Author: Wm Walton

A village in a remote corner of southern Kyrgyzstan is experiencing a shocking rash of suicides among married women. According to reporting by the BBC Kyrgyz service, all the women who took their lives in Andarak, a settlement of around 8,000 people in the Batken region, were ethnic Tajiks with Kyrgyz citizenship. Determining the ultimate causes of the despair that drives people to such desperate measures is complicated. Members of the community highlight the social and economic difficulties shared by all the victims. “The other day I was in Andarak to attend the funeral of a young mother to two children who…

The Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic (ATC SCNS KR), in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, organized a roundtable on implementing the Programme of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on countering extremism and terrorism for 2023-2027 and its Action Plan. The event brought together high-level representatives of the Kyrgyz government. The participants discussed the outcomes of the 2017-2022 Programme for countering extremism and terrorism and were introduced to the objectives of the new 2023-2027 Programme, along with its Action Plan. The focus was on implementation mechanisms, anticipated…

The tourism agencies of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan plan to develop cooperation in several directions, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. Jamshid Abdusalomov, the first deputy head of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, met with Abilqasim Sherniyazov, the president of the Kyrgyz Tourism Development Fund. Opportunities for cooperation in the field of transport were discussed at the meeting. One of the main topics was the launch of Tokyo-Tashkent-Bishkek joint flights. However, the details of the plans in this direction were not given. In addition, as previously reported, the parties discussed the possibility of establishing additional bus routes from Osh to the…

Shares in Chaarat Gold Holdings rose 17% after the company said its subsidiary Chaarat Zaav has signed a $82.8 million construction deal for its Tulkubash gold project in Kyrgyzstan. At 0950 GMT, shares were up 0.70 pence at 4.80 pence. The gold-mining company said Wednesday that its subsidiary has signed an engineering, procurement and construction deal with the local venture of Chinese state-owned company Power China under which it will oversee the design and construction of the Tulkubash project. “This is a key contract that fixes the majority of the project cost and materially de-risks the delivery of the Project,”…

At the end of July 2023, wheat imports to Kyrgyzstan increased 1.6 times compared to last year. The National Statistical Committee provided such data, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg news agency. At least 181,200 tons of wheat were imported into the country for the first seven months of this year. In the same period of 2022, the figure was 71,600 tons less. The main amount of wheat was imported from Russia — 176,200 tons. In addition, there were supplies from Kazakhstan (4,900 tons) and Turkey (200 kilograms). Earlier, the Antimonopoly Regulation Service reported that it had set purchase prices for food wheat grain.…

Kyrgyz-Indonesian business forum will take place in Bishkek on September 11, Sunaryo Kartadinata, Ambassador of Indonesia to Kyrgyzstan said during his meeting with Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aibek Moldogaziev, Trend reports. Kartadinata mentioned that the forum is part of the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia. Representatives from both countries’ governmental bodies and businesses will participate in the event. During the meeting, the parties discussed key topics on the agenda of Kyrgyz-Indonesian cooperation. This included discussions about the prospects for further collaboration in the halal industry, patent law, and the strengthening of…

The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) of Kyrgyzstan commented on the message about possible U.S. sanctions measures against the country, Azernews reports, citing Kabar. In connection with reports from the United States about the introduction of economic measures against Kyrgyzstan “in order to stop the supply of sub-sanctioned goods to Russia”, the SCNS considers it necessary to inform the public about the following: “It can be affirmatively stated that neither the Kyrgyz state itself nor any state structures and companies are involved in violating the regime of compliance with the sanctions restrictions imposed by the United States and Western…

On the day I arrive in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, it’s almost impossible to see the mountains that loom behind the city because of the smog. By the late morning, they have started to appear. Second-hand cars from around the world jam the four-lane highways that make up the city’s post-Soviet grid. Left-hand-drive cars (the correct side for Kyrgyz roads) are prized. My driver is on the right. He swerves to avoid a container lorry covered with Chinese symbols. ‘If you’re walking, you’re poor. The car is like the new horse,’ explains Anton Usov, chief spokesman for central Asia at the…

Premier Li Qiang stressed on Friday China’s willingness to enhance connectivity in trade with Kyrgyzstan and boost bilateral cooperation over industries, people-to-people exchanges and security during a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Beijing. Li told Japarov, who is in China on a state visit and also attending the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, that the two sides should move forward with all-round cooperation and high-quality development, and jointly implement outcomes from the Xi’an summit. The two nations elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era during Japarov’s visit. The Kyrgyz president told…

A 22-year-old man kidnapped a married woman in Bishkek. Press service of the Central Internal Affairs Department of the capital reported. On March 4, a man turned to the police and told that on the same day at about 4.30 p.m. in Kalys-Ordo residential area someone put his wife in a car against her will and took her away in an unknown direction. A criminal case has been initiated on the fact under Article 165 «Kidnapping» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. The 22-year-old suspect was detained and placed in a temporary detention center. Source: 24 KG