Elvira Kadyrova The two major economies of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, intend to increase the volume of mutual trade turnover to US $10 billion over the next five years. The plans were announced on Friday, 26 November, during talks between the prime ministers of the two countries held in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan. Prime Minister of […]
Istanbul hosted 8th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States – Turkmenistan became observer member
Elvira Kadyrova On 12 November 2021 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov attended Eighth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkmenistan has joined the organization as an observer country. The summit has decided to rename the “Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States” to the “Organization of Turkic States”. The Ninth Summit of […]
Turkmen FM took part in the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking Countries
Elvira Kadyrova Turkmenistan, based on the principles of its neutral status, considers the consolidation of countries’ efforts to maintain and strengthen international peace, universal security and stability as a priority direction of its participation in the activities of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, stated foreign minister Rashid Meredov during his remarks at a meeting […]
First Economic Forum “Central Asia – European Union”
Elvira Kadyrova On 5 November 2021, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan hosted the First International Economic Forum “Central Asia – European Union”. The event gathered Prime Ministers and Deputy Heads of Government of Central Asian countries, as well as ministers and senior officials from over 15 EU member-states, representatives of the private sector of the EU and Central […]
Kazakhstan improves connectivity between the Caspian port and the transit corridor leading to Turkmenistan
Elvira Kadyrova The overhaul of the Kuryk-Zhetybai highway – the link between the Caspian port of Kuryk and the international transit corridor Astrakhan-Atyrau-Aktau-the border of Turkmenistan is underway in Kazakhstan, reports the Kazakh newspaper InAktau.kz . The renovated 64-km long highway is aimed to improve the transport and operational characteristics of the road (increasing the […]
Kazakhstan moves decisively toward Carbon Neutrality
Kazakhstan is determined to achieve Carbon Neutrality in the foreseeable future, a vital step for meeting several SDGs. Here are four stories published by the Kazakh news service KazInform on 27 October 2021 that illustrate the extent to which the government is going to attain Carbon Neutrality: Kazakhstan needs investments worth $650bn to achieve its […]
First-ever state visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Turkmenistan – 20 documents signed – legal formalization of Turkmen-Kazakhstani border completed
Elvira Kadyrova Today, on 25 October 2021, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had the summit talks in Ashgabat. The negotiations were held in narrow and expanded formats. Then the parties signed a package of documents. Narrow format The heads of state discussed a wide range of issues of the […]
President of Kazakhstan arrives for two-day state visit of Turkmenistan – Summit talks today
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan arrived on 24 October 2021 for his two-day state visit of Turkmenistan. He was received at the airport by the deputy prime minister of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The summit talks between the two presidents will take place today (25 October 2021). Here is the press release issued by the foreign […]
SCO Anniversary Summit in Dushanbe: the outcomes of 20 years summed up, goals for greater Eurasian cooperation outlined
Elvira Kadyrova On 17 September 2021, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit was held in Dushanbe, dedicated to the twentieth jubilee of the organization. The session of the SCO Council of Heads of Member States, held under the chairmanship of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by: President Xi Jinping of China Prime Minister of India Narendra […]
Over 700,000 tons of cargo crossed Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in H1 2021
Elvira Kadyrova In January-July 2021, the volume of cargo transportation via the territory of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan amounted to 742,500 tons. The figures have been announced during a recent meeting of the head of Kazakhstan Railways Nurlan Sauranbayev with the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan Batyr Rejepov. The parties noted the expediency of creating favorable […]
Central Asia: Water should be a unifying force
Global climate change, population growth, economic development and a number of other factors have a huge impact on one of the main problematic issues in the Central Asian region-the distribution of water resources. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a significant part of the agenda of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian […]
Sustainable Water Supply for Central Asia
Kazakhstan is taking all necessary measures to organize sustainable water supply in the Aral-Syrdarya basin. The choice of the optimal water strategy in the transboundary basin of the Syr Darya should be linked to the adoption of interstate agreements and mechanisms for the integrated management of water resources in the transboundary basin of the Aral […]
CSTO intends to strengthen the borders of Central Asia with Afghanistan
