Energy and Economy

 

Rosatom Proposed Building Nuclear Cluster Alongside Nuclear Power Plant in Uzbekistan

During a meeting between Rosatom’s Director General Alexei Likhachev and the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev last week, Russian state nuclear corporation proposed establishing a large-scale nuclear cluster alongside the planned small nuclear power plant (SNPP) in Uzbekistan. The nuclear cluster offered to include additional services such as nuclear medicine, agriculture, healthcare, and materials science beyond already planned construction of nuclear city with housing for SNPP employees and their families. Uzbekistan and Rosatom grounded their cooperation in 2017 with an agreement on construction of the first nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. The agreement was further modified because of Uzbekistan’s desire to shift toward a small nuclear power plant instead. 

Source: Daryo.uz

Reprojecting Uzbek Labor Migration: State Migration Agency Arranges Agreements for Citizens of Uzbekistan to Work in Türkiye and South Korea.

The Migration Agency of Uzbekistan’s working visits to both Türkiye and South Korea concluded with positive accomplishments in employment cooperation for Uzbekistan citizens. The agreement with South Korea addresses that nation’s labor shortages in the agricultural sector with seasonal employment of workers from Uzbekistan. For Türkiye, the Turkish company plans to hire over 2,000 Uzbekistani construction workers. Both negotiation processes outlined the importance of the development of a legal and sustainable labor system for the already residing and the new workers. 

Source: Daryo on South Korea; Daryo on Türkiye 

Grain Wagons from Russia Delivered to Armenia via Azerbaijan

As part of the peace normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian grain shipments are making their way to Armenia through Azerbaijan. Around 1,700 tons of grain were shipped on February 1, adding to prior wheat and other grain transits that have taken place in the past several months. Because transit routes were restricted during years of conflict between the two, Azerbaijan and Armenia have since agreed to restore operations along these corridors. 

Source: Euronews

Politics and Security

CSTO to Provide Weapons to Tajikistan Amidst Growing Violence on the Tajik-Afghan Border

Member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are reportedly in the process of finalizing contracts for transfers of military equipment and weapons to Tajikistan. This comes after the latest border clash on January 29, in which three drug traffickers from Afghanistan were killed by Tajikistani border forces. During a CSTO meeting in Moscow on February 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the security situation in Central Asia, with respect to Afghanistan’s internal instability, is a central priority for the organization.

Sources: Eurasianet, Anadolu Ajansi

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Meets with Israeli Foreign Minister

In Astana on January 27, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, marking the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Kazakhstan in 16 years. The visit reflects renewed interest by both countries in expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and technology. This follows Kazakhstan’s decision to become the first country during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term to join the Abraham Accords, a framework aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Muslim-majority countries.

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Kazakhstan to hold a referendum on Constitutional Amendments 

With the ongoing work of changing the Constitution of Kazakhstan, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with the members of the Commission on Constitutional Reforms. At the meeting, the president stated that the decision on a new Constitution should be made by citizens of Kazakhstan through a nationwide referendum. He highlighted again that any changes to the Constitution must be enforced only through referendums. Besides institutional and legal modernization, the amendments also aim to redefine and transform the state system. 

Source: Kazinform; The Astana Times