Central Asia
Stakeholders: Human capital and green transformation are key for Kazakhstan
Investment in human capital, green transformation, and attention on human rights is essential for the further successful development of Kazakhstan, stakeholders at a recent forum in Nursultan said.
Kazakhstan minister: We steadily observe our obligations in the field of human rights
Kazakhstan is moving towards reforms progressively and steadily, with the state now supporting and financing NGOs and the political opposition enjoying full parliamentary rights, Aida Balaeva, the minister of information and social development, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Kazakhstan looks for best practices in Europe to improve child rights
When Kazakhstan decided it was going on the hunt for the "practical, best practices for effective solutions" that would bolster the rights of its youngest citizens, the Central Asian children's rights ombudswoman came to Europe.
EU-Kazakhstan on the move
A new political season has started, together with some easing of COVID-19-related travel and meeting restrictions. As journalists and politicians prepare to take the plane and renew contacts, EURACTIV has taken snapshots of the ongoing cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan.
US says nearly 500 Afghan citizens evacuated from Uzbekistan
The United States said Tuesday (14 September) it had evacuated nearly 500 "military and civilian" Afghans from Uzbekistan, while the Central Asian country declared there were now no Afghan refugees on its territory.
Afghanistan faces near universal poverty within a year
Without major financial and logistical support, the people of Afghanistan face a future of poverty and humanitarian crisis, warns Achim Steiner.
Chizhov: Russia is well-placed to play a constructive role in Afghanistan
In a wide-ranging interview, the Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov discussed Afghanistan, the ‘Crimea Platform’, carbon border tax, COVID and vaccines, and the new political season.
Afghans scramble to delete digital history, evade biometrics
Thousands of Afghans struggling to ensure the physical safety of their families after the Taliban took control of the country have an additional worry: that biometric databases and their own digital history can be used to track and target them....
Russian and Uzbek militaries begin joint Afghan border drills
Troops from Russia and Uzbekistan began joint military drills on Monday (2 August) near the Afghan border, amid fears in both countries that a worsening security situation in Afghanistan could spill over into Central Asia.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
Connectivity at the core of a more stable Afghanistan
At a time when Taliban is likely to take over Afghanistan, the stakes could not have been higher for Uzbekistan’s reformist President Mirziyoyev who hosted the 15-16 July Central-South Asia Connectivity Conference in Tashkent.
Tashkent conference: Connectivity and the need for a stable Afghanistan
EURACTIV republishes the latest blogpost by EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell who takes stock from his participation to the Central-South Asia Connectivity Conference held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on 15-16 July.
Kazakh human rights reforms signal modernisation but EU lawmakers doubtful
Current human rights-related reforms in Kazakhstan are a step in the right direction, stakeholders from the country told a recent EURACTIV event but European Parliament lawmakers across the political spectrum were not entirely convinced.
Human Rights in Kazakhstan – The road ahead
In June 2021, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree “On further measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of human rights”, which he said represents an important step in the political modernisation of the Central Asian country....
Tajikistan calls up reservists to bolster border as Afghan troops flee Taliban
Tajikistan's president on Monday (5 July) ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.
Police reform in Kazakhstan: Effective law-enforcement close to the population
The reform of the law enforcement system has started in Kazakhstan recently as part of the overall modernisation of the country and the first evaluation of the results achieved look very optimistic, writes Yerlan Turgumbayev.
Presidential envoy: For Kazakhstan, the EU is a neighbor
In a wide-ranging interview, Yerzhan Kazykhan, special representative of the president of Kazakhstan for international cooperation, discussed the state of play of the Central Asian country's relations with the EU, its international initiatives and new projects, such as joining the EU’s battery alliance.
Kazakh independent expert: Human rights NGOs enjoy more influence
A lot has change over the last years in Kazakhstan in terms of human rights, but more work is outstanding, independent expert Nazgul Yergalieva told EURACTIV in an interview, describing how the authorities in the central Asian country are now cooperating with NGOs in improving human rights protection.
Kazakhstan says it has upper hand in multi-billion legal case
Legal representatives for the government of Kazakhstan have told EURACTIV they believe the Central Asian country has gained the upper hand in a long-running legal battle surrounding what they called "one of the biggest frauds in the history of international arbitration".
Kazakhstan announces new efforts to improve human rights record
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree “On further measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of human rights”, which he said represents an important step in the political modernisation of the Central Asian country.
Kazakhstan rebuffs talk of joint sanctions response with Russia
Kazakhstan on Saturday (5 June) dismissed a senior Russian official's idea of a joint response to Western sanctions against Moscow and its allies such as Belarus by a Russia-led post-Soviet trade bloc.OpinionStakeholder Opinion
The Last Frontier: Energy investments in Uzbekistan reach new heights
A recent deal stands out because it is the first fully privately financed project in the Uzbek energy sector and also the largest EU private sector investment in Uzbekistan, writes Alberto Turkstra.
Kazakhstan’s Ombudsman: Parliamentary lobbying must be healthy and legal
Before the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Kazakhstan in February, there was no comprehensive dialogue at the decision-making level and no complete analysis of the EU lawmakers' sources of information, Elvira Azimova, Kazakhstan's commissioner for human rights, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Oettinger: It’s time to take EU-Kazakhstan relations to a new level
Former European Commission Vice President Günther Oettinger called on Monday (10 May) for elevating the EU-Kazakhstan relations to “a new level”, inviting the European business to invest more in added-value products manufactured in the Central Asian country.
Analyst: Central Asian ‘patient’ is ready for deeper cooperation
Even though unresolved border disputes stand in the way of further economic integration of Central Asia, this vast region is ready to deepen ties, according to Askar Nursha.Supporter
This stakeholder supports EURACTIV's coverage of Central Asia. This support enables EURACTIV to devote additional editorial resources to cover the topic more widely and deeply. EURACTIV's editorial content is independent from the views of its supporters.
