Energy and Economy

Kazakhstan Nuclear Referendum Passes

Kazakhstan citizens on Sunday voted yes/no on the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in the country. For years, nuclear power has been a contentious issue as protestors cite environmental and security concerns. As of this writing, the Central Election Commission is reporting that 71.2% of respondents are voting in favor of the proposal, with 63.6% of eligible voters reporting. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) provided observers and each organization affirmed the election’s transparency.

Source: Daryo

EU and Turkmenistan Launch Middle Corridor Coordination Platform

Another piece of the EU-Central Asia Connectivity project was put into place last week as EU representatives from the Global Gateway fund and their Turkmenistan counterparts opened a new coordinating body in Ashgabat. This will utilize the 10-billion-euro fund for the Middle Corridor that Global Gateway committed last January. Besides promoting the Middle Corridor, the platform will coordinate implementation of infrastructure projects across the region to support the developing trade routes.

Source: Times of Central Asia, EU Press Service

World Bank Approves $800 million in loans to Uzbekistan

The World Bank approved one of the largest financial aid packages ever to Central Asia for Uzbekistan last week. The financing comes in the form of highly concessional loans under the banner of the “Second Inclusive and Resilient Market Economy Development Policy Operation.” The funding is meant to propel Uzbekistan through “ambitious” market and regulatory reforms, particularly in private-sector improvement, climate change, and public services.

Source: World Bank

Russia Halts Kazakhstan Grain Shipments

Kazakh officials confirmed on October 3 that shipments of grain to Russia had been halted due to Russia’s decision to block the issuance of phytosanitary certificates for grain, grain products, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and peppers from Kazakhstan. The precise reason for this shift is unclear, and Kazakhstan authorities have asked Russia to clarify its reasoning. Kazakhstan is a net exporter of agricultural goods, particularly grain, and uses Russia as a transit country to reach other markets.

Source: Voice of America 

Politics and Security 

Russia Removes Taliban from Terror List

In what would appear to be part of a larger trend of Taliban de facto recognition, Russia became the latest country on October 4 to remove the Taliban from its official list of terrorist groups. The finalization of the removal was announced by Russia’s envoy to Afghanistan, who delivered the statements the same day as a conference in Moscow on Afghanistan. The conference featured a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Source: Voice of America

Caspian Heads of States Convene in Moscow for CIS Conference

State leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will attend a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of States in Moscow on October 7. Participation of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the CIS meetings has not been announced, with Kazakhstan having conducted a referendum voting on the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in the country on October 6. Earlier on October 7, Moscow hosted the CIS meeting of Foreign Ministers. 

Source: 24.KG