Page 983 – The Times Of Central Asia

04 Mar 2024

Central Asia, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan, Lithuania to Launch Joint Container Transportation Program

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Kazakhstan and Lithuania plan to link up from afar to carry out container transportation on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TCITR). The two sides agreed on the plan in Vilnius at the 14th session of the Kazakhstan-Lithuanian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade & Economic Cooperation.

“The event also included a meeting of the Kazakhstan-Lithuanian mixed commission on international road transportation with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, the Union of Transport Workers of Kazakhstan, Kazlogistics, where an agreement was reached on the quota of permits for 2024,” the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan said in a statement.

“We offer the Lithuanian side cooperation in launching container transportation between our countries within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TCITR). In addition, taking advantage of this opportunity, we invite all Lithuanian companies to participate in the New Silk Way transport forum, which is planned to be held in October this year in Astana,” said Almaz Aisin, a representative of the Kazakh delegation.

During the talks, the Kazakh side informed its Lithuanian partners about the prospects and possible measures that may be taken for development of the TCITR — while emphasizing that in recent years the TCITR has attracted great attention from European companies.

As of October 2023, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Lithuania for the previous 12 months increased by 28.7% annually to $584.3m. Last year, the countries reached an agreement to increase the export potential of Kazakh products across 70 categories worth $350.5m.

04 Mar 2024

Central Asia, Tajikistan International Affairs, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Business Economy

Tajikistan Seeks EU Cooperation on Energy Projects

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Tajikistan believes that the European Union (EU) will encourage energy projects that are being implemented in the country and throughout Central Asia to mitigate climate change. That’s the view held by Sirojiddin Mukhriddin, the head of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed during a speech at the diplomatic forum “New Dynamics of Cooperation in Eurasia” in Antalya, Turkey.

“Just five percent of the nation’s current hydropower potential has been utilized up to this point. Our projects are wonderful. Among them is the Rogun HPP, one of the world’s biggest hydroelectric power stations. Of course, we also invited all of our partners to help us build these initiatives, [and] the European Union is one of them,” said Mukhriddin. The minister mentioned that the United States and the EU are funding the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the republic’s mountainous Badakhshan autonomous region. Mukhriddin claimed that this would contribute to the energy supply for both this area and Afghanistan, a neighboring country with its own pressing electricity needs.

Mukhriddin mentioned the Sustainable Energy Connections in Central Asia project, which is being managed by the EU. “We believe that the program will fortify the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework for the region’s shift to a sustainable energy system,” the minister said. “With the help of our partners, especially the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and others, we anticipate that this project will be implemented successfully,” he added.

04 Mar 2024

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

Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub Opens in Dubai

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The launch of the Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub took place on March 1st at the Trade House of Kazakhstan in Dubai, UAE.

Attending the opening ceremony, Arman Shakkaliev Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration reported, “The Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub will help promote the Kazakh IT services sector to international markets, unite the interests of business sectors in Kazakhstan and the UAE, enable the development of mutually beneficial cooperation, and increase the competitiveness of our IT companies.”

To date, the new platform has already helped present 15 Kazakh start-up projects to the Middle East market and in 2023, the export of Kazakhstani IT services reached $500 million compared to $30 million in 2020. A goal to raise the export of IT services to $1 billion by 2026 has now been set by president of Kazakhstan

According to Timur Mauleshov, co-founder of Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub, entry to UAE and Middle East markets will further spur the development of export of high-tech solutions from Kazakhstan.

“The Qaz Steppe Innovation Hub will be a unique platform for the implementation of the ambitious task set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to transform Kazakhstan into an IT country. Since 2021, locally based Kazakh start-ups have attracted investments worth over $1 billion. The technological boom that is happening in the UAE today opens up new prospects for our talented specialists and interesting start-ups.”

04 Mar 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy

Uzbekneftgaz’s Gas Production Target Declines Again

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Uzbekistan’s state-owned JSC Uzbekneftegaz plans to produce 29.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2024, according to the Kun.uz website. The company’s gas-production metrics have shown declines for the past three years.

Among the geological and technical scopes of work that lie ahead for Uzbekneftgaz are 42 technological measurements, comprehensive overhauls of 81 wells, and the drilling of 95 operational production wells.

In 2021 and 2022 the company produced 33.9 billion and 32.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas respectively. That means that by the end of 2024 the company will have decreased gas production by 13.6 percent over just three years, considering the production target of 29.3 billion cubic meters this year.

Although official figures for 2023 have not yet been released, Uzbekneftgaz in 2023 twice lowered its full-year 2023 forecast for natural gas production. Initially, at the end of 2022 representatives of the company said that they expected 34.1 billion cubic meters of gas production for 2023, with 1.8 billion of those cubic meters coming from geological exploration. However, the estimate was lowered to 32.8 billion cubic meters in February 2023 and 32.3 billion cubic meters in August of last year.

According to Uzbek statistics, 53.8 billion cubic meters of gas were extracted in 2021 across the country, which then decreased to 51.7 billion cubic meters in 2022, and 46.7 billion cubic meters in 2023.

04 Mar 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan, International Affairs, Turkmenistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy

Turkmenistan and Turkey to Collaborate on Export of Natural Gas to Europe

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Turkmenistan and Turkey are to collaborate on a project that will pave the way for transportation of Turkmen natural gas through Turkey to European markets.

A declaration of intent on cooperation in the field of hydrocarbon resources, alongside a memorandum on natural-gas partnership between the Turkmen State Concern Türkmengaz and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, were signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkmenistan’s Chairman of the People’s Council, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at a meeting on the margins of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on March 1st.

The export of Turkmen gas to Europe will necessitate the construction of a gas pipeline across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan; a project revisited since the 1990s but not yet implemented.

Diversification of natural-gas export routes remains a pressing issue for gas-rich Turkmenistan. Today, China is the largest importer of Turkmen gas, transported by pipeline via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Smaller volumes of Turkmen gas are exported to Russia.

Turkmenistan continues to work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project to transport natural gas to South Asia. After years of delays in the construction of the Afghan section due to funding and security issues, Turkmen and Afghan authorities are now close to advancing the project.

04 Mar 2024

Central Asia, Home, International Affairs, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Features

Kazakhstan Comments on Russian Missile Tests on its Territory

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Russia tests its missiles inside of Kazakhstan’s borders. The country’s deputy minister of defense Shaykh-Khasan Zhazykbayev has gone on record to say that in Kazakhstan there is a military test range called Saryshagan, where the 110th training center of the Russian Federation does indeed conduct missile tests. Zhazykbayev noted that Russia has a treaty dating back to 1993, according to which it has the right to use this land as a testing ground.

“Missiles of up to 200 kilometers’ range are tested there. There is no infrastructure and population [on] this range, so no one suffers,” said Zhazykbayev. The deputy minister also noted that Russia conducts only 50 hours of missile testing at Saryshagan each year.

The Saryshagan military training range in Kazakhstan is located in the Karaganda and Zhambyl regions, to the northwest and west of Lake Balkhash in the Betpak-Dala steppe. Its construction began in 1956, and its area now holds an active military airfield and several abandoned dirt airfields. The Yekaterinburg to Almaty highway runs through it. Presently it’s considered to be the first and the only military range in Eurasia where missile weapons are developed and tested.