In anticipation of his official visit to Kazakhstan on April 18-19, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, by his decree dated April 12, 2024, awarded a number of Kazakh public figures with state awards of the Kyrgyz Republic for their significant contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan. The
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
The Ministry of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan said it had instructed local Internet providers to limit access to TikTok as of April 18, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The ministry explained the move by citing a letter by the State Committee for National Security expressing concerns over the content on TikTok that may negatively affect children.
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.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Gender Issues Programme with the financial support of the European Union and in close cooperation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the OSCE Academy has launched the Young Women for Peace Initiative for Central Asia. The opening event, held on 15 April in Bishkek,
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has announced that the draft Agreement between the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan on the joint implementation of the project for the construction and operation of Kambarata hydroelectric power plant (HPP)-1 has been posted on Kazakhstan’s official Internet portal, Open Legal Acts, for public discussion. The Agreement determines the terms
Kazakhstan has cancelled the Astana International Forum that was scheduled for June 13-14 this year due to the current unprecedented spring floods that hit the northern regions of the country. Central Asia’s leading international conference, the Astana International Forum 2024 was expected to gather government and business leaders from around the world to exchange perspectives
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on April 15 signed into law amendments and additions to legislative acts and the code on administrative offenses to ensure the rights of women and the safety of children. The amendments were passed by Kazakhstan’s parliament on April 11. The new legislation introduces criminal liability for beatings and intentional infliction of
On April 15, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Armenia and held negotiations in Yerevan with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. Speaking to journalists after the talks, Tokayev said it was his first official visit to Yerevan and emphasized that Armenia is a very important and reliable partner of Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus. “Our
On April 15, the Second Foreign Ministerial Meeting of the Strategic Dialogue “Central Asia – Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf” was held in Tashkent under the chairmanship of the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov. The event was attended by the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) inaugurated a new water system in Rohati village of Rudaki District in Tajikistan. The new system provides more than 3,000 people (455 households) with safe drinking water. This is one of 12 communities that USAID is supporting with rehabilitated water supply systems through public-private partnerships, ensuring systems
Economic growth in Uzbekistan is expected to decrease in 2024 due to the impact of higher prices on household disposable income, according to a new flagship report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2024, ADB projects gross domestic product (GDP) growth for Uzbekistan to be 5.5% in 2024, followed
Madina Abdikadyr, the Project Manager of National Company Kazakh Invest, on April 12 met with Ahmad Kilani, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian company EIPICO, to discuss the company’s plans to build a full-cycle biopharmaceutical plant on the territory of Saran industrial zone in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region. The planned investment volume will
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released its latest Macroeconomic Review for the Bank’s six member states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. According to EDB analysts, despite the challenging foreign economic environment, the region where the Bank operates continues to display robust growth. In early 2024, short-term economic activity indicators demonstrated sustained
Kyrgyzstan is sending the second batch of humanitarian aid to neighboring Kazakhstan suffering from unprecedented spring floods, 24.kg news agency reported with reference to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan. The new humanitarian cargo consists of Kyrgyzstan-made dairy products — 10 thousand liters of kefir, 14.2 thousand packs of sour cream, 10 thousand liters
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
Tajikistan’s economic growth is projected to decelerate slightly in 2024 and 2025 due to weaker remittances, fiscal space constraints, and subdued global demand for Tajikistan’s major export commodities, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow at 6.5% both this year and next after registering 8.3% growth in
A Kazakh-Finnish roundtable was held in Astana on April 11 with the participation of the Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Mansur Oshurbayev, and the Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland, Ville Tavio. The event, organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and national company Kazakh Invest,
On April 11, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting of the national headquarters for the response to unprecedented spring floods in the country’s northern regions, with the main focus on the northwestern regions, where a second wave of floods is expected. Large volumes of water caused by the rapid spring snowmelt are
Kyrgyzstan’s economy is expected to grow moderately in 2024 and 2025 with slower gains in construction and services, eventually reaching its long-term potential rate, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report. The Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2024, ADB’s flagship economic publication, forecasts the Kyrgyz Republic’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to slow to
