Azernews.Az

By Sabina Mammadli

Central Asia Weekly Review: 29 Sep - 5 Oct Sep 22

HIGHLIGHTS

Kazakhstan allocates over $42m for presidential elections

Kyrgyz leader, CSTO Secretary General discuss situation in CA

Putin awards Tajik president with Order of Merit for Fatherland

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan adopt decree on Caspian Sea border

Uzbekistan, Hungary sign 16 documents to develop strategic partnership

KAZAKHSTAN

Over 200,000 Russian citizens arrive in Kazakhstan

Over 200,000 Russian nationals have arrived in Kazakhstan since the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia, Kazakh Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov said.

“Over 200, 000 Russians have arrived, over 147,000 left Kazakhstan since September 21," he told reporters following a cabinet meeting.

The minister added that on October 3, over 7,000 citizens of Russia arrived in Kazakhstan, and some 11,000 left the country.

Kazakhstan allocates over $42m for presidential elections

The Kazakh Finance Ministry allocated nearly 20.5 billion tenges ($42.9 million) for the extraordinary presidential election on November 20, Deputy Finance Minister Yerzhan Birzhanov said.

He said that up to 80 percent of the allocated funds, that is 16.8 billion tenges ($35.2 million), will be spent on salaries.

“Polling stations are created locally and election committee members are recruited. According to the legislation, the salary must be at least three minimum monthly wages, which is 180,000 tenge ($377). Naturally, the printing of the ballots and the allocation of transport means are considered. This all adds up to 20.5 billion tenges,” Birzhanov said.

KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyz leader, CSTO Secretary-General discuss situation in Central Asia

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas discussed in detail the situation in the CSTO area of ​​responsibility, including paying special attention to the situation in Central Asia.

The CSTO Secretary-General told about the work to prepare for the upcoming meetings of the statutory bodies of the organization and the session of the Collective Security Council, which are scheduled to be held this fall in Armenia.

Zas reported to the head of Kyrgyzstan on the progress in the fulfillment of a number of individual assignments of the CSTO Collective Security Council.

School children in Bishkek hold campaign to support their peers from Batken

An initiative group of Bishkek school children organized a charity fair to raise funds for their peers from Batken, coordinator of the initiative group Children to Children, a student of the 10^th grade of the capital’s school, Alina Dyusheeva, said.

They managed to raise 19,620 soms (244$), which were transferred to the single treasury account of the Kyrgyz Finance Ministry.

Local entrepreneurs, children, well-known people, and a kids' dance group participated in the charity fair.

As the children from the implementation group noted, this is their first project of such scale. “We very much hope that we will be able to help the affected children,” Bishkek school children said.

TAJIKISTAN

Putin awards Tajik president with Order of Merit for Fatherland

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Tajik President Emomali Rahmon the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the 3^rd class.

The decree notes that the award was "for a great personal contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership and alliance between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as to ensure regional stability and security".

EBRD renders further support for small private businesses in Tajikistan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing further support for small private businesses in Tajikistan by offering fresh funds to the country’s second-largest microlender.

A loan of $2 million will improve the sustainability of domestic micro and small enterprises and will help create new jobs. As part of the project, Humo will team up with a local vocational school to provide certified computer training to 240 women.

The training will help them access market-oriented IT skills and thus improve their employment opportunities. It will also help address the issue of computer literacy, which affects all Central Asian states, where only 11 percent of the population can perform basic IT functions.

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan adopt decree on Caspian Sea border

The Kazakh parliament approved the ratification of an agreement with Turkmenistan on the delimitation of the Kazakh-Turkmen state border and the delimitation of adjacent sections of fishing zones in the Caspian Sea.

Further, the agreement will be submitted for consideration to the Kazakh Senate.

The agreement, which will complete the process of delimitation of the state border of Kazakhstan in the south, will be the first document in history that legally fixes the state borders on the Caspian Sea between coastal states.

Ashgabat, Minsk eye aspects of bilateral trade in agro-industrial complex

Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister Annageldy Yazmyradov and Belarus ambassador to Turkmenistan Vyacheslav Beskosty discussed issues of bilateral trade-economic cooperation.

The sides discussed issues of mutual trade in agricultural products and prospects of supplies of Belarusian equipment for the needs of Turkmenistan's agriculture.

UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan, Hungary sign 16 documents to develop strategic partnership

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed a joint statement on the development of a strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Hungary.

The signing ceremony took place in Budapest after high-level negotiations.

The document notes that the negotiations took place in a friendly, open, and constructive spirit, it is envisaged to activate all-around mutually beneficial cooperation.

The top leaders also signed 15 documents aimed at further expansion of the Uzbekistan-Hungary strategic partnership. The documents include a joint program for the development of industrial cooperation in 2023-2024; an action plan for the development of cooperation in the field of science and technology; an action plan for expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector; agreement on cooperation in the field of physical education and sports; agreement on cooperation in the field of scientific development.

Memorandums of cooperation were signed between the Academy of Public Administration of Uzbekistan and the Hungarian State Service University, Samarkand region and Khaydu-Bihar district, the Information, and Analysis Center of International Relations and the Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Tashkent State Agrarian University and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Natural Sciences in the fields of customs, justice, environmental protection, horticulture and greenhouses, viticulture and investment.

Samarkand to host summit of Organization of Turkic States

A summit of the Organization of Turkic States will be held on November 11 in Samarkand.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry has started accreditation of the media to cover the meeting of the leaders of the countries of the organization.

The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) was established in 2009. In November 2021, at the summit in Istanbul, the Turkic Council was transformed into the Organization of the Turkic States, which currently includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan and Hungary have observer status in the organization.

---

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

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz