During a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan on July 4, the leaders of the SCO member states accepted Belarus as a new member of the Eurasian political and security bloc founded by China and Russia in 2001. With the addition of Belarus, the SCO membership has now expanded from originally
The chief of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, said on June 27 that about 10,000 migrant workers with Russian passports have been sent to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. Bastrykin called the move “a good feature that led to the situation when migrants started slowly leaving Russia.” Bastrykin added that his
The Osh regional court in southern Kyrgyzstan told RFE/RL on June 24 that a lower court had sentenced a local man, whose identity was not disclosed, to five years in prison two weeks earlier for joining Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. In January, a Bishkek court handed a suspended seven-year prison
Long-term contracts for Russian natural gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan have been signed between Gazprom Export and Gazprom Kyrgyzstan. Long-term contracts for gas supplies have also been concluded between Gazprom Kyrgyzstan and two large gas consumers in Kyrgyzstan — Electric Stations and the Bishkekteploenergo municipal heating enterprise. Gazprom Kyrgyzstan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom
Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, said on June 4 that it had discovered the name and details of a person who it believes is Yelizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in the national taxpayer registry of Kazakhstan. Systema said it found personal data in online sources that aligns with Peskova, adding she most likely
On May 27, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the Uzbek government signed an agreement on the construction of a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. The agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Uzbekistan. The project involves the construction of a small nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region of
Russia and Uzbekistan have signed an agreement to build a small nuclear power plant in the Central Asian country. The agreement was one of several deals signed on May 27 in Tashkent between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. The Uzbek leader hailed the project as “vital” in a
Major companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan have shown interest in investing in Afghanistan’s oil and gas mines, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported citing the country’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. Homayoon Afghan, spokesperson for the ministry, says they welcome foreign companies to invest in Afghanistan’s oil and gas mines. According to Mr. Afghan, recently two large
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Labor Migration Agency on May 17 called on the Central Asian nation’s citizens who may have broken laws in Russia to avoid travel to neighboring Kazakhstan, citing Kazakh-Russian agreements on joint efforts against crime, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. According to the agency, Uzbeks registered in Russia’s database as violators will be arrested if they cross
Armenia said on May 8 that it has stopped making financial contributions to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) after effectively suspending its membership in the Russian-led military alliance, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. “Armenia will refrain from signing up to the November 23, 2023, decision on the CSTO budget for 2024 and, thereby, from participating
All five Central Asian presidents are scheduled to attend a parade on Red Square in Moscow on May 9 to commemorate the victory in the Second World War in 1945, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on May 7 said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President
Amid Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and geopolitical confrontation with the West, the Kremlin is taking efforts to strengthen its influence in Kazakhstan, Moldova, other countries of Central Asia, and in the South Caucasus. For this purpose, Russia has launched information campaigns using various news agencies and Internet platforms to disseminate Moscow’s narrative in
Kyrgyzstan has advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia in the face of rising scrutiny of Central Asians in the country following the deadly Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow in late March, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry issued the travel advisory on May 2, warning Kyrgyz citizens of intensified checks and controls at
A Kyrgyz man who was handed a suspended seven-year prison term for joining Russia’s armed forces and fighting in Ukraine is expected to obtain Russian citizenship, Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said over the weekend, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Askar Kubanychbek-uulu told Russian journalists that he had fled Kyrgyzstan via neighboring Kazakhstan and is
Tajikistan has advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia amid increased pressures faced by Central Asians there following the deadly Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow last month, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. The Tajik Foreign Ministry issued the “temporary” advisory on April 27, a day after Tajik officials expressed concerns about Tajiks being “unjustifiably” denied entry to
On April 17, the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliev and the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Nikolay Shulginov signed an agreement on the construction of coal-fired thermal power plants in the cities of Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk in Kazakhstan. According to Minister Satkaliev, the construction of three new thermal power plants
Russia continues to recruit foreign citizens for military service to participate in the war against Ukraine. For joining the Russian army, foreigners are offered a monthly salary of $2,200, a one-time payment of $2,000, a Russian passport, free medical care and training, Deutsche Welle reported with reference to information from the UK Ministry of Defense.
Tajikistan’s foreign minister on April 12 condemned the treatment of the mostly Tajik suspects in last month’s terrorist attack on a Moscow-area concert hall that killed more than 140 people, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, speaking in Minsk at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), also criticized what he said was
Another lawmaker in Russia has made remarks concerning Kazakhstan, which might create tension between the two countries, Orda.kz reports. In a comment to the Russian National News Service, Mikhail Delyagin, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, said that long delays in processing money transfers from Russia to Kazakhstan are “sabotage by
The Tajik Foreign Ministry on April 6 rejected a statement by the director of Russia’s Security Council that Ukraine has recruited mercenaries in Tajikistan, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Nikolai Patrushev earlier last week accused officials of the Ukrainian Embassy in Dushanbe of recruiting mercenaries to participate in military operations, including against Russia. He made the
