Author: Tursunbai Sydykov

The summit of the leaders of five Central Asian countries and China in the Chinese city of Xi’an has epochal significance and will open a new era in the cooperation between these countries, an Uzbek expert said. The summit of the leaders of five Central Asian countries and China in the Chinese city of Xi’an has epochal significance and will open a new era in the cooperation between these countries, an Uzbek expert said on Friday. The summit reviewed the achievements of Central Asia-China cooperation over the past three decades and “will contribute to the deepening of strategic mutual trust…

China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to faithfully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote high-quality development of all-round cooperation and boost the nations’ common development, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Friday. Li made the remarks when meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Beijing. The two countries’ leaders have jointly announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighborliness and shared prosperity, Li noted. He called on the two sides to upgrade trade cooperation, promote the construction of interconnectivity such as the China-Central Asia transport corridor, foster…

Kazakhstan, which will hold parliamentary elections this weekend, still operates by the old dictum – attributed often, though probably apocryphally – to Stalin: ‘It doesn’t matter who people vote for, but only how the votes are counted.’ Our hosts are skeptical that a single-mandate system will significantly change how Kazakhstan’s rubber-stamp legislature operates. International Women’s Day on March 8 featured small, independent marches demanding equal rights and an end to violence against women, while governments also organized rallies. Bishkek’s promoted what it called “traditional values” without defining what those are. And Central Asia has repatriated hundreds of citizens from Syria and Iraq – often…

The chairman of the State Customs Committee (SCC), the lieutenant general of the customs service Shahin Bagirov met with the ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Azerbaijan Kayrat Osmonaliyev, Azernews reports. SCC noted that the meeting discussed friendship and fraternal relations between the two countries, the exchange of experience between customs services, and future directions of development. The parties emphasized the importance of further strengthening mutual cooperation. Also, discussions were held on the project of simplifying the transit customs procedure along the Trans-Caspian International East-West Middle Corridor using the “One Window” principle, increasing the attractiveness of the Middle Corridor, strengthening…

Increasing tariffs is politically unpalatable: A plan to raise the price of fuel in Kazakhstan last year quickly sparked widespread street protests that ended in bloody chaos. And yet electricity shortages persist, even in hydrocarbon-rich Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Efficiency is one possible solution: Making the available power go farther. While many discussions of the region’s power problems take a top-down approach, demanding government action, a forthcoming paper examines energy usage – asking why and when private firms in Central Asia adopt energy-efficiency standards. One of the co-authors, Christopher Hartwell, a professor and economist at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, spoke with Eurasianet about the research and…

The influence of Muslim women, and the organizations and communities they lead, can be seen in areas as diverse as charity and fashion. Yet the role of Islamic organizations as social actors is little understood outside of Muslim contexts. Islam in Central Asia is often viewed through a narrow range of lenses. First, Islam and Islamic groups, organizations and parties have been studied and presented from a security perspective, most often as threats. There is a general perception among policymakers, the diplomatic community, and the public, that Islamization and Islamism are dangerous and a threat to stability in the region.…

Single Window centers and service points were opened across Kyrgyzstan aimed at digitalizing the operations of internal affairs bodies and improving services rendered by them to population, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said. These centers allow citizens to obtain various documents and permits such as criminal record certificates, licenses for civil and service weapons, and permits for transporting dangerous goods by road. From January 9 to March 31, 2023, the centers have issued 3858 apostilled certificates, 105,142 certificates of criminal record, and processed various permits including 642 licenses issued by internal affairs bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic and 93 permissions…

Asman — an ambitious $20 billion “eco-city” project is set to come up on the picturesque shores of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul. However, environmental activists aren’t impressed. Their argument — a project doesn’t become sustainable just by virtue of adding the adjective “eco” in its description. They perceive it as an attempt at “greenwashing.” Lake Issyk-Kul, the seventh-deepest lake in the world and the second-largest high-altitude lake, is a biological and economic resource of the country located in Central Asia. Besides being a prominent tourist destination, the lake was also recognized as part of the UN agency’s worldwide network of Biosphere Reserves. Skift…

Kyrgyzstan won the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III Group B in emphatic style in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, to celebrate back-to-back gold medals. Having finished top of the Division IV on home ice in Bishkek last season, Kyrgyzstan’s golden generation is currently on a roll. In Sarajevo the youngest team of the tournament took maximum points while scoring double-digits in each of their five games. Ruthless in front of the net, the Mikhail Chekanov coached Kyrgyz men’s national team left their opponents in their wake scoring 76 times and conceding on just five occasions. “It was an…

Some $1 billion was spent for the country’s defense capability for the last 2 years, Deputy Chairman of Cabinet and Chairman of the State National Security Committee Kamchibek Tashiev said. The strength of the state depends upon army and defense capability at present, he said. “”The state has spent $1 billion for defense during the last 2 years. What does this mean? These are our armed forces, military equipment for armed forces, ammunition, armament and many other. We have got weapon not worse than our states have. We have weapon other countries do not have,” Kamchibek Tashiev said. “We will…