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Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020

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Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 September 2020 in Central Asia is remembered, inter alia, for yet again rising COVID-19 numbers; a new academic year in schools and universities; recommencement of high-level official meetings; the Independence Day parades; election campaigns; presidents’ speech to the UN; and Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit to Central Asia. The analytical platform CABAR.asia presents an overview of the major events in the region over the past month. Follow us on Telegram KAZAKHSTAN Chinese Foreign Minister visits Kazakhstan On September 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Nur-Sultan with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. They discussed cooperation in agriculture, expanding trade and economic ties, and joint efforts in the COVID-19 fight. Photo: inform.kz Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 The first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev also met the Chinese Foreign Minister in Nur-Sultan on September 13. On the same day, Wang Yi held talks with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi. The sides, through the comprehensive exchange of views, deliberated on important regional and international issues. Resumption of international flights Kazakhstan from August 17 has begun resuming flights: from August 17 to the UAE; from August 18 to Germany; from August 19 to Belarus and Ukraine; from August 27 to Turkey; from September 27 to Kyrgyzstan; from September 21 to Russia. The number of international flights depends on existing international air agreements and aircraft capacity on each route. From October 5, Kazakhstan will decrease the number of international flights and tighten border control. At the suggestion of the Health Ministry, Kazakhstan will not resume international flights to new destinations and will not increase the number of flights to available destinations, while also curtailing scheduled flights to Turkey. WHO admits second Kazakh coronavirus vaccine The World Health Organization has included the second Kazakh inactivated vaccine against COVID-19 in the list of candidate vaccines. Earlier it was reported that the WHO approved the Kazakh deactivated coronavirus vaccine for clinical trials. The vaccine was developed by Kazakh scientists at Biological Safety Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Research Institute under Kazakh Education and Science Ministry. Avian flu outbreak North Kazakhstan region was struck by the avian flu outbreak, the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry reports. From 9 to 16 September, Kazakhstan reported seven outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian flu in the northern part of the country. Experts identified the virus strain after sampling carcasses of dead birds. According to the National Referral Center, thousands of domestic fowl deaths are attributed to this highly pathogenic bird flu. In conformity with established regulations, Kazakhstan has alerted the World Organization for Animal Health on the outbreak. Farmers will be compensated in the amount equal to the average poultry market prices. The epizootic situation in the region is under the Ministry’s control. Kazakh Health Ministry proposes to stick to distance learning for the first quarter Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry has suggested the country sticks to the distance learning for this academic year’s first quarter. Health Minister Alexei Tsoi said that averting a new coronavirus outbreak necessitates online education in schools. Kazakhstan officially abolishes the death penalty On September 25, in New York City, Kazakhstan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Kairat Umarov signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, committing the country to abolish the death penalty. Earlier in the day, Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan would join the protocol on the abolition of the death penalty earlier in the day in his address to the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. Kazakhstan takes over CICA chairmanship from Tajikistan Kazakhstan has assumed the chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at the virtual meeting of foreign ministers of CICA member states. The country took over the CICA chairmanship from Tajikistan. Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Kazakh Foreign Minister said that during the chairmanship Kazakhstan will continue to promote further institutionalization of the Meeting, cooperation between CICA members, and to enhance the CICA’s status in the international arena. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan discuss the creation of a Special Customs Zone On September 17 in Ashgabat, Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed the initiation of a special customs zone on the border of two countries, Kazakh Prime-Minister’s press-service reports. Photo: press service of Kazakhstan’s Prime-Minister The two sides pondered on cooperation in trade and energy, economy and investment, transit transport, and agriculture. Special importance was given to the development of cross-border cooperation between Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region and Turkmenistan’s Balkan velayat. KYRGYZSTAN Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 COVID-19 cases rising again Coronavirus cases of new COVID-19 types are rising in Kyrgyzstan, as observed over the last week of September. A rise in the number of cases is attributable to non-compliance with epidemiological standards; crowding in public places, negligence of mask-wearing social distancing. Kyrgyzstan reported a total of 46,355 cases of COVID-19 infection since the onset of the pandemic, with 42,619 (91.9%) recovered and 1064 (2.4%) deaths. The country has not reported coronavirus reinfection cases yet. Kyrgyz authorities have commenced seasonal influenza vaccination across the country. Russia has delivered nearly 120 thousand doses of flu vaccines to the Kyrgyz Health Ministry. Parliamentary Elections The Central Election Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic (CEC) has registered 16 parties to stand in the country’s elections to the Kyrgyz parliament (Jogorku Kenesh). The campaign period started on September 4, while the elections are scheduled for October 4, 2020. Jeenbekov meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Jeenbekov met a member of the PRC’s State Council, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on his official visit to Kyrgyzstan, the President’s Office reports. Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Photo: president.kg The parties deliberated priority areas of Kyrgyzstan-China relations. Both sides had expressed their willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation and continue with mutual solidarity and support in the enduring circumstances. Kyrgyzstan’s Former Health Minister detained Former Health Minister Kosmosbek Cholponbaev has been detained for alleged negligence and abuse of public office. Kyrgyz State Service for Combating Economic Crimes has instituted criminal proceedings against several Health Ministry officials on alleged negligence and abuse of public office. It was found that the senior Health Ministry officials, abusing their official position, against the public and state interests, entered into an unprofitable consultancy contract, to the detriment of the state budget for nearly 9 million KGS. Protesting “Birimdik” Party Leader’s Independence Remarks Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Hundreds of people have staged a protest in Kyrgyz capital on September 27 to protest remarks made by the pro-governmental party leader Marat Amankulov. The protest in Bishkek dubbed “Kul Bolbo!” (“Don’t be a slave!”), according to rough estimates, brought about 200-300 people onto streets. Photo: Azattyk.org/RFE/RL The protest was triggered by a statement made by politician Marat Amankulov at an event in Moscow. On September 26, Kyrgyz social media scattered after a leaked video of Amankulov’s speech appeared to show the politician’s independence remarks. Speaking about the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Amankulov said “it is precisely communication and interaction at the level of nations and cultures that are lacking, this is not yet a people’s union.” “This shall be an endeavor. 30 years of independence shows that we must rethink and go back home … In Eurasia, only a united state could be sovereign. And so that we, the Kyrgyz, do not lose our identity, we must now come together and integrate, “Amankulov said. The politician also announced that he headed the newly formed Birimdik party. Amankulov’s remarks have been widely criticized in social media, most interpreting his words as a threat to the Kyrgyz independence. Month in Review: Central Asia in September 2020 Huge brawl in Aravan On the evening of September 20, a huge brawl broke out in the Aravan district of Osh oblast, at the campaigning event of the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan party. Around 12 people are injured and hospitalized. Freeze frame from the video The Osh police say that the scuffle began after a candidate with the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan party insulted a local candidate from a rival party. Shortly after the incident, Mekenim Kyrgyzstan and Birimdik parties commented on the incident. After a couple of days, the parties asked for each other’s forgiveness and dropped all charges. Central Election Commission disagreed that the two parties have nothing to do with the brawl. The CEC chairman Nurzhan Shildabekova said that the fighting is a direct liability of both parties and their candidates. The CEC put forward 3 proposals: 1) give
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