Economic Cooperation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan Sign $5 Billion in Agreements at Business Forum

On August 7, a joint business forum was held in Astana with more than 300 representatives from business circles of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in attendance. At the forum, joint projects involving automotive engineering, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, the chemical and logistics industries were discussed, and a set of agreements with a total value of $5 billion were adopted, according to the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Network. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Kazakhstan’s JV KAZ AMT and Uzbekistan’s Estess Atraumatic Sterile Surgical Threads LLC, Kazakhstan’s Dolche LLC and Uzbekistan’s Medproject Technology LLC. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, arrived in Astana on August 7 at the invitation of the President of Kazakhstan. Within the framework of the visit, Mirziyoyev will participate in the consultative meeting of the leaders of the Central Asian countries and the dialogue in the format Central Asia + Japan. President Mirziyoyev signed the decision to establish a free economic zone of the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center on August 6. The zone will be organized in the Syr Darya region. Industrial cooperation will be expanded by involving enterprises in the production process in the center's territory and establishing the production of import-substituting products. Only products manufactured in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are sold in the center's territory under the control of a production certificate. According to the decision, Kazakhstani and foreign citizens can enter the center's territory without a visa through a special checkpoint with an identity document, and stay in the territory for 15 days.

Switzerland European Union Banking Economic Cooperation

Tajikistan and Switzerland Strengthen Cooperation in Banking

A meeting between representatives of the economic bloc of Tajikistan and Switzerland was held at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank's Constituency Group conference. As reported by Avesta.tj. , the Tajik delegation was headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Hokim Holikzoda, and the Swiss side, by Federal Minister of Finance Karin Keller-Zutter and Chairman of the Swiss National Bank Thomas Jordaan. Both sides expressed satisfaction with their now long-term cooperation. Over the past 25 years, the Swiss National Bank has significantly contributed to Tajikistan's development of essential aspects of its banking system, including managing international resources, monetary policy, and operational risk management. Focused on further cooperation, the agenda included attracting Swiss finance and modern technologies to develop other vital sectors of Tajikistan's economy.

Turkey Security Economy Economic Cooperation

Uzbekistan and Turkey to Develop Military and Technical Cooperation

On June 26, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received a delegation headed by the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Yashar Guler, who was in Tashkent on a business visit, the President of Uzbekistan's press service has reported. Considering the agreements reached during Mirziyoyev's high-level visit to Ankara on June 5-6, urgent issues of deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Turkey were discussed. Prospects for developing military and military-technical cooperation, including strengthening close interdepartmental relations, organizing joint events, training military specialists, and other issues, were discussed. Special attention was paid to strengthening and coordinating cooperation in security and fighting terrorism, extremism, and radicalism. The delegations exchanged views on ensuring peace and stability in the region, including Afghanistan.

Security Border disputes Economic Cooperation

Border Dispute No More: Are Bishkek and Dushanbe Ready to Make Peace?

