Page 878 – The Times Of Central Asia

02 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Drip Irrigation Equipment Plant To Open In South Kazakhstan

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A factory that will produce components for drip irrigation systems is to open in the town of Konaev, Almaty region. The plant is a joint project between Kazakh and Chinese investors, and is expected to make components for up to 500 hectares of fields per week. A similar plant is also planned for the other southern city of Taraz.

Drip irrigation in Kazakhstan is currently used on only 84,000 hectares of agricultural land, but the government is aiming to increase this figure to 312,000 hectares. To encourage farmers to use water-saving technologies, the government is increasing subsidies for building irrigation systems, and buying drip and sprinkler irrigation equipment, from 50% to 80% of their costs respectively.

01 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy

Plans Underway For Central Asia’s First Privately Owned Airport

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A new airport is being planned in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region, which will be financed by Chinese investors. The planned airport will be the first in Central Asia built entirely with private financing and owned by private individuals.

Last week at the Uzbek-Chinese business forum in Shenzhen, delegations from Uzbekistan and China signed numerous business and investment contracts. Among them, the contract to build an airfield in the Ahangaran district in the Tashkent region attracted special interest.

The project is expected to use capital sourced solely from an unnamed Chinese investor company. Construction is expected to start in the second half of this year.

In addition to the airport, seven more projects, worth $56m, are being planned with Chinese investors for the Akkurgan district, including facilities for producing knitwear, fabrics, synthetic mattresses, footwear, and building materials.

01 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Life & Culture, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Uzbek Film “Dreamers” Wins Award at Cannes World Film Festival

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A documentary film entitled “Dreamers”, released by BWG Production in Uzbekistan, has won the award for “Best Historical Film of December” at the World Film Festival in Cannes, France. This win opens the door for the movie to compete for the festival’s prized “Film of the Year” title.

Ruslan Saliev, the film’s director, hailed the success as extraordinary for Uzbek film. He was confident that Dreamers, which explores the nation’s historical suffering, would strike a chord with viewers around the world. Saliev emphasized the value of these festivals in showcasing the nation’s cultural legacy abroad. He also hoped for the chance to represent Uzbekistan at more international film festivals.

“The use of reconstructions and art installations as a modern artistic interpretation in the documentary film Dreamers [should] be considered a positive experience,” explained Uzbek film critic Mohinur Ahmetjonova. “Of course, this approach doesn’t always fully reveal the [true] reality, but it gives an effective result in creating a general representation. But when it comes to covering the historical truth, it is noticeable that there is an attempt to avoid the bloody past and to present the atrocities that happened in a [softer light]. It’s no coincidence that the approach of trying to describe the achievements of the period has caused several objections by historians and film experts.”

“The fact that the filmmakers tried to combine large-scale events in one film gives the impression that they were a little distracted from the original goal… in general, in this period when new views on history are being formed, it’s natural that there are different opposing opinions about the film,” Ahmetjonova added.

Dreamers won the prize over the English film The Shamrock Spitfire, which tells the story of an Irish military pilot during WWII.

01 Feb 2024

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

Chinese Partners To Help Modernize Uzbekistan’s Electric Power Industry

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The development of renewable energy is a priority for Uzbekistan, with the country aiming for a quarter of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030.

To meet this target the Ministry of Energy has spoken of the need to attract more international companies to work in the sector, and to train better qualified professionals. With this in mind, JSC Uzenergoengineering — the country’s largest electric power design institute — has recently signed two agreements with Chinese partners.

The first agreement is with the China Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute (EPPEI) on the creation of a joint venture in Uzbekistan. The new venture will develop short- and long-term plans for the Uzbek power industry, conduct technical and economic studies, provide consultation services to local enterprises, and train personnel.

The second agreement was signed with Energy China International, a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Group Corporation Limited, one of the world’s largest energy companies. The parties agreed to set up a new institute in Uzbekistan with a preliminary investment of $30m. This institute will train high-level professionals, and introduce new technologies into the country’s electric power industry.

01 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs

Almaty Hosts First SCO Digital Forum

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The first SCO Digital Forum, bringing together IT and communication agencies from countries within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), was held in Almaty on February 1st. The forum is part of the three-day Digital Almaty 2024 event that began today.

The SCO comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The forum was chaired by Kazakhstan’s minister of digital development, innovations and aerospace industry, Bagdat Musin. In his welcoming remarks Mr Musin said that “Kazakhstan has achieved significant success in the field of digitalization, GovTech, and IT development, confidently leading among the Central Asian countries.”

Mr Musin highlighted the successful Kazakhstani IT startups at the international techno-park Astana Hub. “The advantage and attractiveness of Astana Hub to international companies lie in visa and tax preferences, extraterritoriality, the possibility of online registration, and the launch of acceleration programs. Among the Central Asian [countries], Astana Hub [has become] the first partner of Google for Startups, within which a joint acceleration program ‘Silkway Accelerator’ was developed. Over the course of two years of collaboration, the result is a twofold increase in the number of graduate companies; these companies have already entered the markets of the Middle East, the USA, and Europe.”.

Mr Musin proposed the creation of an alliance of IT parks in SCO countries to further grow innovative ecosystems, and to support startup projects and IT companies.

Another area for cooperation could be the construction of fiber-optic communication lines. Utilizing Kazakhstan’s transit potential will provide significant advantages for SCO countries in connecting to the internet and improving connectivity across the Eurasian continent, Mr Musin said. He proposed building fiber-optic cables along the Russia-Kazakhstan-Iran route, with access to the Indian Ocean.

01 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan Life & Culture, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Plans A Cable Car Line

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Following Tashkent in neighboring Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek is planning to build a cable car line to help solve the city’s transport problems.

On January 30th in Flums, Switzerland, Bishkek’s mayor Aibek Junushaliev met with Roland Bartholet, the CEO of the engineering company Bartholet Maschinenbau AG. The parties signed an agreement and approved a plan to build a cable car line in Bishkek.

The city of Bishkek’s press service called the agreement an important step in the modernization of its urban infrastructure, aimed at providing comfortable transport options for people in the city.

Last month the city of Tashkent and the Chinese company Beijing North Bartholet Ropeway Technology agreed on a project to introduce a cable car service in the Uzbek capital. Beijing North Bartholet Ropeway Technology is a joint venture with Bartholet Maschinenbau AG.