International Relations - The Times Of Central Asia

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New Checkpoint Opens on Kyrgyzstan’s Border With China

A new checkpoint has opened along the Kyrgyz-Chinese border, in the settlement of Bedel in the Issyk-Kul region. Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov called the event historic and significant for the country. In his address, Japarov emphasized that opening the Bedel checkpoint is a significant achievement that opens new opportunities for strengthening ties with China, one of the world's leading economies. This step, he said, will significantly increase Kyrgyzstan's transport and logistics potential, and strengthen the strategic partnership with China, symbolizing a new stage in bilateral relations. The issue of opening the Bedel checkpoint has been discussed since 1996, but agreements were reached only last year, during Japarov's state visit to China. The new checkpoint is the third checkpoint on the border between Kyrgyzstan and China. It is located in the remote southeastern region of Kyrgyzstan, about equidistant from the Kyrgyz town of Karakol and the district of Aksu in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Historically, travelers and traders used this pass on the Silk Road. The opening of the Bedel border station is expected to significantly improve trade ties between the two countries, and relieve pressure on existing border crossings.

Bilateral Relations International Relations Moldova Diplomacy

Moldova To Open Embassy in Kazakhstan

The government of Moldova has approved plans to open its first embassy in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana. The opening of the embassy is intended to expand Moldova's diplomatic presence in Central Asia, and strengthen economic and cultural ties with Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is an important regional economic player, with rich energy resources and a significant Moldovan diaspora. According to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry, about 20,000 Moldovan citizens living in Kazakhstan currently have to seek consular assistance from the Moldovan diplomatic mission in Russia. The ministry said that Kazakhstan is a promising market and an essential partner for attracting investments and developing bilateral trade. The opening of the embassy is expected to contribute to a more active political dialog, and create new opportunities for economic cooperation between the countries. The decision also aligns with Moldova's National Development Plan 2025-2027, which aims to expand its diplomatic and consular network worldwide. The country seeks to diversify its trade portfolio, particularly in the European Union or the EU's immediate neighborhood.

Bilateral Cooperation Energy Industry Uranium International Relations Partnership Rare Earth Elements

Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to Cooperate Over Rare-Earth Metals

Kazakhstan’s national atomic company, Kazatomprom, the world's largest producer of uranium, has announced a new strategic partnership with Tajikistan’s TajRedMet (Tajik Rare Metals) in the mining and processing of uranium and rare and rare-earth metals. According to the parties' agreement, the companies will collaborate in exploring, mining, and processing uranium and other rare and rare-earth metals, conducting research and development work, introducing innovative technologies, and training personnel. Meirzhan Yussupov, CEO of Kazatomprom, commented: “This step is of great importance for strengthening the partnership between our companies. Although it is too early to talk about specific results, we are focused on promising joint projects in the uranium industry and rare and rare-earth metals, which can significantly benefit Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.” As part of the agreement, TajRedMet representatives will soon visit Kazakhstan to inspect Kazatomprom's production facilities and assess the potential for further cooperation in more detail. According to an IAEA research paper, Tajikistan has significant mineral resources awaiting development, including rare metals, earth elements, and uranium. Several countries have expressed interest in the development of Tajikistan’s uranium resources. Russia was considering assisting Tajikistan in developing its uranium resources, as well as assisting in geological prospecting, with the aim of involvement in the subsequent extraction and possible processing of uranium. China’s Guangdong Corporation has also expressed an interest in participating in projects to develop Tajik uranium deposits. The Tajik government has also agreed to allow Indian companies to explore for uranium mineralization. In his address to parliament in December 2023, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon ordered the government to focus on mining lithium, tungsten, nickel, and antimony, and develop a program for processing these metals domestically into finished products.

Industry Afghanistan Energy Bilateral Relations Economic Cooperation International Relations

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan To Work Together on Mining Projects

Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have signed five agreements related to mining projects in Afghanistan. The agreements are for the exploration of hydrocarbon fields in the Afghan-Tajik oil and gas basin, the development of copper and gold deposits in the Qandaran district of Zabul province, iron extraction in the Hesh district of Bamyan province, and hydrocarbon resources in the Tuti-Maidan district of Faryab province. There are also plans to build a 120-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Faryab province. These agreements, totaling $1.15 billion, were part of a more comprehensive package of 35 agreements and memorandums of understanding signed between the two countries. These agreements amount to an Uzbek investment in Afghanistan of over $2.5 billion. The latest round of cooperation points to the strengthening of economic ties between Tashkent and Kabul, which is especially important given the region's current geopolitical challenges and financial instability. These agreements can also significantly impact Afghanistan's economic development by providing needed resources and creating jobs in crucial regions of the country.

International Relations CIS Languages Language Russian Influence Education Russia

With the Russian Language Waning in Central Asia, Will Other Languages Replace It?

