Deputy Prime Minister–Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, during his visit to Geneva on February 26, held a number of bilateral meetings with the heads of international organizations. At the meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the current global challenges, deepening regional cooperation between the countries of Central Asia, as well as the
The Tashkent City Court sentenced 23 people — including an Indian national — to prisons terms of up to 20 years after a cough syrup imported into Uzbekistan from India killed 68 children in 2022, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. In reading out the court’s verdict on February 26, the judge said Indian national Ragvendra Pradar, who is
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice President of Policy and Partnerships Mark Bowman will visit the Kyrgyz Republic from 27 February to 1 March for meetings with senior government officials, the diplomatic community and Bank clients, the EBRD said. During his three-day programme, Mr Bowman will meet with Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov, Minister
Karakalpak activist Aqylbek Muratov (aka Muratbai), who was arrested in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, at Uzbekistan’s request earlier in February has been given asylum seeker status in Kazakhstan, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. A relative of Muratov, Fariza Narbekova, told RFE/RL on February 26 that Kazakh officials had given him an asylum seeker’s certificate three days earlier. A
A conference on international cooperation in the area of the protection of rights and freedoms of citizens took place in Tashkent on February 23. The conference, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), brought together 100 international experts and government representatives, including more than 20 ombudspersons and representatives of international organizations, the U.S.
Tajikistan’s Supreme Court has handed prison terms to three well-known public figures for writing, editing, and publishing a book that highlights some of the challenges faced by those living in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic, which the authorities ordered cleared from bookstores, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Several sources told RFE/RL on February 23 that the court
Earlier this month, Tajik migrant workers in the Russian city of Samara were scared after Sunatullo Nazriev, the leader of the local Tajik diaspora, called on Tajiks who have Russian citizenship and those who want to get Russian passports in an expedited way to join Russia’s armed forces fighting in Ukraine. According to the migrant
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said his country has frozen its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as Yerevan continues to distance itself from Moscow amid a souring of bilateral relations, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. Pashinian said in an interview with France 24 television channel on February 22 that the move comes after
The Kyrgyz parliament on February 22 approved on second reading a controversial bill that would allow authorities to register organizations as “foreign representatives” in a way that critics say mirrors repressive Russian legislation on so-called foreign agents, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Dozens of nongovernmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan have called on lawmakers to reject the bill,
The Kyrgyz Central Election Commission on February 22 annulled the mandates of lawmakers Iskender Matraimov and Nurlan Rajabaliev at their own requests, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The former is a brother and the latter a close associate of the former deputy chief of the Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, who was added to the wanted list
On February 21, Nobel Systems Inc., a leading provider of geospatial solutions, announced the successful completion of the groundbreaking Digital Twin project in collaboration with Uzsuvtaminot, the national water management agency of Uzbekistan, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan reported. The Digital Twin initiative aimed to revolutionize water management practices in Uzbekistan by leveraging advanced technologies
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director David Hoffman, along with relevant Government of Uzbekistan stakeholders, on February 20 launched the five-year USAID All Children Succeeding program in Tashkent. The event gathered ministries and government agencies, UN organizations, disabled persons organizations, and international education experts. The Government of Uzbekistan has taken decisive action to secure
Members of Kazakh parliament’s lower chamber, the Mazhilis, on February 21, approved the first reading of a bill that would allow life imprisonment for individuals convicted of pedophilia and/or the murder of children, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. The bill comes after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered in his address to the nation in September 2023 that
On February 20 in Ashgabat, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova met with Leandro Slowinski, the editorial director of The Investor magazine, published by the French consulting company Beyond Investments Group. Mr. Slowinski expressed the interest of the magazine’s editors in researching the trade and economic potential of Turkmenistan for a broader
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the National Programme of Action for the Digitalization of Agriculture as a result of a pivotal one-year technical assistance project. The launch event on February 20 brought together national and international stakeholders in Tashkent to present the National Programme, providing insights into its vision,
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu on February 20 received the newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary General–Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Kakha Imnadze, who arrived in Kazakhstan as part of his tour of the Central Asian countries, the Kazakh
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released the latest Macroeconomic Review for its six member states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In the face of a challenging external economic environment, the Review says, the EDB region saw a strong recovery in 2023, with the aggregate GDP of the Bank’s member states increasing
On February 19, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme titled “Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs”. The programme will serve as an online platform for exchange, learning, and dialogue for 21 women-led businesses from Central Asia. Through a series of workshops,
The Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on February 18 signed several strategic agreements aimed at strengthening a long-term partnership in achieving national development priorities. UNDP and the Government of Turkmenistan signed the following new initiatives to support the country in accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: “Assistance
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Shinhan Bank Kazakhstan (SBK) are helping to increase the capacity and attractiveness of Kazakhstan’s major conference hub, the Atakent Business Cooperation Centre in Almaty, by financing its expansion, the EBRD said on February 19. The EBRD will share half of the risk of a KZT 3 billion (US$ 6.6 million) loan
