Central Asia

A new regional bloc grouping Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan that could apply jointly for WTO membership will open up massive business opportunities, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev said Friday.

Uzbekistan signed the Statute of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Ceremony of singing the Statute by Uzbek Ambassador in Germany Bakhtiyar Gulyamov was held in Berlin, Uzbek MFA reported.

The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has conveyed a congratulatory message to graduates, students and teachers of the Military Institute, Military Academy and Police Academy of Turkmenistan.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during the regional investment forum in Ust Kamenogorsk said Kazakhstan has managed to mobilize $19 billion for economic stabilization program, the agency reports citing the president's press service.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov received International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Tashkent on 18 June.

Kadyrbek Sarbaev, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said in his exclusive interview with 24.kg Friday that Kyrgyzstan is ready to allow transit of nonmilitary cargo to Afghanistan though its territory.

On the result of talks between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his Belarusian colleague Alexander Lukashenko in Ashgabat on June 18, governments and agencies of the two countries signed a set of documents.

Uzbek State committee on geology and mineral resources and Japanese oil, gas, and metals corporation (JOGMEC) signed an agreement on joint exploration of uranium minefields, reported the source in governmental circles of the republic.

The international conference "Kazakhstan: new horizons of growth" opened in London. Heads of major oil and gas companies, representatives of investment groups and consulting agencies are participating in it.

Expenditure budget of Kyrgyzstan could hit 65 billion soms in 2010, Arzybek Kojoshev, Deputy Minister of Finance said, presenting draft budget resolution for 2010 and estimates for 2011-2012.