International Relations - The Times Of Central Asia

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Astana Unveils Monument to Great Turkmen Poet Pyragy

On July 4, a monument to the great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Pyragy (1724-1807) was unveiled in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. The ceremony was attended by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, and Astana Mayor Kassymbek Zhenis. The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) declared 2024 “The Year of the Great Poet and Thinker of the Turkic World – Magtymguly Pyragy,” while the 300th anniversary of the poet’s birth Pyragy was included in the UNESCO List of Memorable Dates for 2024-2025. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced that the erection of the monument in the capital of Kazakhstan testifies the eternity and inviolability of Kazakh-Turkmen friendship. The National Leader of Turkmenistan also emphasized the continuous, important role played by culture, music, poetry, and creativity in general, in maintaining close and cohesive ties between peoples. Hailing the legacy of Pyragy the property of all humanity, the Chairman of the Kazakh Senate Maulen Ashimbayev stressed that just like the poems and philosophical prose of the great Kazakh writer Abai, the poetic heritage of the brilliant son of the Turkmen people is perceived in Kazakhstan as an integral part of the common treasury of Turkic culture.

Legislation

Inside Turkmenistan: What Self-Isolation Reveals About the Nation

Getting into Turkmenistan has always been a complex undertaking. For most foreigners, the only option available is to apply through an accredited Turkmen travel firm, meaning a 'guide' will trail ones every move. Alternately, there is a five day transit visa, though these are denied more often than they are issued. Arguably the second most insular state in the world after North Korea, it is fair to say that Turkmenistan really isn't in the market for tourists. Frozen in time The first leader of independent Turkmenistan was Saparmurat Niyazov, who climbed up the ladder in the Soviet nomenklatura (administration) and held such positions as First Secretary of the Ashgabat City Committee of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR; Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Turkmen SSR (i.e., Prime Minister); and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR before the collapse of the Soviet Union. From First Secretary, he became President of Turkmenistan for life, as formalized legislatively in 1999. In the second half of 1993, the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (formerly the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR) proposed the extension of Niyazov's powers until 2002 - a second term without re-election - and in January 1994, 99.9% of voters purportedly supported this in a nationwide referendum. From 1994 to 1995, Turkmenistan considered renaming the president's office "Shah" and declaring the republic a Shahdom. However, the idea did not find favor with the elders. Niyazov's strained relationship with his son was also taken into account, and the idea was buried. Declaring himself "Turkmenbashi" (father of the Turkmen people," Niyazov began to rain down a cavalcade of decrees including bans on lip-syncing, car radios, cinema, clowns and the playing of recorded music at weddings. Long hair on men and beards were outlawed, citizens with gold teeth ordered to have them extracted. "I watched young dogs when I was young," Niyazov stated. "They were given bones to gnaw to strengthen their teeth. Those of you whose teeth have fallen out did not chew on bones. This is my advice." All hospitals outside of Ashgabat were shut and the funds were instead spent on a $20 million new leisure center for horses. Compulsory education was cut by a year so students could no longer qualify to study abroad. The opera house and ballet boarded up, in place of culture came such fanciful projects as the $50 million dollar Turkmenbashi’s World of Fairytales theme park and the world’s largest shoe. Six meters long and one and a half meters tall, it was manufactured to symbolize the "great strides" Turkmenistan had made under Niyazov’s leadership. Numerous editions of Niyazov's, Ruhnama, (book of the soul) - his version of Mao’s Little Red Book - were released. A heady cocktail of pseudo-spiritual cogitations and revisionist history, the book claimed the Turkmen people to be the inventors of the wheel and heirs to Earth’s oldest civilisation. Within a year, most bookstores carried nothing but the Ruhnama, and novelists...

Export/Import

Uzbekistan and Mongolia to Develop Multifaceted Cooperation

On June 24, the first state visit of President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh opened a new page in the development of Uzbek-Mongolian relations. Following negotiations in Taskent between President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on deepening trade and economic cooperation, plans were announced to increase bilateral trade 5 to 10-fold in the coming years. The two leaders tasked their governments to create a joint working group on increasing trade turnover, opening official trading houses in Ulaanbaatar and Tashkent, preparing an Agreement on Preferential Trade, and instigating proposals for simplifying access to both countries’ markets. President Mirziyoyev proposed adopting a medium-term Industrial Cooperation Program, with priority given to identifying partnership in geological exploration, development, and processing of raw materials. In addition, it was mooted that comprehensive cooperation be established in agriculture and related industries and plans were discussed on the launch of large joint livestock complexes in Karakalpakstan, Namangan, and other regions of Uzbekistan. Proposals have already been prepared for the import of meat and related processed products from Mongolia, and in return, poultry meat, fruit, vegetables and other agricultural products from Uzbekistan. Negotiations concluded with an agreement to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of the above. The Mongolian president’s visit also included an Uzbek-Mongolian business forum attended by heads of ministries, government agencies, industry associations, and over 150 representatives from leading companies of both countries. As reported by the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, the forum identified several prospective avenues for increasing trade and economic partnerships in mining, agriculture, construction materials, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food, and banking. Initiatives for the joint exploration of new rare metal and basalt deposits, as well as the creation of joint livestock and agro-clusters aimed at exporting produce were earmarked as particularly promising. Dashzeveg Enkhtuvshin, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia, lauded the potential for expanding trade, investment, and industrial collaboration between the two countries, and encouraged entrepreneurs to intensify their interactions and pursue ambitious joint ventures.