Elvira Kadyrova Afghanistan and security threats to the of the neighboring Central Asian region became key items on the agenda of the extraordinary online session of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) Collective Security Council held on 23 August 2021 under the chairmanship of Tajikistan. It is noteworthy that along with the heads of the […]
Turkmenistan hosts regional mega event today
Turkmenistan will host a cluster of events today at Awaza, the Caspian tourist zone: 3rd Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia Dialogue of Women Leaders of Central Asia Economic Forum of Central Asia Exhibition of national products and services of Central Asia Festival of National Cuisines of Central Asia A gala […]
FMs of Russia and Central Asian countries met in Tashkent
Elvira Kadyrova On 16 July 2021, Tashkent hosted the fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The key line of the discussions was the security issues in the region amid the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and the possibilities of an inter-Afghan settlement in the emerging geopolitical realities after […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan visits Tashkent
Elvira Kadyrova DPM, minister of foreign affairs Rashid Meredov is on a visit to the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent to participate in the International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities”, which takes place on 15-16 July 2021. On the sidelines of the forum, the foreign minister held several bilateral and multilateral […]
SCO nations declare readiness to support Afghanistan politically and economically
Elvira Kadyrova On 14 July 2021, a meeting of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group was held in Dushanbe, which gathered the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A Joint Statement was adopted following the meeting. The document emphasizes that one of the most important factors for maintaining and strengthening […]
Russian FM: Central Asian countries have NO interest in hosting US military bases
Elvira Kadyrova The hosting of new US military facilities in Central Asia does not meet the security interests of the regional countries as no one wants to turn into an American hostage, — this is how Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed the prospects for the emerging of US military bases in the Central Asian region. […]
Foreign Ministers of Russia and Central Asia to meet in Tashkent
The fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will be held in Tashkent on 16 July, said the Russian Foreign Ministry during briefing on 9 July. The foreign ministers will discuss cooperation in the field of regional security. The agenda will cover such issues as countering threats posed […]
Tashkent to host a conference on cooperation between Central and South Asia
Ravilya Kadyrova On 15-16 July 2021, an international conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and opportunities” will be held in Tashkent. The conference will be attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, Foreign Ministers of Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, high-ranking representatives of […]
Uzbekistan Center for Economic Research analyzed the trade potential for Central and South Asia
Elvira Kadyrova In 2020, the total trade turnover between the Central Asian and South Asian countries amounted to US$4.4 billion. The assessments came from the Uzbek Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR). The largest stakes in the mutual trade belong to Kazakhstan (52.8%), Uzbekistan (31.2%) and Turkmenistan (10.4%), said Obid Khakimov, Director of the […]
Turkmenistan boosting East-West, North-South connectivity – Bridge over Garabogaz Strait planned
Turkmenistan is planning to build a new road bridge across the Garabogaz Strait, which will contribute hugely to the East-West and North-South connectivity options. President Berdimuhamedov attended a presentation on Tuesday, 6 July 2021, at the Garabogaz Bay, which is separated by a narrow strip of land from the Caspian Sea and connects with it […]
IEA: Turkmenistan to lead the growth of gas production in Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova Global gas demand will reach almost 4.3 trillion cubic meters by 2024, that is 7% higher than the pre-pandemic levels, says a new edition of IEA’s Gas Market Report. Global gas demand dropped by 1.9%, or 75 billion cubic meters, in 2020 due to the exceptionally mild winter in the northern hemisphere and […]
FMs of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan discussed preps for upcoming regional summits
Elvira Kadyrova On 2 July 2021, the foreign minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov had a telephone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart Mukhtar Tleuberdi. Special attention was paid to the schedule of international events, including the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian states and the 6th Caspian Summit, the foreign ministry of Kazakhstan reported. […]
President of Turkmenistan turns 64 – World leaders make phone calls – Heads of regional organizations, multinationals arrive to congratulate – Arkadag Hotel opened
Elvira Kadyrova and Raviliya Kadyrova The birthday of the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was on 29 June 2021. He has turned 64. Several world leaders made phone calls to congratulate the Turkmen leader. The president had separate meetings with a number of regional organizations and multinationals who had arrived to share the joy on […]
