Kyrgyzstan

New temperature records have been set in many cities across Central Asia, in some cases exceeding 50 degrees. In this region, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, roads have warped, power cuts linked to high consumption have occurred, and measures have been put in place to protect those working outdoors.

From Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, thousands of young people are currently studying at colleges and universities opened in recent years by Moscow, where teaching is conducted in Russian. The aim is to make a long-term investment in the new generation, who have no memory of the Soviet era and are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.

​​Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities are also having repercussions in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with rising prices, a shortage of aviation fuel and growing uncertainty over energy security. Meanwhile, Moscow is seeking supplies from Kazakhstan, which has restricted exports to protect its domestic market.

EU Special Representative Stiprais is calling for an update to cooperation policies that takes account of the increasingly close ties between the countries in the region, which have been highlighted by Kyrgyzstan’s election to the UN Security Council. The “shared” Kambarata hydroelectric power station and the local satellite internet connection system are the flagship projects.

Even during the Soviet era, the region had a unified energy system linking Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Today, the idea of an electricity grid that optimises infrastructure is gaining traction again, given that energy demand in the region could rise by around 40 per cent by 2030.

The lack of recognised legal status exposes thousands of Central Asian women to serious dangers in Turkey. The case of two Uzbek women whose bodies were found in rubbish bins caused a stir in Istanbul this year. Without documents, working in private homes is often their only option for survival, but at the same time it is a trap.

With technical support from the United Arab Emirates, the government in Astana is the first in Central Asia to trial cloud-seeding systems, designed to provide moisture to agricultural land even during dry seasons. But former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Zaparov has sounded the alarm: artificially induced rainfall in one region could have a negative impact on the climate of another.

In recent years, alongside conventional loans and deposits, this sector has grown significantly in the country and is no longer a niche market: the volume of financing based on Islamic principles has reached 21.1 billion som, an increase of almost sixfold.

A regional summit on environmental policies is currently taking place in the capital of Kazakhstan, alongside a meeting of the countries participating in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. With the Bishkek government aiming to link the issue of Kyrgyzstan’s melting glaciers to the delicate environmental balance of the whole of Central Asia.

Bishkek is stepping up its efforts to gain a foothold in the global market for products certified according to Islamic religious standards. To make the whole process more accessible to businesses, a dedicated portal has been launched for applying for certification, whilst a QR code displayed on products allows consumers to access specific information.

After removing his closest aide and head of security services, Tašiev, from office, President Žaparov is continuing with dismissals and arrests against a network of senior officials, ministers, MPs and even mayors suspected of plotting yet another coup in Bishkek. A great waltz to ensure ‘stability’.

Following agreements on border demarcation between the two countries, the first intergovernmental council held in Bishkek outlined new objectives for commercial and economic cooperation. Joint tourism projects and centres for combating drug trafficking and crime are also on the horizon.