaskan and the surrounding steppe, talking to the hunters of the scrap metal. It was not an ideal moment, because Roscosmos started to collect the debris themselves and the local villagers’ activity became illegal. The new reality was not villages against each other, but villagers against Roscosmos.

Still from the film, “Baikonur,” Alexander Asochakov as “Gagarin” (center) cleaning assembly hall in Baikonur ; image: Veit Helmer

TCA: As a Western filmmaker you were granted a unique opportunity to film within Baikonur – what did you observe of the landscape? What were the highlights of this experience?

Helmer: There was a saying among the early cosmonauts that the Central Asian steppe was for them like a huge ass and in the middle was the hole, Baikonur. Today, the superiors from Moscow still come two days before the launch and leave the day after. The launch is what makes that ground holy. Suddenly, the Earth becomes sacred and humans watch the miracle of two or three people heading to the ISS. There is no depiction or description which can evoke what it feels like seeing a rocket taking off and heading into orbit.

Still from the film, “Baikonur,” Marie de Villepin (as “Julie”) waving good bye in front of rocket; image: Veit Helmer

TCA: Did you have any difficulties filming in the area?

Helmer: We had huge difficulties obtaining the shooting permits, which were all solved by my producer, Anna Kachko, Gulnara Sarsenova and Andrej Bulatov. The shoot was full of surprises. One day we weren’t allowed to be inside the commando bunker, the following day we weren’t allowed to be outside. I had a very flexible crew, and we kept flipping the shooting schedule.

TCA: The scavengers salvaging space scrap in your film depicts the contrast of an ancient nomadic society interacting with the very futuristic space age; how did they interact with each other? Was it a seamless existence, or were there pitfalls in this arrangement?

Helmer: We weren’t able to have real scavengers in front of the camera. Also, they weren’t collecting the debris anymore as Chinese traders offered them buckets of money for the precious metals. We built a village near Kapchagay on a slope. There was the infrastructure we needed to accommodate the international crew and cast.

Still from the film, “Baikonur,” Sitora Farmonova as “Nazira” riding in front of a monument in Baikonur; image: Veit Helmer

TCA: Many times, a location can be seen as a character within the film evoking mood, like LA and film noir, for example. Would you say the actual landscape of Baikonur was a character in your film? If so, who was this character? What did they feel or bring to your film?

Helmer: I would say the village we constructed – with real rocket pieces – evoked the clash of the rural peasant lives with the high-tech space era.

This is part three of a three-part special on Baikonur. To read part one, click here, and to read part two, click here.

Find out more about Veit Helmer’s “Baikonur” here.

15 Aug 2024

Central Asia, International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan and Turkey to Increase Agricultural Trade

August 15, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

During Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov’s visit to Turkey on August 12, agreements were signed for Turkish investments of $2 billion in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector and trade in agricultural products

Six projects have already been implemented in Kazakhstan with participation of Turkish investors. The imminent launch of a further ten projects totaling $553 million, include the construction of greenhouse complexes, plants for deep processing of wheat and beans, and vegetable storage facilities.

Armada Gıda, one of Turkey’s leading companies in producing and exporting agricultural products, is to increase the import of lentils from Kazakhstan, while Tiryaki Holding, is to import of 250 thousand tons of Kazakh wheat.

According to Minister Saparov, in 2023, the volume of Kazakh-Turkish trade in agricultural products increased by 13%.

Kazakhstan has long exported crop products to Turkey and following the abolishment of restrictions in June, Kazakh agricultural producers can now begin exporting livestock products.

Minister Saparov stated that Kazakhstan expects a good crop harvest this year and is ready to increase the export of high-quality agricultural products to Turkey.

14 Aug 2024

Opinion Head, Home, International Affairs, Opinions, Features, Kazakhstan Opinions, Kazakhstan Featurees

Balancing Regional Integration Amid Global Rivalries

August 14, 2024
By Nikola Mikovic

Central Asia has become a focal point for world and regional powers such as China, Russia, the European Union, the United States, and Turkey. Amid geopolitical uncertainty and a shifting global order, regional cooperation seems to be a top priority for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan in their foreign policy.

The problem, however, is that the absence of a unified regional identity among Central Asian nations poses a major obstacle to their ambitions to strengthen regional integrations. They have different views on their regional identity due to their unique cultures, histories, politics, and economies.

But in spite of that, on June 9, in the Kazakh capital of Astana, leaders of the five Central Asian countries gathered to discuss closer economic cooperation, stability and security in the region. They sought to expand ties in trade, industry, transport and logistics, energy, agriculture, as well as in the water management.