Central Asian countries join the initiative on vaccine cooperation under the Belt and Road partnership
Elvira Kadyrova The Central Asian countries Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and 24 other countries of the Middle East and Asia-Pacific region have agreed to develop cooperation and partnership in the field of COVID-19 vaccines within the framework of the flagship Chinese initiative of Belt and Road. The official launch of the initiative took […]
Supplies of Turkmen gas to Gazprom may reach 9 billion cubic meters this year
Elvira Kadyrova The volume of natural gas supplies from Turkmenistan to the Russian multinational Gazprom has been increasing steadily since the resumption of flows in 2019. This year it may reach 9 bcm (billion cubic meters). As reported by Interfax, Turkmenistan supplied 2.2 bcm of gas to Gazprom during the first quarter of 2021. This […]
Central Asian countries to create a single higher education area
Elvira Kadyrova Central Asian countries will create a single area in the field of higher education. The Kazakhstan initiated idea was welcomed at the forum of ministers of education of the Central Asian countries, the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan reports. The event, held in a hybrid format by Kazakhstan on 18 June […]
Turkmenistan took part in the Caspian communication exercises for search and rescue operations
Elvira Kadyrova The rescue forces and agencies of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan hold joint communication exercises in the Caspian Sea, in the area of responsibility of the Marine Rescue Coordination Center Astrakhan (MRCC), the Russian Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport reports. The theme of the exercise was “Search and rescue of people […]
President of Turkmenistan addresses OIC Summit on Science and Technology hosted by UAE
nCa Report The UAE hosted on 16 June 2021 the second OIC Summit on Science and Technology. It was held in virtual environment. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE, delivered the welcome address. The opening speech was made by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan […]
Hugger-mugger in USA’s Afghanistan agenda and Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova After two-decades long bloody war, the United States has realized finally that there is no military solution to the Afghan mess, and today the Biden administration is engaged in extensive discussions with partners in Central Asia and beyond the region on future policy in Afghanistan — This is the juice squeezed out of […]
Outcomes of SPIEF 2021 – Areas of direct relevance for Central Asia – Part Two
nCa Report In addition to the plenary session, there were several panel discussions at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The theme of one of them was: Energy Sector Transformations Here is the summary of the session, prepared by the forum organizers: KEY CONCLUSIONS There is a demand among the global population for alternative […]
Outcomes of SPIEF 2021 – Areas of direct relevance for Central Asia – Part One
nCa Report The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual event, being held since 1997. It was initially a platform to discuss development, business and economy within the Russian Federation and CIS but the scope has gradually expanded to make it an occasion of global importance. Since 2006, it has been held under […]
Turkmen President in Telephone Conversation with Presidents of Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister of Japan
President Berdimuhamedov had separate telephone conversations with the presidents of Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and the prime minister of Japan. Phone conversation with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan The presidents exchanged greetings on Eid al-Fitr (Oraza Bayram). They noted that the bilateral relations in all areas including political, trade-economy, and humanitarian spheres were growing satisfactorily. […]
Consolidated and predictable Central Asia becomes more attractive in economic and investment terms
Akramjon Nematov and Lobar Umarova Central Asia has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. The positive trends observed in the region have affected almost all spheres – from political and economic to cultural and humanitarian. The formation of a new political climate in Central Asia is evidenced by the increased contacts between heads of […]
FMs of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan discussed preparations for President Tokayev’s official visit
On 3 May 2021, the foreign minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov had a telephone conversation with his Kazakhstani counterpart Mukhtar Tleuberdi. The foreign ministers discussed preparations for the upcoming official visit of the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan in 2021. The sides exchanged views on preparations for the session of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Kazakh […]
Kazakhstan is eager to share its model for interethnic accord
Aiman Zhussupova When Kazakhstan became an independent state in 1991, the risk of interethnic conflicts was one of the most critical problems for the post-Soviet nation that inherited the world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal. This was exacerbated by forecasts of large-scale armed conflicts and the risk of loss of statehood. The predictions were not unfounded. […]
