Page 890 – The Times Of Central Asia

19 Jan 2024

Nomad Games, Central Asia, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Announces Date of 5th World Nomad Games

August 21, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Astana from September 8^th to 14^th, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan has said. It is expected that close to 4,000 athletes from more than a hundred countries will compete in the games, which will include twenty competitive and ten demonstration events, with 110 sets of medals being competed for. Equestrian sports, traditional wrestling, archery, bird hunting, and traditional intellectual games will all be included. It is also expected that more than 100,000 tourists will attend sporting and cultural events during the games.

An ethno-village, “Universe of Nomads,” will be opened in Astana, where every visitor will be able to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Kazakh people, as well as the cultures of participating countries. Up to 30,000 residents and guests in Astana will be able to visit the ethno-village daily, the ministry stated.

The games will be held under the motto, “Meeting in the Great Steppe.”

The World Nomad Games were initiated by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilizations. The First World Nomad Games were held in September 2014 in the resort city of Cholpon Ata on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

19 Jan 2024

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Chinese Agricultural Drones May Be Manufactured in Kazakhstan

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On January 17^th, a delegation from Kazakhstan led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Abulkhair Tamabek visited the assembly site of the company, Eavision Robotic Technologies in the city of Suzhou in China’s Jiangsu Province. The company specializes in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles for monitoring and protection from pests, plant diseases and weeds, using artificial intelligence technology. During the meeting with Xinyu Wang, General Director of Eavision Robotic Technologies, the delegation discussed a project for localizing the production of agricultural drones in Kazakhstan. Emphasizing the uniqueness of such a project, the Ministry of Agriculture stated that there are no such similar production facilities in Russia or any other Central Asian countries.

As a result of the negotiations, a Memorandum of Technical Cooperation was signed for the manufacture of agricultural drones in Kazakhstan. The two sides agreed to develop a roadmap for the implementation of the project, and determine the location of production facilities in Kazakhstan and potential sales markets, including in neighboring countries.

19 Jan 2024

Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Uzbekistan Aims to Attract More Foreign Investment, Increase Exports

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On January 18^th, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a government meeting on priority tasks in the field of investment, export and industry for 2024, his press service has reported. It was stated at the meeting that the Uzbekistan 2030 strategy has set a goal of bringing the country’s GDP to $160 billion and per capita income to $4,000 a year, which cannot be achieved solely through the domestic market; meaning there is a need to attract more foreign investment and increase exports.

Over the past six years, the country has received almost $50 billion in foreign investment, with the economy growing by 6% last year. However, exports did not increase.

It was stated that although Uzbekistan has enjoyed the EU’s GSP+ trade preference system and has the opportunity to export 6,200 types of goods to Europe duty-free, only 384 types of goods were exported under this system last year. To take the economy to a new level would require exports to be increased by at least 30% annually.

A total of $200 million has been allocated for export lending, but that has not always translated into the production of value-added products and exports. From now on, subsidies and loans will be provided primarily to exporters entering new markets with products with high added value.

Another issue discussed at the meeting was industrial production. Over the past six years, the volume of investments attracted to industry has increased seven-fold, with equipment worth $14 billion being imported over the past three years. Uzbekistan has created 24 special economic zones (SEZs), where land is allocated in a simplified manner and tax benefits are provided by the state. However, these opportunities are not being fully utilized. For instance, 800 hectares of land with ready-made infrastructure is still empty in the SEZs. Therefore, it was decided that 240 hectares of land in SEZs in the Bukhara, Navoi, and Tashkent regions will be outsourced to foreign companies.

19 Jan 2024

Uzbekistan Environment, Environment, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Features

Mirziyoyev: Officials Must Reorient to Preserve Environment

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has criticized officials who insist on building new cement plants instead of introducing environmental technologies.

“The country has production capacities which can more than cover the annual demand for cement,” Mirziyoyev said. “So, it is surprising that officials, instead of increasing the production of value-added products and introducing technologies that reduce their harmful impact on the environment, are proposing that 22 more cement plants be constructed.”

Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of responsible decision making in the sphere of industry. He noted that over the past six years, the volume of investment in industry has increased sevenfold, but insufficient information has been provided by the heads of industries and regions on jobs created and the growth of exports, meaning officials do not sufficiently analyze and provide data on the economic and social consequences of investments in the construction of new cement plants.

The President also expressed concern about the environmental aspect of the issue. Instead of the mass construction of new plants, which are likely to exacerbate the negative impact on the environment, he called for a greater emphasis to be placed on the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies in cement production. Such measures would reduce air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to effectively use existing plants by increasing their productivity and introducing innovative solutions, noting that the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies would increase the quality and competitiveness of Uzbek cement in the world market. In summation, Mirziyoyev instructed officials to reorient their goals to ensure sustainable development and preserve the environment.

19 Jan 2024

Central Asia, Tajikistan, Local Politics, Tajikistan Features, Features

European Parliament Condemns Repression in Tajikistan, Underlying Issues Persist

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On January 18^th, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on human rights in Tajikistan which condemns the ongoing crackdown against independent media, government critics, human rights activists and independent lawyers, as well as the closure of independent media and websites.
Parliament members urged the authorities to stop persecuting lawyers defending government critics and journalists, and immediately and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained and drop all charges against them, including human rights lawyers Manuchehr Kholiknazarov and Buzurgmehr Yorov.
In the resolution, the European Parliament members insisted that respect for freedom of expression in Tajikistan should be taken into account when assessing the application of the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) for Tajikistan and negotiations of a new EU-Tajikistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

In December 2023, the chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Ben Cardin sent a letter to the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, urging him to cease acts of domestic and transnational repression against political opponents and religious minorities. “There are persistent reports of arbitrary arrest, denial of judicial due process, as well as acts of violence including torture, assault and even instances of murder of journalists, political dissidents, as well as community and religious leaders,” Cardin wrote.

