Stories under this heading cover Central Asia – a region of Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea in the west to Mongolia in the east, from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north.
In early January 2023, amid the freezing temperatures and power blackouts of Bucha - the Kyiv suburb now infamous for it being the location of Russian massacres of Ukrainian civilians in early 2022 - there popped up a Kazakh yurt where residents were served free traditional Kazakh food and tea, could keep warm and could charge their electronic devices. Soon after, another yurt appeared in downtown Kyiv.
Kazakhstan has announced that they will tighten entrance rules for citizens of countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, including Russians.
A draft resolution adopted on 31 December, published on Tuesday (17 January), and which will become effective on 27 January will restrict citizens of countries of the Eurasian Economic Union to 90 days visa-free in Kazakhstan within any 180-day period.
On Sunday (23 Oct), multiple activists and politicians in Kyrgyzstan were arrested for their resistance to a government plan to hand over a major water reservoir to Uzbekistan as part of a border demarcation deal. Among the detained was opposition politician Ravshan Jeenbekov, who is also the founder of Next TV.
Preparations are well under way ahead of forthcoming presidential elections in Kazakhstan, scheduled for 20 November.
All five candidates running for the post оfficially submitted their documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC), according to the Commission's press service.
This will be the first election under a new constitution. The winner will serve only for one term of seven years.
European Council president, Charles Michel is expected to bvisit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at the end of October.
Michel tweeted
Pleased about President @TokayevKZ’s invite to visit Astana & attend the Central Asian leaders meeting on 26-27/10.
Also pleased about visiting Uzbekistan on 28/10 & meet with President Mirziyoyev.
🇪🇺 is ready to deepen ties with Central Asia & support intra-regional cooperation
Kazakhstan will host the Vth World Nomad Games in 2024, said the chairperson of Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, Yerlan Koshanov, during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday (3 October)
At the fourth World Nomad Games that took place from Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 in the Turkish city of Iznik, Kazakhstan national team won three gold, four silver, and two bronze medals, reported the press service of the Centre of National and Equestrian Sports.