Author: Zhakyp Zhusupov

In August, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko drew a Kazakh rebuke after he criticized Kazakhstan for what he described as its tepid support for Russia. Lukashenko was a model of diplomatic etiquette on Tuesday, effusively praising Kazakhstan as a close ally during a ceremony at which he received credentials of foreign ambassadors. “Today there are practically no areas where we do not have common interests. Annual $1 billion trade turnover and successful projects in industrial interaction testify to the high dynamics of bilateral cooperation,” the longtime Belarusian ruler said of Kazakhstan. Lukashenko´s comments were reported by Belarus Today, a state-run media group. The…

The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, has announced that the number of saigas in Kazakhstan has risen to around 4.1 million, equivalent to 99% of the global population. Just over half of the population – 2.8 million- resides in West Kazakhstan Oblast and the overall figure takes into account those born during May’s birthing season. The presence of such large numbers of this type of antelope has not however, always been welcomed. As referenced by Nyanbayev, to lessen their damage to agriculture, Kazakhstan had previously taken measures to regulate the population. As recently as 2023, 42,000 saigas were seized,…

Two aspiring entrepreneurs from the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Nurgazy Raev and Ms. Tansuluu Arstanbekova participated at the Chairmanship in Office’s (CiO) Youth Forum titled “Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Creating a Sustainable Future in the OSCE Region.” This initiative underscores commitments of the OSCE participating states to advancing and nurturing youth entrepreneurship within the OSCE region. Mr. Nurgazy Raev and Ms. Tansuluu Arstanbekova are pioneers in sustainable business practices, specializing in the production of environmentally friendly goods and services in Jalal-Abad and Osh provinces of the Kyrgyz Republic. Tansuluu specializes in the packaging and manufacturing of dehydrated fruit products intended both…

Valencia, Turin, Madrid (28/11 – 25) Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retained his MotoGP world title with many records; there are nevertheless signs that the Ducati rider will face sterner competition next season. The Italian rider won the 2023 season-ending MotoGP Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to clinch his second world title in a row. The protege of Valentino Rossi becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP titles since the introduction of the class in 2002. Only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez previously managed to do that. Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend #1 in the…

Brussels (21/08 – 30) US President Joe Biden invited Central Asian leaders to a summit in the US. The American leader expressed hope to discuss the continuation of joint work and common goals in the second half of September. “I look forward to the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly, where we will make progress on the most important issues in the lives of our peoples,” Biden wrote in the invitation letter. Within the framework of the UN General Assembly, a summit of the leaders of the countries of Central Asia and the United States (CA5 + 1) is…

Central Asia It’s no secret that China is intent on influencing news narratives concerning its economic activity in Central Asia. To promote the Chinese view of developments, authorities staged an international conference, titled Hello, Silk Road, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in late July. The Uzbek outlet UzDaily reported that the gathering focused on fostering information cooperation among China and its Central Asian neighbors. Sponsored by the government-controlled China Internet Development Fund, roughly 200 media professionals from “over 20 countries,” but mostly China and Central Asia, attended the meeting. The UzDaily report quoted one of the Uzbek attendees, editor-in-chief of news website…

Generally favorable conditions for spring grain planting will see Kazakhstan harvest 14 million tonnes of wheat in marketing year 2023-24, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. The latest forecast for wheat is 1 million tonnes higher than FAS Post Astana’s original outlook in April with no significant changes to planted area at 12.9 million hectares, about 10,000 more hectares than 2022-23. Kazakhstan is estimated to have produced 16.4 million tonnes of wheat the previous marketing year. Wheat exports are seen at 9.5 million tonnes, the same…

Global renewables player Masdar will develop a 1GW project pipeline in Kyrgyzstan in the latest inroad into Central Asian green energy by the Abu Dhabi developer and its regional neighbours. Masdar’s Kyrgyzstan foray will begin with a 200MW solar PV plant that’s due in service by 2026 as part of a build-out plan that could also include floating PV plants and hydropower, the developer said as it announced an implementation agreement with the nation’s government. Masdar CEO Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “Masdar has considerable experience in Central Asia and we will leverage our expertise to support the Kyrgyz Republic’s…

Working under Taliban rule the last two years, Susan Chadima of Topsham has continued to train Afghan veterinarians and care for animals in a culture ‘vastly different than ours.’ Coco, a 10- to 12-week-old street dog, arrived at Kabul Small Animal Rescue with what the organization’s Facebook page describes as “a shocking injury.” According to the post, someone had deliberately smashed her paw and then either kicked or beat her with something hard enough to snap her humerus and shatter her wrist. But the dog was among Afghanistan’s fortunate few. Instead of letting her die an agonizing death on the…

Around two-thirds of MPs have registered their backing for the proposed amendment, which was subjected to a round of public consultations last year and is now poised to be considered by lawmakers, making its adoption a strong possibility. The backers of the proposal have said they are acting in response to a worsening problem. “Violence against young children tends to increase from year to year, and today most of these crimes in Kyrgyzstan remain hidden,” the MP sponsoring the bill wrote in a note accompanying the draft amendment. Lawmakers cited police data showing that 38 cases of child rape or coercion into…