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First Kazakh Kindergarten Has Opened in California’s Silicon Valley

The first Kazakh kindergarten in the U.S. has opened in the state of California, and its a project developed and operated by natives of Kazakhstan. The main purpose of the educational center is to work for the preservation of national culture abroad, reports the news site 24.KZ. The idea to create a kindergarten replete with Kazakh-language instruction education came to Zhanna Atabekova. According to her, through the new school, citizens of Kazakhstan who live and work in Silicon Valley can now instill national values in their children. "We want our child to receive the same upbringing as if he or she was raised by grandparents. This kindergarten is important to preserve our language," parents stated. Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke out on the issue of a national language policy, expressing confidence that Kazakh would become the main language of inter-ethnic communication. At the end of last year, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor and Social Protection reported on its efforts to open education and training centers to help prepare Kazakhs for work abroad. According to official data, more than 194,000 citizens currently work abroad: 162,700 in Russia, 13,100 in Poland, 6,000 in South Korea, and 5,000 in Britain.

Investments US Central Asia Export/Import Economy Uzbekistan

American Company Launches CO2 Production in Uzbekistan

The American company Air Products is planning to open a carbon dioxide (CO2) production project in Uzbekistan. The corresponding agreement, worth $15 million, was signed with Navoi Nitrogen (Navoiazot) chemical complex. The plant will be the first and so far the only one of its kind in Uzbekistan, and will use untreated CO2 captured at the ammonia production line. Production of high-purity carbon dioxide will allow its use in beverage production, food packaging, welding mixtures, for blast freezing of food products, the agro-industrial complex, greenhouses, water purification, dry ice production, and more. The plant, which will have a capacity of 120 tons of CO2 per day, will reduce the consumption of natural gas, which is currently the main source of CO2 generation. "Using CO2 in greenhouses allows farmers to harvest 20-40 percent more crops. For example, in Holland and Spain, 60 percent to 90 percent of greenhouses use carbon dioxide to enrich the atmosphere. Uzbekistan's agriculture has great potential, and competent use of CO2 will allow it to achieve excellent results," believes Kirill Korotkov, commercial director for Air Products Uzbekistan. Air Products began operations in Uzbekistan in 2019, and to date has implemented a number of projects in the oil & gas and chemical industries. In September 2023, during a working visit of Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev to New York, he met with Air Products's chairman Seifi Ghasemi. The parties considered the expansion of their strategic partnership -- with investments totaling up to $1 billion.

Kyrgyzstan US Tajikistan Kazakhstan Security Export/Import weapons

U.S. to Restrict Firearms Exports to Central Asian Countries

From the end of May the U.S. will restrict exports of all firearms to non-government entities in high-risk countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to the statement, the Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a regulation “amending the Department’s licensing policy for exports of firearms, ammunition, and related components under its jurisdiction.” The decision concerns export to non-governmental organizations. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are among 36 countries included on the list of high-risk nations. As part of the new changes to the regulations, the administration is also shortening the validity period of arms export licenses to one year from four years. The changes are aimed at reducing the risk of increasing instability in the regions of the world through the illicit use of American weapons.

Air Pollution Social Uzbekistan US

U.S. Government Discusses Data From Air Quality Monitor at Tashkent Embassy

On April 22, a press conference was held at the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan with American air quality specialist and researcher Jay Turner speaking to media representatives about the air quality monitoring device installed at the embassy in Tashkent in 2018. According to Turner, the device monitors the concentration of air particles every hour: data is taken every 53 minutes, the remaining seven minutes are spent analyzing it, and the results are compared to the previous hour. Devices recently installed by Uzhydromet also monitor air quality hourly, and their data is roughly similar to that recorded at the U.S. Embassy. However, there are aspects that should be taken into account when comparing the results, says Turner. “It is required to follow certain protocols during the monitoring process. The equipment at the embassy follows these protocols, which I have checked myself. If we assume that Uzhydromet follows these protocols and submits its reports, it can be said that it will be the same as our data,” he said. Turner mentioned that work is currently underway to determine the differences between the monitoring devices. “To find an answer to this question, the U.S. State Department has allocated grant funds to Duke University and plans to install inexpensive air quality monitoring sensors throughout Tashkent. A portion of them has already been installed,” he stated.

Kyrgyzstan US International Cooperation Economic Cooperation

Kyrgyzstan and U.S. Review Political, Security and Economic Cooperation

On April 22 Bishkek hosted Annual Bilateral Consultations led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Aibek Moldogaziev and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs John Mark Pommersheim. Referencing the historic C5+1 Summit held on September 22, 2023 in New York, the parties commended its positive impact on regional cooperation and the U.S.-Kyrgyzstan commitment to enhancing U.S.-Central Asia regional partnership. Deputy Foreign Minister Moldogaziev and Deputy Assistant Secretary Pommersheim reaffirmed the importance of annual bilateral consultations in advancing shared priorities, including political and security cooperation, economic partnership and support for civil society and rule of law. Under security cooperation, discussions focused on counterterrorism, border protection, global health security, and continued defense cooperation, with the United States reiterating its unwavering support for Kyrgyzstan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. Both sides emphasized their commitment to grow and diversify the Kyrgyz economy, increase U.S. private sector investment, improve regional connectivity and trade, expand agricultural cooperation, and advance partnership on critical minerals and the green economy. Collaboration on the continued commitment to addressing social issues included furthering economic opportunities for persons with disabilities, and measures to protect public health. Looking towards the realization of creating a resilient, prosperous, and secure Kyrgyzstan, delegates listed media freedom, a strong civil society, respect for human rights -including women’s rights- stronger protection against gender-based violence, judicial independence, and combating corruption, as essential. The parties also discussed the importance of continuing to increase cooperation through educational and English language programmes, emphasizing the important role of direct personal interaction in the countries’ bilateral relationship.

Finance European Union Russia US Kazakhstan Banking Central Asia China Economy

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Debt Increases by $4 Billion in Five Years With Russia Growing as Creditor

According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, at the beginning of 2024 the external financial obligations of the republic reached almost $163 billion, whilst in 2019 this figure stood at $158.8 billion. The Netherlands are Kazakhstan's largest creditor with $42.6 billion owed, followed by the U.K. with $13.8 billion, and then Russia at $12.95 billion. Over five years, Kazakhstan's debt to Russia (+47.1%) and multilateral organizations (+28.5%) increased significantly. At the same time, the amount of debt held by legacy creditors decreased, including that held by the Netherlands (-12.9%), the U.K. (-37%), the U.S. (-7.4%), France (-4.3%), China (-20.7%) and Japan (-17%). Last December, the Asian Development Bank approved a $350 million loan to Kazakhstan. This was allocated to reform the country's financial management and increase the economy's resilience against external shocks. In February of this year, the World Health Organization, with the support of the World Bank, launched a Pandemic Fund project in Kazakhstan. For this purpose, the republic was allocated a grant totaling $19 million, as well as a multilateral grant of $27 million for three years. Earlier, former chief auditor of Kazakhstan, Natalia Godunova, criticized the use of international funds by government agencies, saying that the procedure is inefficient.