Dialogue among Civilizations International Relations United Nations UN China

UN Supports Uzbekistan and China’s Initiative on International Day of Dialogue Among Civilizations.

The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution entitled “International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations,” which was drafted by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Uzbekistan. The main goal of the resolution is to raise awareness of the value of civilizations' diversity and promote dialogue, mutual respect, and global solidarity, states the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan According to the resolution, June 10th will be declared the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations. More than 80 countries co-sponsored the resolution, including all of the Central Asian states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia. The resolution reflects the ideas proposed by the leadership of Uzbekistan at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in 2023 and the Samarkand SCO summit in 2022. The document stresses the need to promote solidarity for common security and prosperity, strive for constructive cooperation, and mobilize the international community's efforts to achieve peace and sustainable development. The resolution also highlights the contribution of all cultures and civilizations to enriching humanity and recognizes the importance of religious and cultural diversity. The document encourages tolerance, respect, dialogue, and cooperation among different cultures and civilizations.

Humanitarian International Relations Art and Culture

Kazakhstan’s Goodwill Ambassadors

A Goodwill Ambassadors of Kazakhstan project has been newly launched by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the project aims to increase the country’s visibility and promote its achievements abroad. Under the scheme, Kazakhs excelling in art, sports, science, medicine, and other fields are enlisted to expand cultural and humanitarian communications by serving as conduits of peace, friendship, and international solidarity. Addressing the ‘ambassadors’ at the launch ceremony on June 6, Deputy Prime Minister–Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu announced: “In an unprecedented geopolitical environment, public and cultural-humanitarian diplomacy is becoming increasingly in demand. Thanks to your victories and outstanding performances on world stages, arenas, and conferences, our turquoise flag is raised across the globe, and our national anthem resounds with pride.” The profile of participants, publicly recognized for their contribution in shaping a positive image of the country internationally, is wide-ranging and to date, includes: Violin virtuoso, conductor, and director of the Alliance of Orchestras of the Asia-Pacific region Marat Bisengaliev; Olympic champion cyclist Alexander Vinokurov; artist and anti-nuclear activist Karikbek Kuyukov; pop singer Mirhidai Mirfarukh, known globally by his stage name Adam; Chairman of the Executive Board of the University Medical Center Corporate Fund and cardiac surgeon Yuri Pya; political scientist and historical map researcher Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov; chief conductor of the State Academic Folklore and Ethnographic Orchestra named after Tlendiyev “Otyrar Sazy” Dinara Tlendiyeva; and powerlifting world record holder and Guinness Book record holder Sergey Tsyrulnikov.

International Relations

Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev Foresees a Bigger Role for Middle Powers in Solving the World’s Problems

Middle powers, sometimes called “swing states”, may rank below superpowers and great powers in terms of their international influence and capacity, but are still quite instrumental in world affairs as they can often remain neutral in big conflicts and benefit from such factors as their geostrategic location, natural resource wealth, diplomatic and economic strength, and/or military capabilities. They can play a key role in overcoming fragmentation of the world economy and secure supply chains through such transit routes as the Middle Corridor. Today, middle powers have the agility to navigate complex political situations in many parts of the world that greater powers simply lack whether due to their own internal dynamics or because they lack the trust of the parties involved in certain conflicts and issues. In terms of realizing the green transition, middle powers can help secure supplies of critical minerals and other key materials. These countries are also often proponents of finding multilateral solutions to international problems. Kazakhstan is currently among the world’s influential middle powers. On the positive role his country can play, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently wrote in a Euronews opinion piece that, “nations like ours possess the economic strength, military capabilities, and, perhaps more importantly, political will and diplomatic acumen necessary to exert significant sway in the global arena on issues ranging from food and energy security, green transition, and IT to the sustainability of supply chains.” These strengths are particularly relevant amidst a global discord where, in Tokayev’s words, “the traditional powerhouses – the world’s economic and political behemoths – are increasingly unable to work together”. Countries like Kazakhstan, on the other hand, “can ensure stability, peace and development in their immediate regions and beyond” and “carve paths toward compromise and reconciliation”. Kazakhstan has deepened its cooperation with other middle powers within Central Asia and the Caucasus to address cross-border challenges such as water security and countering terrorism and narcotrafficking. Its collaboration with Azerbaijan and Turkey has been critical to actualizing the Middle Corridor project that opens Central Asia to Western markets. Kazakhstan is working closely with European states to guarantee their energy needs. For Asian countries, Kazakhstan has come into focus as an attractive foreign investment destination. These middle power collaborations have been formalized through highest-level bilateral meetings. Tokayev has carried out dozens of such meetings in 2024 year alone. Having come from a long diplomatic career himself, it is encouraging to see President Tokayev’s ongoing support for multilateralism and international cooperation. Kazakhstan will co-chair the inaugural One Water Summit later this year with France to address the global water crisis including the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The event is key to bringing together affected countries and communities from around the world. Additionally, leading regional efforts to counter the effects of climate change, Kazakhstan has offered to host a UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals on Central Asia and Afghanistan. The country is also undertaking initiatives to advance peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “With major powers increasingly unwilling to...