Page 841 – The Times Of Central Asia

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Makes Strides in Digital Technologies

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

At the International PLUS-Forum ‘Digital Kyrgyzstan’ on 28th February, Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, announced that Kyrgyzstan is to create a Centre for Innovative Technologies.

The centre for the advancement of developments in the field, including Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing, will be a non-governmental institution, financed through government subsidies and sponsorship.

The prime minister emphasized the government’s commitment to introducing digital technologies and by expanding state provision, provide an open digital society in Kyrgyzstan.
This year, the country is set to adopt its first-ever Digital Code.

Online registration of motor vehicles, introduced back in September 2023, now allows the sale and purchase of cars through a mobile app.
“It is now possible to create, re-register and liquidate a legal entity without leaving your home,” stated Mr Japarov, adding that online purchase and sale of real estate will be launched on March 1st.

Touching upon the development of AI in Kyrgyzstan, he referenced the government’s purchase of a supercomputer which able to recognize and synthesize speech, is already being used to broadcast news in the Kyrgyz language on state radio channels.

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Home, International Affairs, Local Politics, Features

Update: Russian Defence Minister Speaks about Threats to Central Asia

October 25, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Speaking at a Defence Ministry meeting on February 27th, the Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu spoke of threats coming from Afghanistan extremists and Western NGO’s.

The Russian minister prioritized “ensuring military security in the Central Asian strategic area,” and warned that the situation in the region remains complex, with the greatest threat coming from the territory of Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Shoigu claimed that over the past year alone, the number of ISIS militants in Afghanistan had increased by 15%. He explained that their key objectives were to spread radical ideology and to conduct subversive activities on the southern borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); the Russian-led security alliance which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The Russian defense minister stated that Russia’s Central Military District would concentrate its efforts this year on resolving crisis situations in the countries of the region and participate in seven exercises in the territories of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. With drug production and trafficking from Afghanistan through the Central Asian republics expected to rise by 20%, this would be a primary crises of the CSTO to be address.

Last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced that his country has frozen its membership in the CSTO.

Shoigu also stated that over 100 large pro-Western non-governmental organizations with more than 16,000 representative offices and branches are currently operating in the Central Asia. “Against the backdrop of the special military operation [of Russia against Ukraine]”, he said that “these NGOs have significantly increased their anti-Russian activities in order to reduce the military-technical, economic and cultural cooperation of the Central Asian states with the Russian Federation.”

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Roman Vassilenko, responded with strong support for the civil sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kazakhstan. He emphasized, “Support for the civil sector and NGOs is a top priority for the president, the government, and the Ministry of Culture and Information, which is responsible for this area.” Vassilenko further highlighted that there are 18,000 NGOs in Kazakhstan operating in accordance with national legislation, constituting a crucial part of the country’s society.

In response to statements from Russia regarding proactive measures against NGOs in Central Asia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan stated that it is not aware of any such measures being taken by Russia.

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Kyrgyzstan Environment, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

World Bank to Help Increase Kyrgyzstan’s Resilience to Climate Change

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A $45 million financing package for the Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project, to be implemented until 2029, was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on February 27th.
Complemented by a $5 million grant from the Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes (PROGREEN) and a $2.4 million grant from the Korea–World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF), the project aims to increase sustainable landscape management in selected locations in Kyrgyzstan and promote regional collaboration among Central Asian countries on transboundary landscape restoration.

“We are pleased to assist the Kyrgyz Republic’s Cabinet of Ministers in increasing the resilience of landscapes and communities to climate-induced hazards, and by enhancing the government’s capacity to monitor glaciers, snow cover, and mudflows, implement measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change,” announced Naveed Hassan Naqvi, World Bank Country Manager for the Kyrgyz Republic. “This project is an important step towards building a more resilient future for the people of the Kyrgyz Republic and will also have a positive impact on neighbouring countries.”

The World Bank has affirmed that once in place, the project will directly benefit over 50,000 individuals in the most vulnerable, targeted rural areas of Jalal-Abad, Osh, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn, and communities located upstream of transboundary rivers.

According to a 2018-19 study by the Central Asian Institute of Applied Geosciences, Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers have decreased by 16% over the past 50 years. The Ministry of Natural Resources earlier warned that many of the country’s 6,500 glaciers — which cover over 8,000 square kilometres and contain an estimated 650 cubic kilometres of freshwater — could shrink by 50% by 2050 and even completely disappear by the end of the century.

28 Feb 2024

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

Kazakhstan Gets New Logistics Terminal in China

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A new transport and logistics terminal has been opened in the Chinese dry port of Xi’an. It is the latest link in China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, in which Kazakhstan has become a leading partner.

The terminal includes an innovation center created by Kazakhstan’s national rail company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), in partnership with Huawei.

The center is part of the One Belt, One Road initiative’s new ‘Smart Railway’ project. At its opening ceremony, Kazakhstan’s president Kassim-Jomart Tokayev commented: “This project will give a new impetus to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, as well as strengthen trade and economic cooperation in Eurasia”.

Xi’an, China’s largest dry port, connects the city of Shaanxi with Central Asia and Europe. The capacity of Kazakhstan’s terminal in Xi’an is more than 66,500 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) per year. This will allow Kazakhstan to become an even bigger transit hub in Eurasia.

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Online Portal Opens for Kyrgyz Citizens Wishing to Work in England

February 11, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration has created an internet portal for every Kyrgyz citizen wishing to go to England for agricultural work to take an online questionnaire.

Yesterday the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad conducted online registration of Kyrgyz citizens, reporting that over 26,000 people were registered on the portal migrant.kg on the first day. Almost 15,000 people passed the first stage of selection, where they answered questions concerning their physical and mental health.

All those who passed the first stage of selection will have to pass an in-person interview held with representatives of the English farms.

Last year’s quota for seasonal workers in England was 8,000. This will increase to 10,000 in 2024. According to the Ministry of Labor, applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 45 years, understand Russian — but not necessarily English — and be in good overall health. The employers in England guarantee Kyrgyz citizens a minimum of 32 hours of work per week and a wage of £10.50 ($13.30) per hour. Successful applicants will have to pay for their visa and flights to and from London themselves.

Seasonal agricultural work in England lasts from April to October-November. Workers go to pick strawberries and raspberries in fields and farms, as well as pick and plant vegetables and fruits. There is also a year-round season for tending to greenhouses, and for packaging the finished products.

Today, in addition to work in Russia — where according to some data about one million citizens of Kyrgyzstan are economic migrants — there are 15 different labor destinations available to Kyrgyz citizens. The website offers information about moving to and working in Europe, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia.

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan International Affairs

Turkmenistan to Increase its Power Supply to Afghanistan

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

At a February 26th meeting between the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, Amirkhan Muttaki and Rashid Meredov, Turkmenistan agreed to increase the amount of electricity it supplies to Afghanistan’s Herat province. This electricity will be supplied via the Nur al-Jihad power substation, which Turkmenistan had previously upgraded.

Last month Turkmenistan and the Afghan electricity company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) concluded an agreement for Turkmenistan to supply Afghanistan with 1.8 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. The contract was agreed by DABS CEO Muhammad Hanif Hamza during his January visit to Turkmenistan, where he held meetings with the management of the energy corporation Turkmenenergo and with the country’s minister of energy, Annageldi Saparov.

The cost of Turkmenistan’s electricity supply to Afghanistan has not been revealed, but a representative of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry told the news portal Tolo News that it is “inexpensive”.

Turkmenistan supplies a significant portion of Afghanistan’s electricity, but the two nations’ connection run deeper than just the energy sector, with 1.2 million ethnic Turkmen living in Afghanistan.