Author: Sezim Imanaliev

The larvae of the longhorn beetle (Aeolesthes sarta), commonly known as the woodcutter beetle, are destroying green spaces in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek. The beetle appeared in the city ten years ago, but biologists have explained that its population has recently increased to worrying levels. The situation is being aggravated by the shortage of irrigation water in Bishkek, a result of faulty irrigation facilities. Trees in the capital are beginning to dry out, and their immunity to the effects of larvae infestation is weakening. The longhorn beetle lays its larvae in the bark of a tree, and as it matures, it…

An international MK car rally has been held in Kyrgyzstan. Over four days, 60 cars traveled 1,850 kilometers across Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The event’s primary purpose is to develop car tourism, and open new tourist routes. Tourism representatives note that such events are helpful for all of Central Asia. Tourist companies from Kyrgyzstan are now actively cooperating with Kazakh and Uzbek companies. Now, a tourist can start his route in one country, drive through another, and finish his journey in a third. The Kyrgyz Tourism Development Support Fund told The Times of Central Asia that they always support such endeavors. In midsummer,…

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 6. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan and the World Bank (WB) have agreed on cooperation prospects for the coming years, Trend reports. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry, this agreement was reached during a meeting between the Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, Boobek Azhikeev, and the executive directors of the WB, including the Executive Director of the WB Group, Dominique Favre. The prospective directions of cooperation include addressing water shortages, glacier melting, nature conservation, and expanding forest areas. Additionally, discussions were held regarding the construction of a new building for the Crisis Management Center in the country. Favre…

Madrid (10/03 – 21.43)Exorcism is a key source of income for Sabohiddin Shodiev, a popular cleric in his rural community on the outskirts of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Shodiev — not his real name — says that every week he treats about 15 clients who ask him to expel what they believe is an evil spirit, or jinni, possessing them, or to rid them from “an evil eye.”The 53-year-old cleric has been practicing exorcisms — which he learned to do from his father — for more than two decades. Most of Shodiev’s clients come from Dushanbe and nearby districts,…

Women and girls with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan experience abuse including rape, beatings, neglect, and humiliation, often by those closest to them, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Dec 14. Kyrgyzstan has taken positive steps in recent years to tackle domestic violence and to uphold the rights of people with disabilities and should act now to protect women with disabilities from such violence. The 74-page report, “Abused by Relatives, Ignored by the State: Domestic Violence Against and Neglect of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Kyrgyzstan”, documents how violence by family members or partners often goes unreported and…

Kyrgyz and Tajik officials said this week that more than 90 percent of their mutual border has been agreed upon. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov is hopeful for a full resolution by the spring. It’s big news for a border that has been among the most difficult in the region, flaring into deadly violence in 2021 and 2022. Despite occasional sharp remarks, the two sides have pursued a consistent calendar of negotiations that began yielding results in October, with the signing of the mysterious “Protocol No. 44.” The contents of the protocol remained secret, but it was cast as a critical pathway forward. “We will soon make a final decision…

Challenges and opportunities for the development of the professional medical associations in Kyrgyzstan will be discussed during the forum organized by the Ministry of Health and Kyrgyz Medical Association in Bishkek on November 22, the Embassy of Switzerland reported. The forum aims to inform key medical decision makers about current challenges in the field of human resources for health care, to discuss possible solutions, and to strengthen the role of professional associations in the healthcare system. The forum will be attended by representatives of the parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Embassy of Switzerland,…

In Kyrgyzstan, an agricultural census is planned for 2025, Trend reports. Kyrgyzstan’s National Statistical Committee has presented a draft law for public comment in preparation for this census. According to the text, the significance of this endeavor is linked to major developments in the country’s agricultural during the last two decades. These changes largely include structural developments related to improved land management, the expansion of varied economic models, greater activity in the individual farming sector, the subdivision of agricultural organizations, and an increase in farmer households. The document elaborates on the importance of gathering extensive and reliable information regarding the…

CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov is confident in the soon resolution of all disputed border issues between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. He said this to journalists after the summit in Minsk, BELTA reports. “We had to deal with this issue very seriously during the current year too. But an important and positive factor for the region as a whole is the tangible progress in the settlement of the border issue between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The leaders of the two states declared that the political and diplomatic means of resolving this issue has no alternatives, and the governmental commissions have been established.…

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has voted to alter the design of the national flag amid growing concerns that its central emblem bears an uncanny resemblance to a sunflower, a symbol in local culture associated with fickleness and servility.The move, spearheaded by President Sadyr Japarov, seeks to revamp the nation’s identity by modifying the iconic flag adopted in 1992 after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. Flag symbolism under scrutiny The existing design features a yellow sun, which also serves as the apex of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt tent, set against a red background with 40 rays. However, in September, several parliament deputies…