The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan convened in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on August 9 to hold the sixth consultative meeting of the leaders of Central Asian states, RFE/RL reported. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev greeted his counterparts and stressed that the regular meetings of the regional leaders indicate the Central Asian states’
Tajikistan’s First Deputy Interior Minister Abdurahmon Alamshozoda has confirmed reports by RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that 27 residents of the Yazgulom community in the volatile Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) have been arrested. Alamshozoda told journalists in Dushanbe on August 8 that the residents had been arrested on suspicion of being members of the Ansarullah Islamic group, which is
A Bishkek court on August 8 handed a seven-year prison term with a one-year suspension to Maya Alieva, who is the mother of late criminal kingpin Kamchy Kolbaev, on a charge of money laundering, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Alieva’s lawyer said his client will not be imprisoned at all if she does not violate her parole-like restrictions
At the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan business forum in Astana on August 7, the two countries agreed on joint implementation of 34 investment projects worth $4.4 billion and signed trade contracts worth $2.6 billion. As reported by the Kazakh government’s press service, the joint projects will be implemented in energy, mining and geology, transport, chemical industry, construction, electrical
Over 80 media representatives and bloggers from approximately 30 countries have applied to participate in the 9th annual contest “Kazakhstan through the Eyes of Foreign Media.” This contest is traditionally organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan in collaboration with Kazakhstan’s Chief Editors’ Club. It serves as a platform to acknowledge the contributions
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport says works have begun on dredging the port of Kuryk on the Caspian Sea coast. The bottom at the port will be deepened by 1.5-2 meters, which will increase its cargo transshipment capacity and further increase the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). A large European company, Jan de
A deal allowing Tajik and Iranian citizens to travel between the two nations without visas for up to 90 days per year — with the first visit limited to 30 days — will take effect on August 10, the Tajik Foreign Ministry said on August 6, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. The ministry said that in the first
Tajik Labor Minister Gulnora Hasanzoda said on August 6 that Russia had deported 17,000 Tajik citizens over the past six months, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. According to Hasanzoda, the deportations have been mostly linked to violations of Russian law. Last month, Tajik officials said some 3,400 Tajik migrant workers had been returned to Tajikistan from
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 6 August said it has approved a $21 million grant as additional financing to expand the supply of renewable energy in Tajikistan by further modernizing the Golovnaya hydropower plant. “The electricity from the Golovnaya hydropower plant goes to national and regional grids, benefiting Tajikistan and neighboring countries,” said ADB Director General
On August 5, the French transport and logistics airline CMA CGM Air Cargo made its first flight on the Zhengzhou (China)-Navoi (Uzbekistan)-Paris (France) route. The French aircraft landed in Navoi at 06:27 local time. According to tradition, the cargo aircraft was greeted with a water arch, the Uzbekistan Airports Joint Stock Company reported. It is
