Tariq Saeedi The Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), set to take place from August 5–8, 2025, in Awaza, Turkmenistan, under the theme “Driving Progress through Partnerships,” provides a critical platform to address the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). While LLDCs in Africa and Asia share common … [Read more...]
Iran to Launch Three New Rail Connections to Neighboring Countries
Iran is set to introduce three new railway routes connecting to neighboring countries, aiming to enhance regional rail travel, according to Jabbar Ali Zakeri, CEO of Iran’s National Railway Company (RAJA) and deputy minister of roads and urban development. As reported by Mehr News, the new routes will link Iran with Turkey, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. Zakeri announced … [Read more...]
World Population – Peak and Decline
nCa Report The global population, currently estimated at 8.1 billion in 2023, is projected to peak at around 10.4 billion by 2080 before entering a gradual decline. This trajectory, based on medium-variant models from the United Nations and other demographic studies, reflects slowing growth rates—from 0.8% annually today to near zero by 2080—as fertility rates fall below … [Read more...]
EU and Central Asia – Redefining the paradigm
Tariq Saeedi Geologically, mainland Europe and mainland Asia are one gigantic continent – Eurasia. They share the same tectonic plates, and they are a contiguous landmass, with lack of water boundaries that define a continent. They are separated by a line that is imaginary – the Ural River and the Ural Mountain. The mass travels, sometimes friendly and sometimes not so … [Read more...]
9 of the world’s 10 busiest ports are in Asia
Arailym Temirgaliyeva From January to July 2024, the volume of cargo and baggage delivered by maritime and coastal routes in Kazakhstan increased by 2.1 times against the same period in 2023 and reached 1.6 million tons. The figure is reported to be the highest within the past five years, Kazinform News Agency learned from Energyprom.kz. Maritime and coastal freight … [Read more...]
Streamlining of Merchant Solutions will boost e-commerce in Central Asia
E-commerce in Central Asia is ready to go mainstream. One of the snags holding it back is the absence of streamlined merchant solutions. The various methods to accept the online payment from the client and process the transaction are collectively called the merchant solutions. According to the website Carat, to accept online payments, both small and large eCommerce … [Read more...]
TRUTH FOR THE DIPLOMAT – Part 7 – The power of neutrality vs Crassus Syndrome
Dr. Begench Karaev The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in his speech at the XV International Economic Forum “Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum 2024,” put forward a radically new idea to update the peacekeeping potential of Islamic civilization in the modern era. In particular, the Turkmen Leader … [Read more...]
TRUTH FOR THE DIPLOMAT – Part 6 – Public diplomacy: historical connection of times
Dr. Begench Karaev The National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in his speech at the third Antalya Diplomatic Forum ( Antalya , March 1, 2024), drew attention to a very effective aspect of diplomacy and international relations of our time. In particular, he emphasized: “The current situation in the system of … [Read more...]
During its CICA Chairmanship, Kazakhstan will focus on enhancing connectivity in Asia
Kazakhstan and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) have signed a roadmap for the Implementation of the Kazakh Chairmanship's Priorities in CICA for 2023-2024. The document was signed in Astana on 22 February 2023 in Astana by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kanat Tumysh, and the Secretary General of CICA, Kairat … [Read more...]
CICA: Formation of the Asian Counterweight
Asia is getting traction. The time has come to launch international mechanisms that had previously been constructed and governed for nearly 30 years, in order to consolidate them into a single structure - clear, stable and running smoothly. Considering the fact that the world situation is now in dire need of this. These meetings on the sidelines… Kazakhstan, an active … [Read more...]
Water as a strategic resource in Central Asia
Providing water resources and preserving established ecosystems is becoming one of the most important tasks facing the countries of Central Asia. And the new initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, voiced at the meeting of the heads of state of this region in Turkmenistan, claims to become a kind of "road map" for solving this problem. Since Soviet … [Read more...]
Вода как стратегический ресурс
Обеспечение водными ресурсами и сохранение устоявшихся экосистем становится одним из важнейших задач, стоящих перед странами Центральной Азии. И новая инициатива Президента Казахстана Касым-ЖомартаТокаева, озвученная на встрече глав государств этого региона в Туркменистане, претендует стать своеобразной «дорожной картой» для решения данной проблемы. Еще с советских времен … [Read more...]
Enhanced social protection an opportunity Asia Pacific must grasp
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Chihoko Asada Miyakawa In the fight against COVID-19, success has so far been defined by responses in Asia and the Pacific. Many countries in our region have been hailed as reference points in containing the virus. Yet if the region is to build back better, the success of immediate responses should not distract from the weaknesses COVID-19 has … [Read more...]
Состоялась третья встреча глав внешнеполитических ведомств государств Центральной Азии и Российской Федерации
Сегодня, 15 октября 2020 года Министр иностранных дел Туркменистана Р.Мередов принял участие в третьей встрече министров иностранных дел в формате «Центральная Азия + Россия». В заседании также приняли участие Министр иностранных дел Республики Казахстан М.Тлеуберди, Министр иностранных дел Кыргызской Республики Р.Казакбаев, Министр иностранных дел Российской Федерации … [Read more...]
Tapping the potential of CICA
CICA is an abbreviation known for a long time to world politicians and often heard on international platforms. The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia is a structure with a 27-year history, extensive geography and, so far, it seems, not fully realized potential. In the future, the CICA has every chance of becoming an Asian version of the OSCE. And … [Read more...]
Fighting inequality in Asia and the Pacific
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar Inequality is increasing in Asia and the Pacific. Our region’s remarkable economic success story belies a widening gap between rich and poor. A gap that’s trapping people in poverty and, if not tackled urgently, could thwart our ambition to achieve sustainable development. This is the central challenge heads of state and government will be considering this … [Read more...]
Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific 2018
Mobilizing finance for sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth Dr. Shamshad Akhtar Asia and the Pacific remains the engine of the global economy. It continues to power trade, investment and jobs the world over. Two thirds of the region’s economies grew faster in 2017 than the previous year and the trend is expected to continue in 2018. The region’s challenge is … [Read more...]
ADB: Wider Solar Power Use Critical for Asia
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 30 May 2011 - Asia must expand solar energy generation if the region is to stay on its strong economic growth path and reduce carbon emissions, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice-President (Operations 1) Xiaoyu Zhao said today. Mr. Zhao was speaking here at the opening of the 3rd meeting of the Asia Solar Energy Forum, which is gathering over 300 … [Read more...]