As a result of the summit, regional leaders signed several key agreements, including the Roadmap for development of regional cooperation for 2025-2027, as well as the Conceptual framework of development of regional cooperation Central Asia 2040. These documents indicate that the regional integration will be a long-term process that will last for decades. In the meantime, Central Asian states will almost certainly continue strengthening bilateral ties.

The Consultative Meetings of the leaders of Central Asian countries gave Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan another opportunity to deepen cooperation in various fields. The two nations, who signed an agreement on allied relations in 2022, announced their plans to adopt a strategic partnership program until 2034, and also to jointly launch several big economic and energy project.

Prior to the meeting in Astana, presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan held talks with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev. They were also scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, but he canceled his visit to Astana after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning of a potential earthquake in the Nankai Trough.

Unlike him, Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, visited Central Asia in early August. He traveled to Kazakhstan and neighboring Kyrgyzstan– a country that signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union on June 25.

Although both nations are members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Moscow’s preoccupation with the war in Ukraine has allowed other actors, including the European Union, to strengthen its presence in the strategically important region. While the EU’s goals in Central Asia are mainly related to energy, Japan’s plans to expand cooperation with the five regional countries serve as Tokyo’s strategic tool to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the region.

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, seeks to create a strategic energy bridge linking Central Asia and Europe via the South Caucasus. That is why Baku’s collaboration with Central Asian countries in the energy sector has become more crucial than ever. It is no surprise that Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan recently signed a project to unify energy systems, aiming to eventually begin exporting green energy to Europe. The EU, seeking to end its dependence on Russian energy, supports such plans, as well as some regional nations’ ambitions to further distance themselves from the Kremlin and develop closer ties with the West.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan will almost certainly jointly work to address challenges such as water, energy, and food security.They will also attempt to expand cooperation in trade, industry, transport and logistics, and agriculture. In the past decade,mutual trade between the Central Asian states reached nearly $11 billion, and the region’s economies are expected to see a 5.4% growth this year. Also, the combined GDP of all countries in the region is approximately $450 billion,

Thus, Central Asia undoubtedly has the potential to emerge as a pivotal transport, logistics, and transit hub. Its strategic location is central to major global transport networks, including China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the North-South Corridor. However, for Central Asia’s long-term development, the crucial thing is to preserve peace and stability in the region. Who will ensure its security – will likely hinge on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

One thing is certain: in the current complex geopolitical and economic realities, maintaining the high pace of development in regional cooperation will be a key focus for Central Asian countries.

14 Aug 2024

Home, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Features, Features, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

A Guy From the Bronx and His Contribution to Uzbekistan’s Boxing Gold

August 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Uzbekistan’s five gold medals in boxing at the Paris games owe something to Sidney Jackson, an accomplished boxer from a poor Jewish family in the Bronx, New York City, who is credited with introducing the sport to Central Asia in the early 1920s.

That’s the view of Uzbekistan’s ambassador to the United States, Furqat Sidiqov, and other people in Uzbekistan who know about the country’s evolution as an Olympic boxing power.

“This remarkable success is tied to Sidney Jackson, founder of Uzbekistan’s boxing school,” Sidiqov said on the X platform. He said Jackson’s legacy is still shaping champions today and urged people to watch a documentary about the American that was released in 2022 with the backing of the Uzbek government.

Jackson, a beloved figure in Uzbekistan who died in Tashkent in 1966, started boxing when he was a boy, won featherweight titles in the United States and joined a boxing tour in Europe just before World War I. He dropped out of the tour because of an injury, traveled to Russia and then diverted to Tashkent when fighting erupted in Europe. Short of money, he stayed there, found a job, joined an international brigade that fought in the civil conflict sweeping Central Asia and the Caucasus after the Russian Revolution, and opened a threadbare boxing club in Tashkent after the war ended.

Sketch of Sidney Jackson by Rifkat Azihanov

Over the years, he trained Russian and Central Asian boxers who had international success as representatives of the Soviet Union. Jackson laid foundations for athletes including Russian middleweight boxer Valeri Popenchenko, who won gold at the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964, and Rufat Riskiyev, an Uzbek middleweight boxer who won silver at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

Uzbekistan’s boxing federation was founded in 1928, and Jackson served as its chairman for more than 20 years. The history of boxing in Uzbekistan is “inextricably linked” with Jackson, according to Uzbek boxing officials.

“To call Sidney Jackson the grandfather of boxing in Uzbekistan is accurate, but still undersells his impact on the sport,” the asianboxing.info website said in 2020. “And whilst it may have been more than 50 years since he died, his impact is still felt there, and always will be for any Uzbek stepping between the ropes.”