Russian is still the most widespread foreign language in Kazakhstan, though its role is declining there, and across Central Asia in general. At the same time, the people of the region have been slow to learn other languages, in part due to economic factors such as slowing globalization, according to the Kazakhstani political analyst Zamir Karazhanov, who is head of the Kemel Arna Public Foundation. The language of cities Since declaring independence in 1991, all the counties of Central Asia have made promoting their national languages a priority. But foreign languages, which link the region with the rest of the world, have also historically been seen as critical. In practice, however, the study and use of foreign languages other than Russian is not widespread. The Russian language is losing its prominence in Kazakhstan as the number of ethnic Russians declines. According to official statistics, as of January 1, 2024, Russians made up 14.89% of the country’s population, down from close to 40% in 1989. Nevertheless, thanks to the education system and Kazakhstan’s proximity to Russia, the level of proficiency in Russian remains high. In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian is a second official language. In Tajikistan, it is called the “language of interethnic communication”. In Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, however, it does not have an official status. More than 90% of Kazakhstanis know Russian to some degree, while 20% of the population considers it their native language. Meanwhile, those figures for Turkmenistan are 40% and 12% respectively. In Kyrgyzstan, about 44% know Russian and 5% consider it their native language; in Uzbekistan, it is about 50% and 2.7%; and in Tajikistan, 55% and 0.3%. Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly spoken about the need to preserve the Russian language in Kazakhstan, and the unacceptability of language-based discrimination. Last year, he unveiled the International Russian Language Organization, established by the CIS Heads of State Council. “The new organization is open to all countries and, of course, very relevant from the point of view of global humanitarian cooperation,” explained Tokayev, while underlining that measures to promote the Russian language in the Eurasia region and elsewhere are congruous with the trend of strengthening national identities. “Kazakhstan will continue the policy of bolstering the status of the state language of Kazakh,” Tokayev said at the time. Today, Kazakhstan has many Russian-language media, while Russian remains the lingua franca at meetings among post-Soviet countries. Even though Russian is concentrated in big cities, all Kazakhstanis receive a significant amount of western and other foreign news from Russian sources. “Russian is spoken in most of Kazakhstan. In the biggest city, Almaty, communicating in Russian is not a problem. But, if you move 30-50 km outside the city, it gets harder to speak it. Russian is the language of cities and the language of interethnic interaction,” the political analyst Karazhanov told The Times of Central Asia. “Of course, the number of native speakers of the Kazakh language is growing, and the number of Russian speakers is declining, but Kazakh...

Mutual trade Azerbaijan Bilateral Relations International Cooperation International Relations

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan Seal Lucrative Deals

On August 22, at the invitation of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, arrived in Uzbekistan on a state visit. The event, covered by the presidential text service, included a report on a meeting between the presidents, and the first sitting of the Interstate Supreme Council on August 23, at which Mirziyoyev announced: “Today, we will sign the Treaty on Union Relations. For several years, we have raised Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan relations to the highest level of interstate cooperation." The Uzbek president then referred to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, to be celebrated next year and in turn, Mirziyoyev proposed commemorating the date and declaring 2025, 'Year of Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan'. As a result of the meeting, an agreement was made to adopt a comprehensive program covering 20 prioritized sectors. Cooperation on a portfolio of projects, worth over 2 billion dollars, in energy, chemistry, mining, textile, agriculture, urban development, and other areas was established, and agreement met on increasing the number of air flights, easing surface and air transport procedures, and digital solutions. Mirziyoyev proposed establishing a mechanism for regular meetings between rectors of the two countries' leading universities and holding a joint media forum. Prospects of building tourism and business complexes in the capitals were also discussed to increase the flow of tourists, humanitarians, and business exchanges. In addition, the presidents signed an Agreement on Union Relations, adopted at the first meeting of the Interstate Supreme Council. The meeting closed with a ceremonial signing of bilateral documents comprising: ¾ Intergovernmental agreement on labor activity and protection of citizens’ rights; ¾ Practical action plan for further expansion of trade, economic, and investment cooperation; ¾ Memorandum on cooperation in the fields of preschool education, vocational education, secondary special education, higher education, and science; ¾ Action plan in the field of tourism for 2024-2026; ¾ Cooperation program for 2024-2026 between the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan and the State Agency for Citizen Services and Social Innovation under the President of Azerbaijan; ¾ Memorandum on cooperation between the Center for Professional Development of Lawyers under the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan and the Academy of Justice of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan; ¾ Agreement on cooperation between the National Guard of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, and ¾ Memorandum on cooperation between centers of forensic expertise. During the event, the presidents also met with representatives of companies from both countries including Azerbaijan’s PASHA Holding, SOCAR, SOFAZ, Agalarov Development, Silk Way Group, Matanat, Sarda Group, AzerGold, Azermash, Azerbaijan Investment Holding, Azerbaijan Railways, and Alyat Free Economic Zone. The meeting concluded with the launch of various cooperative projects ranging from the construction of hotel and residential complexes in Tashkent and building material production in the Kashkadarya region (Uzbekistan), to the establishment of textile clusters and a sewing factory in Azerbaijan. To mark the end of the state visit, the two presidents and their wives attended in a concert featuring artists from the two countries.