On November 27, over 40 representatives from Central Asia, OSCE executive structures, UN entities and civil society organizations gathered for the Second Meeting of the Central Asia Regional Expert Council (REC) on the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returnees. The REC was inaugurated in Tashkent in May 2024 upon President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative. The
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says it is launching three Women’s Creative Labs in At-Bashy, Kochkor, and Kyzart villages in Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn region. These Labs will be run by the Public Foundation “Alliance of Trainers and Consultants – PF ATiK” and the Public Association “Naryn Center for Economic Development”. The Women’s Creative Lab is
Air Products, a world-leading industrial gases company, and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a state-of-the-art Makerspace in Qarshi, Uzbekistan. On November 26, U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick and Air Products Vice President for Central Europe and Central Asia Vaclav Harant officially signed the
The U.S. Government’s Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Public Organization Ilmhona, and other international and private donors, on November 23 hosted the Regional Tech Jam Forum 2024 in Dushanbe. Since its inception in 2021, Tech Jam has become an important platform for young professionals, IT experts, and industry leaders to connect
Soltan Achilova, a veteran journalist and former RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan, was forcibly hospitalized in Ashgabat on November 20 in what appears to be a move by the government to prevent her from flying to Geneva to receive an international award, RFE/RL’s Current Time reported. According to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan website, four men in medical gowns
The Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan in partnership with the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), and the UNDP Seoul Policy Center on November 15 held an event to present the results of the impact assessment of reporting on corruption cases and a draft law to
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 19 handed over laboratory equipment valued at $205,000 to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Agency (PPQA) of Uzbekistan in a ceremony held in Tashkent. This donation is part of USAID’s ongoing support to strengthen Uzbekistan’s agricultural health infrastructure. The new equipment, featuring advanced technology for secure
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to improve water security and ensure a sustainable water supply in the Kyrgyz Republic by providing up to €17 million for infrastructure upgrades in the north of the country. The financial package consists of a Bank loan of up to €7.6 million and a similar-sized
According to the Open Doors report, a comprehensive resource on international student mobility, the number of international students in the United States reached an all-time high of more than 1.1 million (1,126,690) during the 2023/2024 academic year—a 7% increase from the previous year. Students from Uzbekistan also contributed significantly to this growth, with an 11.9%
Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) said that a pilot tourist train, Jibek Joly (Silk Road), will depart on November 16 from Almaty on the route Almaty-Turkestan-Tashkent-Almaty. The duration of the tour will be 5 days — from November 16 to 20. A total of 115 tourists will go on the first trip,
At the Kazakhstan-Serbian Business Forum held in Belgrade on November 12, Ulugbek Orazov, deputy general director for commerce of KTZ Express JSC (a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy), presented the company’s key initiatives aimed at developing infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which
The Swiss project “Medical Education Reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic” presented the results achieved over the last 10 years at the conference dedicated to its finalization on November 12 in Bishkek. Local and international partners and donors at the conference discussed the achievements of the project and also future perspectives and sustainability of the results
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry has said that starting from November 18, 2024, Kazakhstan is implementing updated visa regulations aimed at creating favorable conditions for business immigrants, skilled professionals, and travelers. The new measures include: – B9 Visa – for representatives of sought-after professions, which allows further registration of a residence permit; – Digital Nomad Visa
Member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program have endorsed a new Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) and launched the CAREC Climate and Sustainability Project Preparatory Fund (CSPPF) to strengthen regional collaboration on climate resilience, low-carbon growth, and sustainable development. The endorsement took place at the 23rd CAREC Ministerial Conference held in Astana on
Germany has deported a Tajik anti-government activist to Dushanbe despite warnings by rights groups and opposition politicians that he may face torture and imprisonment if returned to Tajikistan, RFE/RL reported. Dilmurod Ergashev, 40, was handcuffed and had a black bag put over his head upon arrival in Tajikistan on November 7, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on X, citing
Kazakhstan’s Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative has been named the winner of the prestigious Earthshot Prize 2024 in the “Protect and Restore Nature” category, awarded by His Royal Highness Prince William. The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative has received the prestigious prize in recognition of its vision and results to conserve and restore the steppe ecosystem in
Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported with reference to the November 6 report of The Insider investigative group. According to the report, German police officers found Ergashev lying in a pool of blood in a cell in a deportation center. Ergashev
Late in October, the EU disbursed EUR 7 million as a budget support grant towards the education sector in Kyrgyzstan, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said. The EU’s engagement is centred on supporting the Ministry of Education’s work in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), alongside a
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to introduce a public-private partnership (PPP) model to Kazakhstan’s healthcare-sector by arranging a financing package of €365 million provided by six financial institutions for the construction and operation of a 630-bed multidisciplinary hospital in the city of Kokshetau. The financing, including the EBRD’s own
The European Union says it is launching a new four-year project to strengthen engagement with civil society organizations (CSOs) in Central Asia, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinators’ and national governments. The project, which will be coordinated by a regional project team
