Page 793 – The Times Of Central Asia

05 Jul 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Justice, International Affairs, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy, Uzbekistan Justice

Case Opened Against Subsidiary of Russia’s Lukoil in Uzbekistan

July 5, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection of Uzbekistan has initiated a case against Lukoil Overseas Supply and Trading Ltd, a subsidiary of Russia’s Lukoil, the Committee’s press service has reported.

The Committee’s staff state that they identified signs of the manipulation of the price of technical sulfur by Lukoil in their selling of products through exchange trading. As a result, the price of technical sulfur rose between 10 to 50%, meaning the company violated the law “on competition.” Additional information will be made available once the Committee reaches a decision on how it will proceed.

Lukoil Overseas Supply and Trading Ltd was established in April 2010 as part of a marketing campaign for the sale of joint products during the implementation of production sharing agreements in respect to several gas fields. It entered the exchange-trade market for technical sulfur in Uzbekistan in 2015. Today, the company and Uzbekneftegaz dominate the technical sulfur market.

05 Jul 2024

Central Asia, Tajikistan Life & Culture, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, International Affairs, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Poised to Host the 2035 Asian Cup

July 5, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Three Central Asian countries—Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—are poised to submit a joint application to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to host the Asian Cup 2035 ; the main competition of Asian national football teams.

On his “Futbolium” Telegram channel, sports expert Alisher Nikimbayev informed subscribers ,“I have no right to speak officially. But as far as I understand, this is how everything is planned for 2035. And there is already unofficial support from the AFC for this proposal.”

Nikimbayev mentioned that in addition to the refurbishment of current facilities, new stadiums are being built in Bishkek and Dushanbe. The stadium in Khujand is also being put in order. He finished by noting that Uzbekistan already has stadiums that meet FIFA requirements.

05 Jul 2024

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan Justice, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Kyrgyzstan Parliamentarian in Brawl with Security Guard

July 5, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

In Bishkek, Chyngyz Azhibayev, a deputy of the Kyrgyz Republic’s Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament), almost ran over an employee of the Asia Mall shopping and entertainment center, after which he got into a fight with him, 24.kg has reported. The incident occurred on June 21, but has only just been acknowledged.

According to a source in law enforcement agencies, at about 3PM, whilst driving his car out of the shopping mall’s parking lot, Azhibayev narrowly avoided hitting a security guard. The deputy then reacted aggressively to the security guard’s remarks, exited his vehicle, and proceeded to start a fight with him. The pair were separated by bystanders, but the deputy then called the police and filed a complaint against the guard.

The press service of the Leninsky district police department said that the call came in at 15:50. Law enforcement officers who arrived on the scene took Azhibayev’s statement, which he later withdrew, meaning the case was terminated.

05 Jul 2024

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Business & Economy, Kazakhstan Home

China Seeks to Import 20,000 Tons of Pork from Kazakhstan

July 5, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

Representatives of the Chinese Meat Association visited EMC Agro, one of the largest meat processing enterprises in Kazakhstan, with an interest in importing 20 thousand tons of pork per year.

The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture reported that during their tour of the facility in North Kazakhstan, the Chinese delegation witnessed the processing cycle from slaughter to packaging.

Fully automated, the process complies with international sanitary and epidemiological standards, with quality control monitored around the clock by a laboratory equipped with German analysers. The produce is then frozen.

Regarding the company’s readiness to supply China with 60% of its produce, EMC Agro head Erzhan Yeleubaev stated, “China has great demands. Supply volumes must be stable and raw materials must be safe. Our meat is of high quality, we have no doubt in our products, and we are ready for fruitful cooperation. The Chinese market is important for us.”

The EMC Agro meat processing plant has a production capacity of 20,000 tons of meat per year and 30 tons of finished meat products per day.

In February 2024, China finally cancelled the ban in place since 2022, on the import of meat imposed by concerns over foot-and-mouth disease in Kazakhstan.

05 Jul 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Drop in Uzbekistan’s Gold Sales

July 5, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

In April, Uzbekistan’s sales of gold dropped significantly, according to data published by the World Gold Council (WGC).

In the same month, the total gold reserves held by the world’s central banks increased by 33 tons and volumes of purchases and sales amounted 36 tons and 3 tons respectively. The most active buyers of precious metals during the reporting period were the Central Banks of Turkey (8 tons), Kazakhstan (6 tons), and India (6 tons). Meanwhile, the Central Bank of China greatly reduced its gold purchases , while increasing its reserves by 2 tons to 2,264 tons; the lowest figure since November 2022.

A significant decrease in precious metal sales occurred at the expense of Uzbekistan and Jordan, whose reserves decreased by only 1 ton.

In May, the world central banks’ reserves increased by 10 tons, the volume of purchases was 23 tons, and that of sales, totalled 12 tons. During that month, Kazakhstan took the lead in sales of 10 tons of gold.

A previous report, posted by the TCA, provided data for Uzbekistan’s gold exports in February and March.

05 Jul 2024

Central Asia, Education, Turkmenistan Life & Culture, Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan

UNDP Launches Course on Gender Issues in Turkmenistan

July 5, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Turkmenportal has reported that the United Nations Development Programme is launching a specialized online course on gender issues for Turkmenistan’s civil servants. The course will cover topics such as basic gender definitions, international standards, gender in public policy, gender analysis tools, local gender stereotypes, strategies for achieving gender equality, national frameworks, the prevention of gender-based violence, and engaging men in efforts to promote gender equality. Training will be offered in English, Russian, and Turkmen, and will include texts, quizzes, presentations, and other content to aimed at providing the necessary knowledge and skills to promote gender equality in the workplace.

The course is expected to provide civil servants with a comprehensive understanding of gender equality concepts and international standards, enhance their ability to integrate gender aspects into public policy, and enable them to actively promote gender-responsible governance.

As Tomica Paovic, the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, noted, mainstreaming gender issues and awareness into civil servants’ work is crucial to promoting equality, enhancing policy effectiveness, and ensuring sustainable development. “We are confident that this important initiative, supported by the UNDP’s partner, the Government of Canada, will strengthen the country’s capacity for gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the National Action Plans on Human Rights and Gender Equality in Turkmenistan,” Paovic stated.