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have long been restless neighbors from Tashkent and Astana's point of view. In many respects, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan forced the current rapprochement of the Central Asian republics, as expressed on the outer perimeter in the C5+1 format, where the region strives to put forward a consolidated position. After all, investment does not come to problematic areas. The problem border The main sticking point in relations between Bishkek and Dushanbe stretches for almost a thousand kilometers - the border between the two states - the demarcation of which, following the collapse of the USSR, neither the government of Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan was concerned about. There were enough problems to deal with: falling living standards, civil war in Tajikistan, and endless revolutions in Kyrgyzstan. To date, the border has still not been fully demarcated, causing problems for residents of both states over access to water, pastures, and roads. Disputed territories accounted for about 30% of the border between the two countries. The first alarm bells sounded back in 2014 - in January and May of that year there were armed incidents on the border between northern Tajikistan's in Sughd Province and Kyrgyzstan's Batken Province. Tajiks and Kyrgyz have lived compactly in this densely populated area for centuries. Tajik villages neighbor Kyrgyz villages, there are exclaves such as Vorukh, and the border can crisscross roads, presenting difficulties for traveling. "In Soviet times, people moved around quietly when the borders were conditional. Residents on both sides had free access to pastures and arable land. There were no problems along the watershed. If lands were given by the republics to each other for some purpose, local authorities knew where and whose land was located. With the collapse of the Union, the whole system ceased to function. And the problems of open unmarked borders became more acute," political observer Negmatullo Mirsaidov explained in a commentary for the BBC Russian Service after the January 2014 clash. Time passed, but the situation did not change, and a new aggravation occurred in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, clashes were repeated with depressing regularity, and in 2022 came a military incursion by Tajik soldiers into a Kyrgyz border village with the seizure of administrative buildings. Armed clashes broke out all along the border and Russia intervened, forcing the parties to negotiate. Central Asia then picked up the baton, trying to melt the ice of hostility between the skirmishing neighbors. In early February, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, Zheenbek Kulubaev, in Dushanbe. According to the press service of the head of Tajikistan, "Over the past four months, the parties have agreed on the design and working description of about 196 kilometers of the state border and to date have determined about 90% of the line of its passage." Considering that the Tajik-Kyrgyz border is about 980 kilometers long, about 100 kilometers remain to be agreed upon. Before the clash in 2022, more than 300 kilometers of the border were considered disputed....

Mutual trade Economic Cooperation South Korea Export/Import Economy

Kazakhstan and South Korea: “A Golden Bridge of Friendship”

The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, held talks with the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. According to Tokayev, Seoul is one of Astana’s most important strategic partners in the Asia-Pacific region. Korea ranks fourth in foreign trade turnover, and is among Kazakhstan’s top ten largest foreign investors. South Korea has become a true economic and technological locomotive on a global scale, Tokayev stated. World-renowned Korean corporations seriously support promoting the country’s position in the international arena as a “key global state.” Kazakhstan and Korea have achieved a high level of political dialog, establishing fruitful economic cooperation and strong humanitarian ties. The two countries interact in various spheres, including inter-parliamentary, inter-governmental, and inter-departmental contacts. According to Tokayev, regular contact between businessmen of the two countries plays a very important role in building close ties. More than 700 companies with South Korean capital successfully operate in Kazakhstan. “The 120,000 ethnic Koreans in Kazakhstan fulfill an important role and make an invaluable contribution to strengthening our relations. In turn, more than a thousand Kazakh students studying in Korea are a ‘golden bridge of friendship’ between our countries,” Tokayev stated. During the talks, the presidents discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in energy, infrastructure and industry, engineering, trade, transport and logistics, digitization and the aerospace industry, the financial sector, education, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, tourism and culture, ecology, and other fields.

International Cooperation Economic Cooperation South Korea Security Investments Economy

South Korea Set to Intensify Cooperation with Central Asia

With the intention of intensifying cooperation between Seoul and Central Asia, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol will make a state visit to three Central Asian countries from 10-15 June. As reported by Kim Tae-hyo First Deputy Director of the National Security Office of the Presidential Administration, President Yoon Suk-Yeol accompanied by his wife Kim Gong Hee, will visit Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan and engage in talks with the countries' leaders as well as participate in business forums. Kim Tae-hyo emphasized that South Korea aims to intensify diplomacy and cooperation with Central Asia through wide-ranging efforts. These include a regular summit of the Korea-Central Asia K-Silk Road Initiative, the first of which will be hosted by Seoul next year. “Through this initiative, we intend to promote the joint, free, and peaceful development and prosperity of Korea and the Central Asian region,” stated Kim Tae-hyo The main areas of cooperation under the Initiative include the development of four key sectors : natural resources, official development assistance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhanced official and private contacts. Areas for cooperation will be identified and prioritized in each of the five Central Asian countries :Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Cooperation in Kazakhstan will focus on energy and infrastructure; in Kyrgyzstan, water resources and tourism, and in Turkmenistan, constructing energy plants. Seoul makes no secret of its high interest in the region's rich natural resources, including uranium, lithium and tungsten.