Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) says that this year, it plans to transport 125 thousand passengers on trains to the country’s Borovoye resort — a record high number over the last three years. Last year, the number of passengers amounted to over 86.2 thousand. Three years ago (in 2020), 10 thousand passengers
According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), today, over 2 billion people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. Without action, the situation will only worsen in the long run. By 2050, drinking water consumption is projected to increase by 1.5 times. This is why the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 is to
The World Bank has released Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Report which serves as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the state of gender equality in the country. Produced with the financial support of the government of the United Kingdom, The World Bank’s Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Report (CGA) examines gender equality in Uzbekistan across several domains,
The High-level Central Asian Forum on ‘Water and Climate Change’, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the European Union and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan earlier this month in Dushanbe, has become a cornerstone of the 3rd High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable
Twenty-two U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer Trainees arrived in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month to support English language education in secondary schools in Chuy, Naryn, Issyk-Kul, Talas, Osh, and Jalal-Abad regions. The Trainees have come to Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of the Kyrgyz Republic’s Ministry of Education and Science. According to the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, the
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Association of Businesswomen “Tadbirkor Ayol” last week hosted the Central Asian Conference on “Women of Central Asia in the Hospitality Business: Current Challenges and Opportunities” in Tashkent. The event gathered approximately 200 women entrepreneurs, professionals, and industry experts from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic
A presentation and signing ceremony for the roadmap to implement a project to construct a salty snack production plant in Kazakhstan took place in Astana last week. The facility, to be located in the Almaty region, will produce potato chips under the globally renowned Lay’s brand. The American company PepsiCo plans to invest $160 million,
Saidjafar Usmonzoda, a prominent member of the Tajik parliament, was detained on June 14 for allegedly “plotting to overthrow the government,” RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon accused Usmonzoda of collaborating with the foreign-based opposition group National Pact of Tajikistan and of speaking with its leader, the self-exiled Sharofiddin Gadoev. Gadoev fled Tajikistan in the early
A court in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has acquitted all members of a group facing 20 years in prison for protesting a border deal with Uzbekistan, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The judge ruled on June 14 that there was insufficient evidence to convict the 27 activists. Earlier this week, prosecutors asked for lengthy sentences for
Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, on June 13 met with Nabil Marc Abdul-Massih, CEO of Swiss INOKS Capital. During the meeting, the parties discussed the company’s interest in expanding investment activities in Kazakhstan, including creating an agricultural fund and concluding an investment agreement, Kazakh Invest reported. Representatives
Bilateral meetings between the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, representatives of the Government of Uzbekistan, and the United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai took place in Tashkent on June 12. The United States and Uzbekistan affirmed their commitment to diversifying the bilateral trade and investment relationship and to deepening dialogue on shared economic priorities. Ambassador
Since 2019, the U.S. government’s Jigerduu Jarandar project – through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – has positively impacted communities across 19 municipalities in the Kyrgyz Republic. With a commitment to fostering active citizenship, the project has benefited over 62,000 residents with new parks, safer sidewalks, improved street lighting, and inclusive playgrounds. The
Several international rights groups on June 12 demanded the immediate release of over two dozen Kyrgyz activists who could be facing 20 years in prison for protesting a border deal with Uzbekistan, RFE/RL reported. Prosecutors in Kyrgyzstan asked a court in Bishkek on June 10 to hand down lengthy sentences to 27 members of a Kyrgyz group
On June 12, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Kazakhstan and held talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The two leaders also took part in the Kazakh-Korean business forum in Astana. During the negotiations, the parties discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in such areas as energy, infrastructure and industry, mechanical engineering, trade, transport and logistics,
Participants in the first Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Turkmenistan pitched their business ideas to a panel of business experts in Ashgabat. The event on June 8 marked the conclusion of the AWE program, launched in March this year and implemented in Turkmenistan by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the country’s Union of
On June 12 in Astana, the European Commission and Kazakhstan launched the Coordination Platform of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the Coordination Platform will improve the safety and sustainability of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and will turn the corridor into a
Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, met with Seung-Chan Jung, the Managing Director of Samsung C&T Corporation in Turkey and Central and Eastern Europe. During the meeting, the parties discussed the company’s plans for cooperation in construction and modernization of energy facilities in Kazakhstan and in renewable energy
A court in Kazakhstan’s northeastern city of Oskemen handed prison terms to two local residents on June 11 on charges of separatism and calls to seize power, RFE/RL reported. The Prosecutor’s Office in the East Kazakhstan region said the two, whose identities were not disclosed, were sentenced to five years in prison each for statements they made
Marat Karabayev, Kazakhstan’s minister of transport, believes that as a bridge between the East and the West, Kazakhstan will continue to play its part in facilitating regional and global trade. In his article published in the Chinese publication, South China Morning Post, Karabayev says that trade between Asia and Europe has faced challenges as a result
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on June 11 said it is pledging new funds to boost the efficiency of electricity supply in the Kyrgyz Republic by providing a financial package of up to €14 million to the government to be on-lent to the National Electric Grid of the Kyrgyz Republic, a majority state-owned electricity transmission