President Berdimuhamedov in telephone conversations with presidents of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan on 28 April 2021
Leaders of Turkmenistan and Turkey spoke in favor of expanding bilateral dialogue A telephone conversation took place between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At the beginning of the conversation, the head of the friendly state once again expressed condolences to the Turkmen leader in connection with the […]
Kazakhstan inaugurtaes giant tourist complex
Elvira Kadyrova Last week, the largest multifunctional tourist complex in Central Asia “Keruen-Sarai”, opened in Turkestan, Kazakhstan. The investment project was implemented by the company “Turkistan Tourism City”. The construction of the complex has been carried out for more than a year. The area of the complex is 20.5 hectares in the buffer zone of […]
Uzbekistan to build the largest wind power plant in Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova Last week, the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan and the Masdar Company (UAE) signed an agreement to increase the design capacity of the ongoing project on wind power plants in Uzbekistan to 1.5 GW. According to the country’s minister of energy Alisher Sultanov, the wind farm will be the largest facility of its […]
CIS Council of FMs meeting in Moscow: outcomes
Elvira Kadyrova On 2 April 2021 Moscow hosted a regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent. This year the Commonwealth celebrates its 30th anniversary. The foreign ministers of the ten countries exchanged views on current international and regional issues and further promotion of joint approaches on key international platforms, […]
Briefing on elections to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Today [25 Dec] the media briefing of the Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yekebulan Sapiev on the upcoming elections to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for January 10, 2021, took place. The event was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Ashgabat, as well as representatives of […]
Nazarbayev – From Sultan to Elbasy – Relevance for a world facing Covid-19
Tariq Saeedi Today is 1 December. This is the day of the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The political observers and analysts who focus on Central Asia are typically fascinated by Nazarbayev, and rightly so. As is said in the parlance of analysts, there is no dearth of material. The epic voyage of Nazarbayev […]
USAID enhances support for ICT-Startups in Central Asia
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of a new initiative, “Central Asia: Region Full of Opportunities”. The initiative will mainly focus on increasing the competitiveness of local information-communication-technology (ICT) firms of regional countries in the global market by establishing a lively ICT ecosystem, attracting funding for startups, providing entrepreneurial mentorship, and […]
Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port and Turkmen logistics company forge partnership in the Caspian sea
Elvira Kadyrova Kazakhstan’s Caspian port Kuryk and the Turkmen transport and logistics company “Türkmen Milli Logistik” have concluded an agreement on cooperation in the Caspian sea. The signing event took place on 25 September on the sidelines of the VII Baltic-Black sea economic forum in Kherson (Ukraine). “The fact that the Baltic-Black sea economic forum […]
Central Asian countries adapted the school educational process to the pandemic realities
Elvira Kadyrova Young people and children make up almost half of the total population of the Central Asian region. It is obvious, that almost all over the world the Covid-19 impact on the education sector was no less devastating than on the health care system and other sectors of the economy. Thus, according to the […]
Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its meaning
August 30, 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan at a nationwide referendum. Over the years, the Constitution of Kazakhstan has shown its high efficiency, ensured peace, harmony and prosperity, the progressive development of the country, an increase in the well-being of Kazakhstanis, an increase in […]
International Day against Nuclear Tests
After gaining independence in 1991, Kazakhstan abandoned the world’s fourth most destructive arsenal of nuclear weapons inherited from the Soviet Union, and on August 29, 1991 closed the largest Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, which was the most significant contribution to strengthening the non-proliferation regime. On June 18, 2009, at a solemn event dedicated to the […]
IUCN: Action for snow leopards
Even though naturally perfectly equipped to roam the steep mountains of Central Asia, the snow leopard is facing extinction. Around 7,500 individuals live in the wild, according to the most recent estimates. There is a strong commitment of conservationists to prevent the extinction of the solitary ‘ghost of the mountains’ in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, recently catalysed […]
ADB: Five Things to Know – Trends in Road and Railway Trade Efficiency in Central Asia
Samarkand city railway station. Photo: Relisa Granovskaya/ADB The efficient trade of goods across international borders is key to economic growth and poverty alleviation. This is particularly important in largely landlocked Central Asia where road and rail represent the two dominant modes of transporting goods across the region. Using data from shipments collected over the past […]