AKIPRESS.COM – President Sadyr Japarov today received Ambassador of Qatar to Kyrgyzstan Ali Jaber Mohammed Al-Ghufran Al-Marri.

An exchange of views took place on issues of bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

The head of state congratulated the Ambassador on the start of his diplomatic mission in Kyrgyzstan and expressed confidence that thanks to rich diplomatic experience and personal efforts, Kyrgyz-Qatari relations will rise to a new level of mutual relations.

Sadyr Japarov especially noted that Kyrgyzstan attaches great importance to development of bilateral relations with Qatar and is always ready for close cooperation with investors, and the Cabinet of Ministers will provide comprehensive support.

Ambassador Ali Jaber Mohammed Al-Ghufran Al-Marri conveyed warm words of greetings from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and expressed his readiness to make every effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

In conclusion, the parties expressed mutual readiness to strengthen bilateral multifaceted cooperation.

Source: Akipress

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The 19-year-old said he wrote the remarks in a moment of immaturity, but that was not enough to spare him prison.

A court in Uzbekistan has sentenced a teenager to two-and-a-half years in prison for insulting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. 

 The 19-year-old, a resident of the Kattakurgan district in the Samarkand region, was found by the court to have written comments on Instagram that could be deemed defamatory of the president. The verdict was passed in October but only made public by the Supreme Court late last week.

According to the case materials, the man, who has been identified only by his initials, I.D., left the incriminating comment, the specific content of which has not been disclosed, under a video entitled “Presidential Family” while he was working in Russia in summer. He later deleted the comment on the advice of acquaintances. 

 Investigators concluded that the comment contained “actions insulting and discrediting the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan.”

 When the young man found out a criminal case had been initiated against him, he voluntarily returned to Uzbekistan, on August 24. 

 During court proceedings, the man insisted he did not oppose Mirziyoyev’s policies and was merely acting with youthful immaturity when he penned the offensive remarks. He pleaded guilty and expressed regret, according to the Supreme Court. 

 The amendment to Uzbekistan’s criminal code that made online “insult and slander” of the head of state an offense was adopted in March 2021. The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison. 

No information is available on how many individuals have been charged and sentenced for the crime of insulting the president since that change to the law. Uzbek media did, however, report in February 2022 on the case of citizen journalist called Sobirjon Babaniyazov who was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting both Mirziyoyev and his late predecessor, Islam Karimov.

Source: Eurasianet

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Rustam Minnikhanov was in Dushanbe on a working trip.

Yesterday, September 4, 2023, a meeting between Rais of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon took place in Dushanbe.

“Despite the fact that our trade turnover has increased in recent years, volumes remain small. We will work to increase it manifold,” Rustam Minnikhanov said during the meeting. “We are interested in expanding the presence of leading Tatarstan companies in the Tajikistan market to strengthen economic ties between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.”

According to the latest data for 2022, the foreign trade turnover of Tatarstan and Tajikistan exceeded $30 million. The work is organized in such priority areas as mechanical engineering, agriculture, and healthcare.

Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized interest in the supply of helicopters, petrochemical products, oil and gas equipment, halal products, and so on to Tajikistan.

He also thanked Emomali Rahmon for supporting the Tatar community in Tajikistan. According to available data, the number of Tatars living in Tajikistan exceeds 12.5 thousand people.

In turn, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon noted the importance of interaction at the regional level as “an integral part of the Tajik-Russian strategic partnership relations.”

Emomali Rahmon expressed confidence that Rustam Minnikhanov’s visit will further strengthen cooperation between Russia and Tajikistan.

Source: Laishevskyi

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Elections to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Board of Directors were held in Cancun, Mexico. Under the auspices of a special election commission and independent auditors, voting took place through secret ballot among eligible ITF members. Bulat Utemuratov, President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, was re-elected to the Board of Directors for a new term, running from 2023-27. It will be his third term as a member of the Board.

