Azernews.Az

By Sabina Mammadli

Central Asia Weekly Review: 19-26 Jul 22

Azernews has launched a new project designed to cover weekly major developments in the Central Asian nations.

HIGHLIGHTS

Turkmenistan, Georgia ink accord on direct flights

Kyrgyzstan hosts a summit of Central Asian states

Electricity consumption in Tashkent reaches a historical level

10 millionth citizen born in Tajikistan

Kazakh president performs Umrah

UZBEKISTAN

Electricity consumption in Tashkent reaches a historical level

Due to abnormally hot weather, last week electricity consumption in Uzbekistan reached the highest level in the last 5 years.

We should note that besides reaching historical levels during the summer, the electricity consumption has exceeded the figure for the autumn-winter period when demand for electricity was traditionally the highest.

According to the press service of the Energy Ministry, last summer, the average daily electricity consumption in the country amounted to 224 million kWh.

At the same time, on July 22, 2022, the electricity consumption figure per day amounted to 237 million kWh, or 6% more than last year, which was the maximum value not only for this summer period but for the whole year.

Uzbekistan becomes the 11th country that can send labor to Japan

Uzbek migrants will be able to work and earn money in Japan.

The remarks were made at the second labor forum dedicated to the prospects for the development of labor relations and vocational education between Japan and Uzbekistan on July 21.

Mavzhuda Mirzayeva, head of the Information Service of the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, said that so far Japan has attracted labor from only 10 countries. Because of this, there is sufficient demand for labor in Japan.

As a result of the dialogue that took place during the event, it was stated that the Japanese market is fully open to Uzbek migrants.

So far, 500 Uzbek workers have received vocational training under the auspices of the state, and 47 of them have expressed a desire to work in Japan.

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan, Georgia ink accord on direct flights

Representatives of Turkmenistan and Georgia signed an accord on cooperation in the field of transport, which will make it possible to establish air communication between the countries, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili has said.

“We signed an agreement on cooperation in the transport sector, which will provide us with the opportunity to start operating direct flights to Ashgabat, which will further deepen economic ties,” Davitashvili noted.

According to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who was on a visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan is an "important trading partner" for Georgia.

First Central Asian Gas Turbine Repair Center launched in Turkmenistan

The Center for Repair and Maintenance of Power Equipment was launched in Ashgabat’s Buzmeyinsky region on July 20.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the facility, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that the Center is the only enterprise in Central Asia designed for the repair and maintenance of general electric gas turbines based on advanced technologies.

The construction of the facility, located on an area of ​​3 hectares, in accordance with the relevant decree of the Turkmen president, signed in 2019, was carried out by the Turkish company Çalik Enerji Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. Local. Other foreign specialists were also involved in the work.

The center has all the necessary conditions for efficient work, 55 units of specialized equipment have been installed. The infrastructure of the complex includes specialized workshops, a laboratory, an administrative building, a conference room, an archive, a warehouse, technical, utility, and other necessary rooms. There is also a first-aid post, a kitchen and a canteen for employees.

KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzstan hosts a summit of Central Asian states

The 4th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian countries took place in Kyrgyzstanəs Cholpon-Ata on July 21.

Presidents of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan - Emomali Rahmon, Uzbekistan - Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Turkmenistan - Serdar Berdimuhamedov attended the summit.

As the result of negotiations, the sides signed the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Cooperation.

The document should initiate rapprochement of the countries of the region outside the framework of the EAEU.

The five states will be obliged to resolve disputed issues within the framework of the agreement and exclusively through dialogue.

The parties also approved a roadmap for the implementation of the agreement for a period of two years - 2022-2024.

The next, 5th Consultative Meeting will be held in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, in the summer of 2023.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan agree on some disputed border areas

A regular meeting of topographic working groups of government delegations of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which will last five days, kicked off in the Batken region on July 25.

The parties agreed on about 80 kilometers of the border. The Special Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers for border issues Nazirbek Borubaev reported.

According to him, 82 kilometers have been agreed upon since May 2021.

Nazirbek Borubaev added that the length of the border between the countries reaches 972 kilometers, but when clarified, there may be a difference, because some sections may become shorter or longer during the exchange of land.

TAJIKISTAN

10 millionth residents born in Tajikistan

The boy, who was born in the maternity hospital No. 2 in Dushanbe on July 23, has become the 10 millionth citizen of Tajikistan.

The parents of the newborn baby boy, named Firdavs, are residents of the Shokhmansur region of Dushanbe city Faridun Barotov and Makhfirat Shokirova. The father of the newborn is a labor migrant, and the mother is a housewife.

On behalf of President Emomali Rahmon and the Chairman of Dushanbe Rustam Emomali, the keys to a three-room apartment for the family of the 10 millionth resident were presented by Deputy Prime Minister Matlubahon Sattoriyon, Deputy Chairman of the city of Dushanbe Dilbar Odilzoda and others.

The population of Tajikistan has increased by 43,500 people in the first quarter of 2022.

As of April 1, 2022, the permanent population of the republic amounted to 9,934,400 people, and as of January 1, 2022, this figure was 9,890,900 people.

Russian Prosecutor-General's Office wants Tajik Islamic Renaissance Party to be labeled as a terrorist organization

The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office has filed a lawsuit for the recognition of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) as a terrorist organization.

Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov told a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon during his visit to the country.

He said that the Prosecutor-General's Office of the Russian Federation had considered the request of the Prosecutor-General's Office of Tajikistan to recognize certain organizations as terrorist entities in Russia.

“We have already sent to the court a corresponding lawsuit against the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan,” the official stated.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the issues of neutralizing existing internal threats, including those related to the tendency to impose the ideology of religious radicalism on society.

To recall, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan has satisfied the claim of the country’s prosecutor-general on recognizing the Islamic Renaissance Party as a terrorist entity and banned its activities on the territory of the republic in September 2015.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakh President performs Umrah

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokaev performed Umrah (small Hajj) in the city of Mecca.

The president was granted a special honor as he was allowed to enter the Kaaba, the doors of which are opened for distinguished guests in exceptional cases. This was evidence of the deep respect of the Saudi leaders towards the president of Kazakhstan.

Tokayev arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss trade and economic cooperation with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Nur-Sultan enters the "yellow" zone due to the coronavirus situation

Nur-Sultan entered the "yellow" zone of the matrix for assessing the epidemiological situation in the regions of Kazakhstan on July 21,

According to local media, the "yellow" zone stands for low and moderate epidemiological risk. Regions fall into the “yellow” zone when 25 to 50 cases are detected per 100,000 people and the R indicator (reproduction or transmission of infection from the sick person to the contact person) is more than one.

Almaty is also located in the same zone.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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