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Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque

17 August 2022 10:50 (UTC+04:00)
Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque

By Sabina Mammadli

Central Asia Weekly Review: 10-16 Aug 22

HIGHLIGHTS

Kazakhstan opens largest mosque in Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan to import 28,000 tons of grain from Russia

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan ink accords on supply of goods worth $26.6M

Issues of landlocked countries eyed in Turkmenistan

Handwritten copy of Koran stolen in Uzbekistan

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan opens largest mosque in Central Asia

The official opening of the largest mosque in Central Asia took place in Nur-Sultan on August 12.

The event was attended by the first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The territory of the mosque occupies almost 10 hectares. A long square with flower beds, benches, and singing fountains leads to the building.

The height of the main dome will be almost 90 meters, with the minarets rising to a height of 130 meters. The capacity of the mosque is up to 235,000 people.

Previously, the Central Mosque in Dushanbe was pronounced the largest mosque in the region.

Kazakhstan to complete the construction of 81 schools by September

Construction of 41 state and 40 private schools will conclude by the start of the new academic year, Kazakh Enlightenment Minister Askhat Aimagambetov said.

“Most of the regions of Kazakhstan still have three-shift schools and schools in disrepair,” the minister stated.

The minister noted that it is planned to build 225 schools this year.

KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzstan to import 28,000 tons of grain from Russia

Kyrgyzstan has contracts with Russian suppliers for the import of 28,000 tons of food grain, the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture said.

According to the message, negotiations on the purchase of grain are also held with Kazakhstan. The exact volumes remain unknown.

“Kyrgyzstan's demand for food grain this year is estimated at 769,100 tons. About 75-80 percent of the volume is expected to be covered by the country’s own harvest,” the ministry said.

Kyrgyz engineers make wind generator with a capacity of 100 kilowatts

Engineers of Kyrgyzstan assembled a wind generator from parts of their own production.

The main components of the device were made in the Kyrgyz Republic, and the fiberglass composite part was brought from another country.

The wind generator will be installed on a mast of 24 meters high and will be able to generate up to 100 kilowatts of electricity.

According to the information, domestic engineers are developing wind turbines with a capacity of up to 500 kilowatts.

Such small devices can be used on farms, in private houses, and in farm households as an additional source of electricity.

TURKMENISTAN

Issues of landlocked countries mulled in Turkmenistan

“Ashgabat Process: Financing for Better Connectivity” international conference for the transport ministers of landlocked developing countries discussed the main challenges that these countries are facing in the global world.

During the discussions, it was highlighted that due to difficult geographical and road conditions, the transportation of goods and the free movement of the population of these states are hindered.

The closure of borders, the imposition of restrictions on the movement of goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already difficult situation of these countries and had a negative impact on the transport sector, which is the main industry for international trade.

Furthermore, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed to develop a Resolution of the UN General Assembly on enhancing the role of landlocked developing countries in the development of global transport cooperation.

Turkmenistan holds first women's hackathon

Turkmenistan has held its first women's hackathon in the UN building in Ashgabat.

The event was dedicated to International Youth Day and aimed at empowering women and girls to learn IT skills. The purpose of the hackathon was to provide a platform for the creation of innovative ideas and encourage more female developers to pursue a career in information technology.

Over 35 female programmers took part in the marathon. The participants worked for two days on creating technological projects, generating innovative ideas, and developing digital solutions.

Each team had to develop a web application that promotes gender equality and empowers women through employment and training.

TAJIKISTAN

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan ink accords on supply of goods worth $26.6 million.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have signed six contracts for the supply of goods and products worth $26.6 million.

The documents were signed within the framework of the forum for the development of cooperation between the Khatlon region of Tajikistan and the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan on August 13.

The forum was attended by entrepreneurs from two regions, as well as the heads of Khatlon Kurbon Hakimzoda and Surkhandarya Tura Bobolov.

As a result of the forum, the sides signed a "Road Map", a memorandum on cooperation in the field of tourism, as well as 15 investment contracts. A total of 23 cooperation agreements were signed during the event.

Rail traffic between Tajikistan and Russia resumes

After a two-year suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, rail traffic has resumed between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.

The first train with 600 passengers on board departed from the Tajik southern city of Kulob to the Russian city of Volgograd on August 15.

Besides, two other routes – Dushanbe-Volgograd and Khujand-Volgograd - are expected to be launched in the near future.

The Dushanbe-Volgograd route is expected to be launched on August 27 and the Khujand-Volgograd route on September 7.

UZBEKISTAN

Handwritten copy of the Koran stolen in Uzbekistan

A handwritten copy of the Koran was stolen in Namangan region of Uzbekistan, the press service of the regional department of the Interior Ministry has said.

Unidentified persons stole a handwritten copy of the Holy Koran, which was kept at the place of pilgrimage "Sulton Uvais Karaniy" of the mahalla "Balikkul" in the Chartak region, and disappeared in an unknown direction on the night of August 9-10, 2022.

The police opened a criminal case under article 169 (theft) of the Criminal Code. The course of the investigation is controlled by the Internal Affairs Directorate and the regional prosecutor's office.

The stolen copy of the Koran was made of silk and was completed in 1874. The book was 74 centimeters high, 51 centimeters wide and 12 centimeters thick. Each page of the 426-page book contained 13 lines of verses.

Uzbekistan, U.S. to boost co-op

Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev and US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum discussed possibilities of developing investment cooperation and industrial cooperation.

During the talks, the sides discussed topical issues on the agenda of the multifaceted Uzbek-American cooperation. The parties comprehensively considered the prospects for deepening cooperation in the trade and economic sphere.

The sides expressed mutual interest in expanding the economic presence of American companies in Uzbekistan.

Over the past few years, the number of enterprises with American capital in Uzbekistan has doubled and amounted to 315 units.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque - Gallery Image
Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque - Gallery Image
Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque - Gallery Image
Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque - Gallery Image
Central Asia Weekly Review: Stolen Koran, region’s largest mosque - Gallery Image
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