Energy and Economy

 

UAE Firm Invests $1.1 Billion in Astana Airport

On May 12, during a trip to Kazakhstan by Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Transportation of Kazakhstan signed an agreement with a subsidiary of the Emirati firm Terminals Holding to invest $1.1 billion into Astana International Airport. The investments will be directed toward the construction of a second runway, a third passenger terminal, and a cargo terminal as well as upgrading the airport's digital and operational infrastructure.

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan Launches Construction of New Airport

Kyrgyz authorities officially launched the construction of a new airport in the city of Jalal-Abad on May 13. The airport, located in Kyrgyzstan’s third largest city, will span 380 hectares, include a two-story terminal, have a capacity of processing 350 passengers an hour, and be outfitted to receive both passengers and cargo. The opening ceremony was attended by Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov, who delivered remarks on the growing interest in both domestic and international travel in Kyrgyzstan.

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan Set Joint Summer Water Plan

The Ministers of Energy and Water Resources from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan met for discussions on May 14 in Tashkent to finalize a joint summer plan on water and energy management. Following the meeting, the sides announced that they had agreed to a schedule for systems operations and discussed joint construction projects and how to manage sensitive regions, such as the Syrdarya River basin.

Source: Daryo

Kazakhstan Unveils Plan for “Eco-Villages” Financed by China

At the May 13 investment forum in Shenzhen, China, Kazakhstan officials unveiled plans for 100 autonomous eco-settlements. The project that aims to construct the energy independent communities in picturesque areas of Kazakhstan complete with local solar panels, rainwater collection systems, and greenhouses has secured $600 million in Chinese investment. At the forum, the International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center and the China-Eurasian Business Council additionally signed an agreement to attract green-project financing to Kazakhstan. 

Source: Astana Times

Uzbekistan and China to Establish Visa-Free Travel

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that beginning on June 1, Uzbekistan’s and China’s citizens will be able to travel visa-free for up to 30 days to one another’s countries. Cumulative periods of visit will additionally be limited to 90 days within a 180-day period. Kazakhstan announced a similar agreement with China in 2024.

Source: Astana Times

Politics and Security

 

Pashinyan and Aliyev Hold Brief Meeting on Sidelines of Tirana Forum

On the sidelines of the Sixth European Political Community Summit, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev briefly met. Interlocutors later reported that the discussion focused on the “importance of agreeing on the text of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement.” Recent weeks have seen stagnation in the long-running Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, with both countries trading numerous accusations of cease-fire violations. In March, both sides announced that they had agreed to a final text of a peace agreement, but disagreements over pre-conditions still remain.

Source: News.am

Armenia to Enact Fee-Based Model for Conscription 

Armenia’s governing Civil Contract party has put forward a piece of legislation that would enact a fee-based structure allowing citizens to substantially shorten their legally required period of military service. Under the new proposal, a three-tiered system would be established allowing male citizens to either serve the currently required 24-month period of military service (but with increased compensation), pay the equivalent of $38,000 and serve a six-month period, or pay the equivalent of $51,000 and serve a largely symbolic period of 1 month. Additionally, the new law would raise the legal deadline for conscription from 27 years of age to 37 years of age. 

Source: CivilNet

Kobakhidze Protests Trump’s Lack of Policy Toward Georgia, Describes U.S.-Georgia Relations as “Active-Negative”

Speaking on pro-Georgian Dream (GD) television on May 14, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described that U.S.-Georgian relations as “not a state of neutral silence, it is not a passive status. Our relationships have a sort of active-negative status.” The Prime Minister pointed to the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump had not reversed the sanctions placed upon Georgian elites by the United States in recent years. The day prior, Kobakhidze had released an open letter in which he stated he had “expressed Georgia’s readiness to renew [U.S.-Georgia] strategic partnership with the United States” but “have not received a response.... Moreover, no communication has taken place at the highest level between the Governments of Georgia and the United States.” GD had spoken with optimism about the Trump presidency and had reached out publicly to Trump, mirroring MAGA-style rhetoric.

Source: Civil.ge

Armenia to Keep Russian Base in Gyumri Open

President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan stated during a briefing that Armenia is not currently discussing the possibility of closing the Russian military base. Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri hosts approximately 3,000 to 5,000 personnel and operates under a lease agreement extended until 2044. 

Source: Vestnik Kavkaza, TASS