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Kyrgyz drivers crossing into Uzbekistan are being charged a $15 fee if their vehicle windows are tinted, a policy that has drawn criticism from Kyrgyz lawmaker Dastan Bekeshev. Speaking during an April 2 session of the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan), Bekeshev urged the government to either introduce a reciprocal fee for Uzbek vehicles entering Kyrgyzstan or to negotiate with Tashkent to eliminate the charge altogether. Addressing Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev, Bekeshev explained that many Kyrgyz citizens regularly travel between Jalal-Abad and Batken, routes that often require passage through Uzbek territory. “They charge $15 for every car with tinted rear windows, almost every day. But we don’t charge them anything,” he said. The fee is collected via Uzbekistan’s MBANK mobile application, streamlining payment for drivers. Many Kyrgyz citizens consider the charge unjustified and burdensome. Tinting regulations differ significantly between the two countries. In Kyrgyzstan, individuals must pay 50,000 KGS (around $576) annually to tint their vehicle windows, while businesses pay 70,000 KGS (about $807). In Uzbekistan, rear window tinting is permitted at no cost, but tinting front windows costs approximately 3 million UZS (around $234) per year. Kulubaev acknowledged that the issue had not been formally raised before but assured lawmakers that it would be examined. “We can discuss this on a mutual basis and bring it up at an intergovernmental commission meeting,” he stated. Uzbekistan introduced the $15 fee in 2018 through a government decree aimed at regulating vehicle window tinting. Proceeds from the fee are directed to the state budget. The debate now centers on whether Kyrgyzstan should adopt a reciprocal policy or seek a bilateral agreement to eliminate the fee, a decision that may set a precedent for broader discussions on regional transportation and cross-border regulations.
On April 27 activists from the Warsaw Post-Soviet Dissident Alliance will hold a protest in Warsaw, Poland, against the Turkmen government. The event is being organized in memory of the dozens of victims of the 2020 windstorm in the city of Turkmenabat. The protest will mark the fourth anniversary of the April 27 storm that brought hurricane-force winds to Turkmenabat. The storm claimed dozens of lives, but authorities in Ashgabat have never mentioned it -- nor have they offered any support to the victims' families. Rather, criminal cases were opened against the volunteers who tried to help people in the city on their own, the Warsaw Alliance have claimed in a statement. The Alliance is demanding that Turkmen authorities acknowledge the storm as a historical fact, disclose the number of dead and injured, pay compensation to the injured citizens and their families, and declare April 27 as a day of mourning. On 27 April 2020 there was a severe windstorm in Turkmenistan. The gales damaged a number of settlements in the Turkmenabat region, leaving hundreds of people homeless. Electricity, gas and drinking water were cut off for several days in places like Lebap, Turkmanabat (partially), Kerki and Farob (completely). Turkmen state television made no mention of the storm. The windstorm also crossed into Uzbekistan, where one death and 41 injuries of various degrees were reported. In contrast to the response of the Turkmen government, Uzbekistan's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev immediately flew to the city of Bukhara, where there was the most damage, to meet with residents.
A man burned down the main city tree of the administrative center of the Zhambyl region in the city of Taraz. He was detained, and information about the incident was confirmed by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. “On December 31 at 08:30am, video surveillance cameras recorded the arson of a Christmas tree installed in the park. The police detained a 56-year-old man. The suspect confessed and was taken to a temporary detention facility," the ministry stated. The police indicated that a pre-trial investigation has been launched under Article 202 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (deliberate destruction or damage to someone else’s property). Witnesses to the incident actively distributed a video on social networks. According to the local publication, Orda.kz, the reason for the crime was the man’s belief, according to his explanation, that the New Year should not be celebrated in Kazakhstan. The damage caused by his actions is estimated to be 2.8 million tenge ($6,150).
