Author: Gulzada Saliev

In a picture distributed by Kyrgyzstan’s National Security Committee following his arrest, Askar Kubanychbek-uulu can be seen posing for a selfie sporting a baseball cap and military fatigues. Next to him is another man wearing the blue-and-white-striped “telnyashka” undershirt widely associated with the Russian military. The photo was likely taken in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk after the Kyrgyz citizen signed up to fight in Moscow’s war in Ukraine in the summer of 2022. Kubanychbek-uulu is presently far away from the front line, serving a 10-year sentence in a penitentiary in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, on charges of being a…

Colombo (25/7 – 30.77) In his book “Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre: Lessons for the International Community,” terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna emphasizes the importance of de-radicalizing Islamic ideology to effectively combat Islamic terrorism. He identifies Wahhabism or Salafism as the root of Islamic terrorism, rapidly spreading worldwide through modern communication tools. Gunaratna warns that merely arresting perpetrators after attacks is insufficient; the focus should be on preventing radicalization in the first place. The Easter Sunday bombings in April 2019, which claimed over 200 lives, were fuelled by extremist ideologies inspired by events in the Middle East and Islamic extremists…

Belarus and Kyrgyzstan have discussed the resumption of regular air service between Minsk and Bishkek, BelTA learned from the press service of Minsk National Airport. Negotiations were held between a delegation of Kyrgyzstan headed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kyrgyzstan to Belarus Ermek Ibraimov and Director General of National Airport Minsk Vyacheslav Khoroneko. The parties discussed the resumption of regular flights between Minsk and Bishkek and highlighted the significant importance of direct air service for bilateral relations. Special consideration was given to cooperation in tourism (medical, skiing, etc.) and also in trade and economy. Taking into account the mutual…

The first group of 672 pilgrims left for Medina from Manas airport. Press service of the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SDMK) reported, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg. The pilgrims were seen off by a Mufti Zamir Rakiev and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Kyrgyz Republic Ibrahim Radi Al-Radi. The Kuwaiti airline Jazeera Airways organizes 10 flights for pilgrims from Kyrgyzstan, 7 of them will take off from Osh airport. The last group of Kyrgyzstanis intending to make a pilgrimage to holy places will leave for Jeddah on June 21. Saudi Arabia allocated 6,000 quotas for pilgrims from…

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today welcomes a new law in Kyrgyzstan, coming into effect on 24 June, to ensure that all children born in the country will be registered at birth, regardless of whether their parents are undocumented or stateless. The move is the latest in a series of crucial, positive measures taken by the country to prevent and resolve statelessness. Under the new law, even children already born to undocumented or stateless parents and who previously could not be registered will soon be issued with birth certificates. A survey conducted by the Kyrgyz Government in 2022 indicated that…

The climate and nature in Kyrgyzstan are perfect for bees The purest honey in the world is made in the remote mountains of Central Asia by Hungarian beekeepers. That is how the Hungarian company Fulmer, specializing in the production and packaging of honey, markets its Amirkaal Honey sourced from the Toktogul region of Kyrgyzstan. This particular location was selected after the company representatives visited the country, sourced honey from different provinces, and took it back to Hungary for testing. Describing the Toktogul region, Ferenc Takács from Fulmer says: “This is a heaven for bees because it is a heaven for flowers.” Here is the YouTube video about Fulmer’s…

Ambassador Hung Seng Tan of Singapore, co-convenor of the initiative and chair for the 2023 plenary meetings, reiterated the initiative’s commitment to establishing a set of high-standard rules for governing the digital economy, with the participation of as many WTO members as possible. These rules will build on existing WTO agreements, he said. “I want to remind all of us of this because we are now entering the final lap. And I hope that we can keep this objective in mind as we accelerate and intensify our negotiations this year,” he added. Ambassador Tan encouraged participating members to exercise flexibility…

Countries in Central Asia are currently facing the extremely cold winters with temperatures plummeting to an all-time low in 15 years with those internally displaced especially from the clashes bearing the brunt. Although a ceasefire currently holds in the border area, a lasting solution to the border disputes remains beyond the parties’ grasp, complicating the return of the families who lost their houses and livelihoods. “Central Asia always faces harsh winters, and up to a point people have coping mechanisms to survive. However, there are persistent needs due to the added burden of displacement, or even secondary displacement…

      President Sadyr Japarov received the Minister of Agriculture of the country Askarbek Zhanybekov. Press service of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. The head of state was told about the current activities of the ministry and plans for the next spring field campaign. According to the report of Askarbek Zhanybekov, at the end of 2022, the increase in gross product in the agro-industrial sector is more than 7 percent higher than in 2021. Sufficient work is being carried out to ensure the distribution of certified seeds among farmers and supply them with mineral fertilizers. There are sufficient stocks of fuels and lubricants in the Kyrgyz Republic, which are sold to farmers at reduced prices. An increase in the number of agricultural machinery leased…

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have completed the process of delimiting the border and exchanged instruments of ratification, ending a long-standing dispute, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said on Friday. “Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have completed the process of delimiting the state border and exchanged instruments of ratification of the border treaty. Thus, we have put an end to the border issue,” the president said after a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on a state visit to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. Japarov noted that cooperation with Uzbekistan was one of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy priorities. “Today we also signed a…