Author: Jaime Corey Floyd

      One of the barriers for women in building a business is their financial illiteracy. Zhumagul Egamberdieva, a member of the Coordinating Council of Demilgiluu Aiymdar Coalition, announced at a conference. «Preferential interest-free loans were provided. It was possible to take up to 3 million soms. Many women simply could not apply for them, draw up documents properly. That is, they could not fulfill the simplest requirements. This suggests that women need to be trained, especially in the regions. Not everyone could even get the money,» Zhumagul Egamberdieva said. Ainura Sagynbaeva, chairwoman of the coalition’s coordinating council, also believes that without knowledge, it will be difficult for women to properly use the loan received. «A very large percentage of women cannot get loans for business:…

After months of judicial harassment, the Ministry of Culture notified RFE/RL on 23 January that it has filed a request for Azattyk’s closure with a court in the capital, Bishkek, because of a video report about clashes on the Kyrgyz/Tajik border in the Batken region in September of 2022. The report presents the viewpoints of both parties, Kyrgyz and Tajik, but the Ministry of Culture says it violates article 23 of the Kyrgyz media law banning elements such as war propaganda and content that promotes violence and intolerance towards other peoples and nations. The court is due to examine the…

The value of Kyrgyzstan’s exports of goods to Russia increased substantially in the first 11 months of 2022, according to the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan. According to statistics, the export of goods from Kyrgyzstan to Russia amounted to US$917 million from January through November 2022, which is 2.5 times more compared to the same period in 2021 (US$358.1 million). During the reporting period, the main Kyrgyz export commodities to Russia were textile products, cotton, copper, agricultural products, and related items. Meanwhile, during the same period, Russian exports to Kyrgyzstan increased by 25% percent in the first 11 months of…