Such recognition and trust on the part of the global tennis community is testament to the consistent delivery of election promises and the implementation of vital tasks to advance the global tennis agenda. Over the past four years, Bulat Utemuratov has helped pay special attention to issues of transparency within the organization, as well as to increasing organizational effectiveness through the introduction of necessary governance changes, such as the separation of roles between President and CEO, in line with best corporate practices. Relevant amendments were made to the ITF’s constitution and internal documents to incorporate these developments.

As Vice President of the ITF, Bulat Utemuratov also worked to advance children’s tennis, particularly in the under-12 age categories, by holding various regional team competitions. This age is critical for children’s development because they need international tournament practice, but the majority of young players do not have sufficient resources to travel. To address the problem, five of the most in-need regions of the world were awarded support: Oceania, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. The KTF President personally awarded more than $3 million in additional funding to help stage the regional team championships, in which more than 1,000 children from the five regions participated.

“I believe that the tennis community should unite as much as possible to realize the enormous potential of our sport, which is in the top-3 in terms of audience, but barely in the top-10 in terms of financial income. We need to make every effort to realize our opportunities, deliver significantly more resources to build new courts and facilities, stage tournaments, and fund talented players in all corners of the world,” Bulat Utemuratov said after the announcement of the voting results.

In 2021, Kazakhstan increased the number of votes it has to exercise at the annual general meeting (AGM) from 5 to 7. This is the third-highest of six ITF membership levels awarded to national federations. Representatives of 155 countries voted for this decision at the 2021 AGM — a sign of the significant progress made to develop tennis in Kazakhstan, which is now among the world’s top 20 tennis powers.

Source: PR News Wire

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HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always values its friendship with traditional partner countries in the Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, and wants to enhance multifaceted cooperation between the two nations for the mutual benefit of both countries and their people, affirmed Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at his meeting with visiting Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Hà Nội on Monday.

Commending positive developments in the bilateral relationship, particularly in politics, diplomacy, economy, and trade, the PM suggested that both sides increase their exchange of visits and meetings at all levels, and continue to support each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially the United Nations and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The Kazakhstani President stated that Kazakhstan regards Việt Nam as an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region and hopes to further strengthen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Southeast Asian country, particularly in economy, trade, and investment, based on shared values and interests.

Chính praised the nations’ effective implementation of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Việt Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). He also noted that there remain untapped potential and ample room for the sides to complement each other and develop together.

He suggested Kazakhstan continue to create favourable conditions for strong Vietnamese goods such as agro-fishery products, textiles, and woodwork to access the Kazakhstani market. Both sides should collaborate to speed up the amendment of the FTA to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment.

In response, Tokayev assured that he will direct the Kazakhstani Government to focus on enhancing cooperation in the fields mentioned by PM Chính, particularly transport, logistics, culture, tourism, finance, and digital transformation. He expressed his wish to further promote the role of the Việt Nam-Kazakhstan intergovernmental committee on economic-trade and sci-tech cooperation and push for the implementation of specific projects between the two nations.

The Vietnamese Government leader hoped that in addition to the signing of the mutual visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders and the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation, the President’s visit will open up more opportunities for people-to-people exchanges, promote tourism cooperation, and facilitate trade between the nations.

On the occasion, the PM thanked Kazakhstan for its support for Vietnamese citizens living, working, and studying in Kazakhstan. He urged continued favourable conditions created for Vietnamese enterprises to invest and do business there. — VNS

Source: Vietnam News

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The president highlighted the dynamic regional cooperation and the global role of the Central Asian countries, which create new opportunities to expand cooperation

Jeddah: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan stated that his country has adopted a visa-free entry system for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in order to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity.

The Kazakh president indicated that the tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the region’s economy, expressing his readiness to develop the mutual promotion of cultural, educational, environmental, sports, and commercial tourism.

His remarks came while delivering his speech at the GCC-Central Asia Summit, which was hosted in Jeddah today.

President Tokayev expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for hosting the summit.

He also expressed his pride in participating in the summit, which highlights the strong bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the GCC and Central Asian countries through unity and mutual support.

