Author: Berke Behcet

Around 300 people came onto the streets of Kyrgyzstan’s capital over the weekend in a public show of support for Palestine amid the ongoing aerial bombing campaign waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip. By contrast, a similar rally planned in Uzbekistan for the same day, October 29, was prevented by law enforcement. The differing approaches taken by the respective governments are signposting the divergent stances being taken toward the unfolding unrest in the Middle East. Participants of the Bishkek demonstration assembled in the center of the city and held up posters bearing slogans “We stand with Palestine, “End the…

A fleet of 87 apron buses manufactured by leading Chinese bus maker Yutong departed Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan Province on Monday for Saudi Arabia. This is the largest overseas order for such vehicles produced by Yutong. The desert climate of Saudi Arabia, characterized by scorching heat, aridity and minimal rainfall throughout the year, significantly impacts vehicle performance. With a unique body structure and advanced anti-corrosion technology, Yutong’s apron buses can maintain their durability even after prolonged exposure to sweltering conditions, said Wu Tao, chief of the apron bus product management section of Yutong. As the largest supplier of apron…

Agri-Food Investment Forum of Uzbekistan took place today as part of the International Conference on Food Security in Samarkand. This Forum was designed to help tap the agricultural potential of countries, with over 100 companies from 26 countries attending the event. US$ 1.88 billion worth of deals were entered into at the forum, including, 24 projects worth $857.3 million from direct investment; grants and funds from international financial institutions – 14 projects worth 707.5 million US dollars. In addition, trade agreements worth $319.2 million were concluded. Samarkand International Conference on Food Security was organized by the government of Uzbekistan with…

Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance cooperation in the mining sector, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday. The MoU was signed between Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar during the former’s ongoing official visit to Ankara, said the report. On Monday, in a post on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Bayraktar said that “the deal paved the way for wide-scale cooperation between the two countries in mining, particularly in related mutual investment.” The…

Dear Compatriots, Distinguished Members of Parliament and Members of the Government, In accordance with Article 59 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, I declare the second session of the Parliament of the VIII convocation open. Dear Members of Parliament, Congratulations to all of you on the opening of this next session, and I wish you success in your responsible endeavors! After the spring elections, the number of parties in Parliament increased, and the composition of MPs changed significantly. The fractions representing political parties, as well as single-mandate MPs, have actively engaged in work, initiating many relevant bills and…

Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and Secretary of the Party Committee of Shandong Province Lin Wu discussed the advancement of cooperation in trade, economics, transport and logistics during a Sept. 4 meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. According to Smailov, Shandong makes up more than 6% of the total trade volume between Kazakhstan and China. He expressed the country’s interest in promoting its products to the Chinese market and exploring new areas of cooperation. Smailov highlighted the relevance of developing transport potential and deepening cooperation within the One Belt, One Road initiative. “Kazakhstan shipped the first batch of grain to Eastern…

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, said on Monday that any assassination committed against a Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, or Iranian on Lebanese soil will not go unanswered. Nasrallah’s remarks came after an exchange of threats between Israelis and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) over the past few days. “We will not allow Lebanon to be opened for assassinations, and Israelis must know that changing the rules of engagement is not allowed,” Nasrallah said in Bekaa, a Lebanese region that borders Syria. Last week, right-wing Israeli ministers and lawmakers reportedly called on the government to return to the…

On August 26, Uzbekistan sent 12 tons of humanitarian aid to residents of Shebeko district of the Belgorod region of Russia, the spokesman to the Russia Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said. The aid reportedly included clothes for children and adults, medicines, school kits for first graders and was provided through state, public and non-governmental organizations. The Russian authorities express gratitude to the leadership of Uzbekistan and its citizens for this help, which reflects the level of relations between the two countries based on strong friendship and strategic partnership ties. source

Palestinian authorities on Sunday called for international pressure on the Israeli government to stop the sponsorship of settler groups in the West Bank. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry made the appeal in a press statement after groups of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farms in the West Bank on Saturday. Holding the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “fully and directly responsible for these attacks,” the ministry said, “the results of such acts would create more tension in the area.” “Israel’s sense of protection and immunity deepens its attacks on the Palestinians and stealing their land in favor of settlements…

On the evening of August 29, Uzbekistan Airways received the delivery of the third medium-haul Airbus A320neo aircraft this year. The plane arrived in Tashkent from Kuala Lumpur, and was leased to Uzbekistan Airways by China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC). This is the first agreement for CALC in the Central Asian region. The aircraft is relatively new – it was produced in 2021 and was previously used by the Indonesian TransNusa. It has a single class (no business seats) with 168 seats “In the near future, we plan to add to our fleet two more planes of this family,” said…