Category: CENTRAL ASIA

By Assel Satubaldina This article was published in The Astana Times newspaper. NUR-SULTAN (IDN) — Kazakhstan’s capital is set to soon be renamed back from Nur-Sultan to Astana after the Parliament endorsed the draft law on constitutional amendments required to rename the capital on September 16. The document now awaits President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s discretion.

By Kalinga Seneviratne NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) — “The whole world is experiencing the ongoing impact of the pandemic, conflicts, sanctions, climatic change and other global issues. We all see the increase in geopolitical tensions and conflicts across the globe,” said Maulen Ashimbayev, head of the Secretariat of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and […]

By Kudrenok Tatyana This article was issued by Kazinform and is being republished with their permission. NUR-SULTAN | VATICAN (IDN) — Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi, was honored with a private audience with Pope Francis during his official visit to Vatican, Kazinform has learned from the […]

By Sharofat Shafieva* NARYN, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) — The University of Central Asia (UCA) is a unique institution that brings together students from across Central Asia and Afghanistan building bonds between young people in the region. But, the pandemic has disturbed this process and disappointed many new students who were looking forward to this unique experience.

Viewpoint by James M. Dorsey* SINGAPORE (IDN) – With Russian troops massing on Ukraine’s borders, it’s not only Ukrainians who worry about what President Vladimir Putin may have in store for them. It’s Kazakhs too. For now, Kazakhs don’t have to be immediately concerned about Russian troop movements. What unsettles them is years of Russian […]

By Sharofat Shafieva KHOROG, Tajikistan (IDN) — The city of Khorog is generally clean, but it has a problem with waste management. Residents leave their garbage on the streets and especially in public places. The central market is one of the places where there is a large garbage dump. “Passing by garbage is very unpleasant. […]

By Akhas Tazhutov The writer is a political analyst. This article first appeared in Eurasia Review on October 1, 2021. ALMATY (IDN) — What should be taken into account when analyzing the Kazakh government’s attitude and policies toward Afghanistan? According to Kazakh media reports, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Kabul, Alimkhan Esengeldiev, met with the acting foreign […]

By Nisar Keshvani SINGAPORE (IDN) — Imagine. The most remote of mountains. Two thousand metres above sea level. On the Silk Road, and 240 km away from China. In secondary cities with populations going up to 150,000. Therein, majestically stands a fully-residential university, delivering a world-class education for the next generation of Central Asian learners—regardless […]

By Saltanat Suraganova ALMATY (IDN | Kazinform) – The name of Abai is known worldwide just as Shakespeare, Goethe, and Pushkin are well-known in many countries. His books were translated into many foreign languages. So, we can say definitely that Abai made a contribution to not only Kazakh culture and folklore but world literature as […]

Viewpoint by Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) – On June 12, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev completed the first year of his term as President of Kazakhstan, traversing a road to multifarious reforms at home, reflecting the maturity and stable political transition in Central Asia’s biggest nation-state. At the same time, he has been strengthening bilateral […]