President Tokayev praised the excellent organization of the summit, with the participation of royal and presidential highnesses, and highlighted the advancement of multi-dimensional cooperation and strong, harmonious relationships.

He commended the support of active political dialogue and the development of trade and economic cooperation.

President Tokayev emphasized the importance of strengthening cultural and human ties that align with the countries’ views on sustainable development issues and ensuring global security and peace. He noted that the historical ties, shared spiritual values, bonds of friendship, and brotherhood form a solid foundation for these relationships.

He stated that Kazakhstan places exceptional importance on today’s meeting and that the Arab Gulf countries, with their significant political influence and important economic and investment potential, are among its most important partners in many key areas.

The president highlighted the dynamic regional cooperation and the global role of the Central Asian countries, which create new opportunities to expand cooperation.

He commended the effective and active growth of trade between Central Asian countries and the GCC member states in recent years and looked forward to increasing mutual trade and activating investment cooperation.

Kazakhstan can increase its exports to the Gulf countries by approximately 100 products worth around $350 million, he said.

Source: Zawya News

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UZBEKISTAN, July 2 – The Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan received the President of the Turkic Investment Fund

Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov today met with President of the Turkic Investment Fund and former Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) Baghdad Amreev.

Glad to meet H.E. Baghdad Amreyev, the President of the Turkic Investment Fund and former Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, the Uzbek Foreign Minister wrote on his telegram channel. “We exchanged thoughts on how to build more substantial financial ties and investment cooperation among OTS member states.”

Recall that on November 10-11, 2022, in the city of Samarkand, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a meeting of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States was held, the theme of which was “A new era of Turkic civilization: on the way to common progress and prosperity”. As a result of the summit, the Samarkand Declaration was adopted, aimed at further expanding multifaceted cooperation within the organization.

In addition, a decision was made to approve the candidacy of Kubanychbek Omuraliev for the position of Secretary General of the UTC.

Source: EIN News

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ISTANBUL 

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday signed a bill ratifying a demarcation agreement signed with neighboring Kazakhstan late last year.

“The Agreement on the Demarcation of the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan State Border between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan was ratified by the Law signed by the President,” the Uzbek Justice Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

On Dec. 22, 2022, Mirziyoyev and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed an agreement on border demarcation between the two countries following talks in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.

The agreement “legally secured” the borders between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, said a statement by the Kazakh presidency.

Under the agreement, the length of the border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is over 2,356 kilometers (1,464 miles).

The agreement was ratified by Kazakhstan in March.​​​​​​​

Source: AA News

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Doha: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will receive tomorrow, March 20, 2023, the President of Turkmenistan HE Serdar Berdymukhamedov, who will arrive in the country for an official visit.

His Highness the Amir and His Excellency the Turkmen President will discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them. They will also witness the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common concern.

Source : Menafn

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A joint session of both chambers of Kazakhstan’s parliament on Friday voted in favour of revoking this law, the Kazinform news agency reported.

“During a period of deep political transformations, when Kazakhstan is moving towards democracy and pluralism, it is important not to allow any mechanisms leading the appropriation of power by separate groups,” lawmaker Erlan Sairov said in parliament as quoted by Kazinform.

The move to revoke the law has come just months after Kazakhstan changed name of its capital from Nur-Sultan to Astana. The capital had the former name in honour of Nazarbayev.

After his decision to step down, Nazarbayev enjoyed a huge influence over politics and his clan retained control over swathes of country’s economy.

Last year, the country descended into chaos during January protests — which grew out of peaceful demonstrations over a spike in fuel prices — that left more than 230 dead. The protests were in part sparked by resentment over the rampant and lingering corruption from Nazarbayev’s rule.

Nazarbayev’s hand-picked successor Kassym-Jomart Tokayev violently suppressed the unrest and distanced himself from his former mentor, calling for a shift from “super-presidential” rule.

In recent months, several relatives of Kazakhstan’s 82-year-old founding leader have been removed from positions of power. 

Source: Wio News

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