Author: Carlos Moore

The collapse of the Soviet Union sparked the creation of new informal practices across all of its former republics. Soviet-style corruption, in the form of blat (favors) and reiderstvo (corporate raiding), and newer informal practices, enabled the transition to independence. Like other parts of the former Soviet periphery, in Kyrgyzstan Soviet-era practices and ideas were internalized even as independence bloomed. But in response to weak rule of law, and the forces of capitalism, informal practices took on new forms in Kyrgyzstan in light of its own unique circumstances. The Soviet imperial legacy can be seen especially in these locally developed informal practices. The recently emerged concept…

The leader of the Butun Kyrgyzstan parliamentary faction, deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh Adakhan Madumarov was placed in the pre-trial detention center of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) of the Kyrgyz Republic. This decision was made on the evening of September 2 by the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek. The press service of the court explained that in this way the request of the investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was granted, and the parliamentarian will be kept in custody until the end of the investigation, that is, until October 24. Recall that earlier the lawyer Gulyana Ubaliyeva told reporters…

The Ukrainian Navy announced the incapacitation of five large landing ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This was announced by the speaker of the department Dmitry Pletenchuk on  FREEDOM . He clarified that before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian fleet had strengthened as much as possible under the guise of exercises. They pulled six ships to six more, but soon the number of ships was reduced in number. “Under the guise of exercises before a full-scale invasion, they pumped it up as best they could. I remind you that they only drove six to six large landing ships. But the result is known:…

Kazakhstan Qazaq Air Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Kazakhstan’s Almaty city and Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek, trend reports. According to the company, the flights are scheduled to commence on September 11, with ticket sales already underway. The flights between the two cities will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, using De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. The departure from Almaty is scheduled for 09:50 AM (GMT +6), with an arrival in Bishkek at 10:50 AM (GMT +6). Departure from Bishkek is set for 11:50 AM (GMT +6), with an arrival in Almaty at 12:50 PM…

Frankfurt, Brussels (30/7 – 27) Kenges Rakishev, international entrepreneur, philanthropist and former special envoy of the Kazakh government, is leading the charge for an upcoming Nasdaq listing of Borealis Foods Inc., a fast-growing food tech company imbued with a mission to serve growing consumer needs. Rakishev intends to tackle global food challenges by developing nutritious, sustainable, and affordable ready-to-eat meals. This product is currently on sale in US and Canadian markets, with ambitious, imminent plans for a European market invasion. The Company stands at the forefront of innovation, having pioneered the world’s first plant-based ramen meal on a mass scale,…

Bride kidnapping, the horrific practice of abducting women into marriage, still takes place in regions of the world and is an affront to human rights. The small and very dusty town of Murghab, Tajikistan, is snuggled inside the Pamir Mountains where the Pamir Highway crosses the Bartang river. It’s remote, dusty and cold. Most of the local population are ethnic Kyrgyzs and live mostly in houses made of mud-brick and whitewash. Remnants of its Soviet past remain and the surroundings are barren and windswept, with yaks and sheep grazing along the river banks. The climate is harsh and unpredictable. As a woman travelling alone through…

France has decided to transfer SCALP missiles (French name Storm Shadow – approx. “Medusa”) to Ukraine, the range of which is at least 250 kilometers. French President Emmanuel Macron announced this on the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, writes Le Monde. “I think that today it is important for us to send a signal about support for Ukraine, about the unity of NATO,” he stressed. France will thus become the second country to provide Ukraine with such weapons. Earlier, the UK sent long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov…

The Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund (RKDF) allocates $10 million to Chakan HPP OJSC to complete the construction of Bala-Saruu small hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 25 megawatts in Talas region. In 2022, the President Sadyr Japarov laid a capsule for the construction of this hydroelectric power plant. More than two billion soms have been allocated from the republican budget for the implementation of the project. The plant will generate 92.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Its launch will reduce the energy deficit in the Kyrgyz Republic by 4.2 percent. The hydroelectric power plant will be located near the dam on Kirov reservoir. Previously, there was no such facility, and the potential of water resources was not fully used.…

Leps claims he has paid out bounties to Russian troops for destroying Ukrainian tanks Kyrgyzstan has become the latest country in Central Asia to cancel a concert by popular Russian singer Grigory Leps over his vocal support of the invasion of Ukraine. The veteran performer had been due to perform at a venue at the popular tourist destination of Lake Issyk-Kul in August, but those plans met vocal opposition from local activists. Similar cancellations have already occurred in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Among those leading the front against Leps in Kyrgyzstan was political analyst Almaz Tajibayev, who tweeted on July 4 that the singer’s presence…

Frankfurt, Brussels (3/7 – 27) France has been plagued by multiple outbreaks of rioting following mass protests over the death of a teenager at the hands of a police officer last week. The death of Nahel M. (17), teenager of North African descent, has stoked anger among the public at police violence against minorities and exacerbated existing racial tensions in France. Protests have spread beyond the capital city of Paris and its suburban areas, to other major cities, including Lyon, Marseille, Le Havre, Toulouse and Nantes. On Sunday (2/7/2023), a day after Nahel’s funeral in Nanterre, 719 people were arrested…