Azad Garibov
BISHKEK (TCA) — Russia has moved to increase its imports of natural gas from Central Asian countries with the purpose to increase its influence on the regional countries, and to prevent the construction of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to deliver Turkmen gas to Europe. We are republishing the following article on the issue, written by Azad Garibov*:
TCA
DUSHANBE (TCA) — United States Chargé d’Affaires John Ginkel and Colonel Shohiyon Abdusattor, Deputy Commander of Tajikistan’s Border Guard Forces, on November 1 participated in the opening ceremony for the Okultun border outpost, constructed for the Border Forces under the State Committee of National Security of Tajikistan. The cost of the construction project was funded and implemented by the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan’s Office of Military Cooperation, with a cost of $900,000.
The border outpost provides the Border Forces with increased capacity to consistently monitor and patrol the border with Afghanistan in the Shahritus region of Khatlon province. The facility will significantly increase the Border Forces’ ability to monitor and interdict illegal border crossings across a 15-20 kilometer range, and counter transnational threats such as narco-traffickers, smugglers, and violent extremists.
The U.S. Embassy has supported the construction and renovation of 9 border outposts and 2 detachments along the Tajik-Afghan border with the goal of strengthening Tajikistan’s border security. The U.S. government has provided more than $100 million in assistance to strengthen Tajikistan’s border security since 2005.
The United States remains committed to partnering with Tajikistan in support of its sovereignty, security, and its role in regional stability. These efforts support the positive role that Central Asian states will play in securing long-term peace and prosperity in Afghanistan through political support, economic connectivity, and counterterrorism, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.
The United States has partnered with Tajikistan for 27 years and has provided more than $1.8 billion in development and assistance through programs that support Tajikistan’s private sector, agriculture, health, education, democratic institutions, and security.
TCA
KARAGANDY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — Social reintegration of prisoners after release was in the spotlight of the high-level delegation visit from the EU, the UN and the Netherlands. The delegation visited two pilot male and female prison facilities in Kazakhstan’s Karagandy region within the framework of the programme “Supporting the management of violent extremist prisoners and the prevention of radicalization to violence in prisons”. The preliminary findings of the visit were presented on November 1 during the expert meeting hosted by the Akimat (administration) of Karagandy region, the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan reported.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — Altynbek Muraliev, the jailed son of a former Kyrgyz prime minister, has been transferred to a more lenient penal colony where convicts live close to their work facilities, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported.
TCA
TASHKENT (TCA) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on October 31 called for commitment to openness in promoting cooperation with Uzbekistan as well as other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Xinhua news agency reported.
TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — Human Rights Watch said on October 31 that draft amendments to Kyrgyzstan’s trade union law would severely inhibit independent trade union organizing and violate international labor treaties to which Kyrgyzstan is a party. Parliament should reject the amendments when they are presented for a third reading, the rights watchdog said in a statement.