In recent years, several Tajik journalists, activists, and opposition politicians have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms largely based on accusations of collaborating with organizations labelled as extremist or banned in Tajikistan.

Still a relatively young country, the official date of the independence of Tajikistan – a front-line state facing the extremism of the Taliban – is September 9th 1991. Whilst criticisms are warranted and accurate, particularly through the prism of western democracy, the crux of the problem would appear to be endemic corruption and weak institutions propagated by kleptocratic wealth and organized crime.

As to how high up the criminality goes, in 2000 the Tajik Ambassador to Kazakhstan was arrested in Almaty with 86 kilos of heroin in his car. In 2001, the Deputy Minister of the Interior was murdered, the prosecution in the case arguing he’d been assassinated for refusing to pay for a shipment of 50 kilos. A statement released by the UNDP in 2001 estimated that drug money accounted for between 30 -50% of the Tajik economy.

The year Tajikistan took over policing of its border with Afghanistan from the Russians, seizures of heroin halved. Piqued by the critical international response, President Rahmon levelled counter-allegations of Russian complicity in the heroin trade. “Why do you think generals lined up in Moscow all the way across Red Square and paid enormous bribes to be assigned here?” he complained to U.S. officials. “Just so they could do their patriotic duty?”

19 Jan 2024

Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

President Tokayev Calls on Italian Businesses to Invest in Kazakhstan

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 18^th paid an official visit to Italy, holding talks with Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. During the discussion, Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan and Italy maintain a wide-ranging political dialogue and have established close economic cooperation, as well as fruitful cultural and humanitarian ties, his press service reported. “We are proud to be Italy’s main partner in Central Asia. Our economic cooperation is developing dynamically and has enormous potential for further growth,” Tokayev said.

Italy is among the largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy, with trade turnover between the two countries amounting to approximately $15 billion, whilst direct foreign investment from Italy has reached $7.3 billion. More than 300 Italian companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, including such large investors as ENI, SDF Group, PetroValves, Maire Tecnimont, IVECO, and Tenaris.

Meloni confirmed Italy’s commitment to developing contacts with Kazakhstan, stating that “We consider your visit an excellent opportunity to further strengthen Kazakh-Italian relations.”

During the talks, the leaders focused on deepening cooperation in the spheres of trade, economy, investment, energy, transport and logistics, agriculture, culture, humanitarian, education spheres, and green energy.

In their joint statement, Tokayev and Meloni noted the launch of major transport and connectivity initiatives in Central Asia, particularly those related to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. They also emphasized the importance of holding the Central Asia + Italy format meeting in Rome later in 2024, and in Kazakhstan in 2025.

As part of the visit, an agreement was signed between the Kazakh Samruk-Kazyna Fund and the Italian group of companies, Cassa Depositi i Prestiti on the creation of a joint investment fund and financing in manufacturing, energy and logistics, as well as a joint final investment decision between the Kazakh national oil and gas company, KazMunayGas, and the Italian company, ENI, on a joint project for the construction of a hybrid power plant (wind and solar) with a total capacity of 247 MW in Kazakhstan.

On the same day, President Tokayev attended the Investment Roundtable, Kazakhstan-Italy, in Rome. Speaking to representatives of the Italian business community, Tokayev stated that the energy sector is the main area of economic cooperation between the two countries. “More than 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil is exported to Europe, which provides for about 10% of the EU’s needs. I would like to express my gratitude to Italy, a long-time and reliable energy partner of Kazakhstan. We highly appreciate the contribution of the Italian flagship company ENI to the economy of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan provides ample opportunities in the field of oil and gas exploration. We implement the best global practices to discover significant deposits. We also invite Italian companies to participate in servicing the oil and gas industry,” the President said.

Tokayev also called on Italian businesses to cooperate in the extraction and processing of critical raw materials. “According to World Bank estimates, there are more than 5,000 undiscovered deposits in Kazakhstan worth over 46 trillion dollars. Today, we already produce 19 of the 34 most important raw materials needed for the economy of the European Union. Deposits of another nine types of minerals, such as cobalt, tungsten, and lithium, can be developed if the necessary investments are available,” he said.

According to the President, another relevant area of cooperation is the transport and logistics sector. In an effort to become a regional hub, Kazakhstan is actively developing the Trans-Caspian international transport route. “The Middle Corridor effectively compliments [China’s] Belt and Road Initiative. We intend to link it to the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network and the Global Gateway strategy,” Tokayev said, adding that over the past 15 years, Kazakhstan has invested more than $35 billion in transport infrastructure, and plans to build over 1,300 kilometers of railways over the next three years, which will increase the transportation of goods to and from China, South Asia, and Europe.

Tokayev also invited Italian investors to take an active part in the development of Kazakhstan’s ports, the joint production of transport vessels, and the creation of logistics centers. “With 13 international routes across Kazakhstan and direct flights between Almaty and Milan, we are connected like never before. We welcome plans to open direct flights between Astana and Rome and Milan. This will certainly contribute to the development of our economic relations and connections between people, as well as the promotion of tourism,” Tokayev concluded.