Central Asia

Electricity tariffs will remain unchanged in 2009, vice prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, Omurbek Babanov, said speaking in front of the Parliament members in Bishkek Friday.

During his stay in New York, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to make official visit to Kazakhstan this autumn. This visit was delayed from June to autumn.

President of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiev, has signed an order announcing the 2009 autumn active duty and alternative service call-up open.

Chinese companies China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation (CPTDC) and SINOMACH finished supply of an equipment complex costing more than US $200 million to Uzbekistan.

The International Scientific Conference "Ancient Dzheytun - a Center of Early Farming Culture" dedicated to the study of one of the earliest farming cultures of Central Asia started in Ashgabat today.

U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Hoagland has offered to Kazakhstan to take part in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

Uzbek authorities denied a request of European Union to undertake measures on human rights protection in the country and accused Western countries in "islamophobia" on Monday, Voice of America reported.

Kyrgyz Health Care Ministry believes А/Н1N1 pandemic could hit about 30 percent of population, Sabyrjan Abdikarimov, Chief Sanitary Officer, Deputy Health Care Minister said at the press conference on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will arrive today in Turkmenistan on an official visit. During the talks at the top-level and in the enlarged setting, the sides will discuss issues of bilateral cooperation, primarily in the economic and energy fields.