DUSHANBE (TCA) — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President Jamie Fly has called on Tajikistan’s leader to ensure that the right of Tajik audiences to receive objective news and reporting are respected and that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists in the Central Asian country can work freely and without intimidation, RFE/RL reported.

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ASHGABAT (TCA) — A business forum which gathered together representatives of business circles, government organizations and private structures of Turkmenistan and Italy took place in Milan on November 6 as part of the official visit of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov to Italy, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reported.

The Trade Agency of the Ministry of Commerce of Italy and Trade and Industrial Chamber and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan were the hosts of the event under the aegis of foreign departments of the two countries.

The forum was opened by General Director of the Trade Agency of the Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of Italy Roberto Luongo, who said that subjects of the forum are not limited by export-import relations but also spread to the study of wide opportunities of cooperation. At the same time, Mr. Luongo pointed out significant growth of trade between Turkmenistan and Italy by the outcomes of the first half of 2019.

Mr. Luongo said that the current meeting has to be continued during a return visit to Ashgabat next year.

Vice-President of Lombardy Region of Italy Fabricio Sala also made a greeting speech at the forum, saying that the forum gives good opportunities for study of future cooperation. Being one of the rapidly developing economies of Central Asia with huge natural resources, Turkmenistan represents huge economic potential for establishment of trade and investment relations, he said.

As of today, 22 investment projects to a total amount of around 13 million US dollars and 16 companies with Italian capital operate in Turkmenistan.

Signing of bilateral documents took place as a result of the Turkmen–Italian business forum. In particular, 12 memorandums and agreements were signed in the diplomatic field, energy industry and transport spheres, textile industry, as well as in the banking sector, healthcare and education.

In addition, 11 contracts were signed by Turkmen businessmen with different Italian companies, including for supply of equipment and technological lines for import substitutive production facilities.

KABUL (TCA) — Pakistan continues to view the Afghan Taliban as “a relatively friendly and reliably anti-India element in Afghanistan”, according to a US Congressional Research Service report titled “Afghanistan: Background and US Policy in Brief”, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — In January-September of this year, trade between Kazakhstan and France increased by more than 6%, to US $3.4 billion, and the inflow of direct French investment in the economy of Kazakhstan in the first half of 2019 increased by more than 24%, to $537 million. This was said at the meeting of Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Askar Mamin with representatives of the France-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry headed by its President Gerard Fries, the prime minister’s press service reported on November 7.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — A delegation of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), headed by the Chairman of the company’s Management Board Sauat Mynbayev, took part in the ceremony of receiving the first Xi’an-Ankara-Prague train on November 6 in Ankara (Turkey), KTZ’s press service reported.

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — A meeting of the Russia–Kazakhstan Business Council was a key highlight of the first day of the 16th Russia–Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum which is taking place in Omsk, Russia on 6–7 November.

The forum was organised by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Roscongress Foundation. Discussions at the meeting centred around the general theme of “Modern Aspects of Economic Cooperation” highlighting the drivers of improved interactions between the two countries. The meeting was attended by representatives of Russia’s and Kazakhstan’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry, major businesses, and government authorities, the Roscongress Foundation reported.

The two largest countries in the post-Soviet space share more than just similar economic models inherited from the Soviet era but also common neighbours, common political interests, and cross-border ties of regions spanning from the Volga to the Altai region. This offers extensive opportunities for joint industrial and trade development, innovation, and exports.

Participants in the meeting discussed promotion of cross-border cooperation, exports, and cooperative ties, as well as energy cooperation prospects.

“More than 10,000 businesses with Russian capital successfully operate in Kazakhstan, to be found virtually in every sector of the economy. As we know, since 1 January 2015, we have been operating within the common space of the Eurasian Economic Union, aiming to ensure free movement of goods, capital, and labour. To enable it, a strong institutional framework has been established and effective formats developed for interactions among Member States. Our business people have been empowered through the provision of effective mechanisms that were put in place to enable entry into new markets for their products without having to deal with any additional administrative requirements. Unfortunately, there are also certain trade constraints, totalling about 70 today and listed in the relevant white paper, but the Eurasian Economic Commission is working to eliminate them,” said Temirlan Zhantasov, Director of the Economic Integration Department at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration.

“The volume of trade between Russia and Kazakhstan has been growing at around 5% a year, reaching as much as USD 18 billion last year. This is a good figure but it is still very small considering the real opportunities that can open up for our countries in this area. We can cooperate not only in energy and logistics but also, for example, in retail trade – here too, opportunities are enormous. We need to intensify information sharing, organise joint discussions, participate in exhibitions, and hold presentations, that is to step up joint activities in any way possible,” said Vladimir Padalko, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.