IFPRI CA NEWS DIGEST (FEBRUARY 22, 2017 – FEBRUARY 28, 2017)
News
Uzbekistan interested to join Trans-Caspian transport route
(23 February 2017 Trend) During the 16th meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation that took place February 22, Kazakh and Uzbek railway companies discussed the possibility of sending Uzbek exports and imports through Kazakh ports via the Trans-Caspian international transport route. They also reached an agreement on granting discounts on transportation of Kazakh grain and flour and goods in 45 feet refrigerators, and transit of Uzbek fruits and vegetables and other agricultural products via the territory of Kazakhstan.
Tajik farmers have established contacts in Russian business
(27 February 2017 Asia Plus) During a forum that took place on February 24 and 25, Tajik farmers signed 17 contracts with Russian distributors to supply them with fruits and vegetables.
Tajikistan begins modernization of food safety systems
(27 February 2017 Avesta) Tajikistan has begun modernizing its food safety systems through an FAO project. The goals of the project included capacity strengthening in the quality control of food products and increasing awareness of risks related to food safety and of hygienic practices in the food industry.
Kazakhstan, Vietnam agree cargo transportation along key international route
(28 February 2017 Astana Times) The Kazakh national railway company and Vietnam Railways have agreed to cooperate in container transport along the Vietnam – China – Kazakhstan – Europe route. This follows an earlier agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Vietnam to increase trade from $4 billion to $10 billion by 2020. The group also discussed shipping agricultural products from the Kazakh to Vietnamese market as well as transporting tropical foods and seafood from Vietnam to Kazakhstan.
Analysis
What Central Asia Gets (Or Doesn't Get) Out Of Putin's Eurasian Economic Union
(26 February 2017 RadioFreeEurope) According to a panel of analysts assembled by RFE/RL, the EAEU has produced mixed results for its members since its inception in 2015. Some analysts explained that the uneven performance was due to timing of the launch, which took place amid a sharp slowdown in the Russian economy that affected the entire region. On the other hand, panel members acknowledged benefits enjoyed by Kyrgyz migrants, who gained favorable access to the Russian labor market as a result of their country’s EAEU membership. The panel also discussed potential challenges for the EAEU in terms of political and economic relations with external partners and governance issues within the bloc.
Other Information
Migrant remittances from Russia equal to one-third of Tajikistan’s GDP, says Russian official
(24 February 2017 Asia Plus) In 2016, over 870,000 Tajik nationals sent nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars from the Russian Federation to Tajikistan. This is equivalent to roughly one third of Tajikistan’s GDP that year, which was 54.4 billion somoni or about 7 billion dollars.
EBRD supports expansion of Turkmenistan Coca-Cola Bottlers
(24 February 2017 EBRD) The EBRD is providing a 10 million dollar loan to support the expansion of Turkmenistan Coca-Cola Bottlers (TCCB). This will allow TCCB to invest in energy efficient coolers, new vehicles and bottling machines to improve the company’s production processes, boost its capacity, reduce energy waste, and train local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help them meet Coca-Cola standards and potentially become suppliers.
EBRD to fund installation of heat meters in Kazakhstan
(28 February 2017 EBRD) The EBRD will support Kazakhstan’s “green economy” strategy to improve energy efficiency and sustainability by funding the installation of heat meters in residential buildings. The new meters will not only help save heat and electricity in Kazakhstan, one of the most energy-intensive economies of EBRD region, but will also help district heating companies to optimize supply and reduce system losses which will reduce energy waste.
Publications
Unlocking the Potential of Railways: A Railway Strategy for CAREC, 2017-2030
Asian Development Bank, 2017.
Could Changing Power Relationships Lead to Better Water Sharing in Central Asia?
Aibek Zhupankhan, Kamshat Tussupova, Ronny Berndtsson. Water.
The application of Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems (RAAIS) to agricultural adaptation to climate change in Kazakhstan: A critical evaluation
Barret, G. Feola, V. Krylova, M. Khsunitdinova. Agricultural Systems.
Events and Calls for Papers
Financing for Development: Unlocking Investment Opportunities
This free four-week online course offered by World Bank Group begins March 1. The course will engage participants on approaches currently being considered by global leaders to finance the sustainable development goals. Key concepts, terminology, sources of development finance, and innovative financing solutions will be covered. Course materials will be available online 24/7, so participants can access these whenever is most convenient and set their own pace. An optional verified certificate of completion is available.
Archived issues of the news digest can be found on the Central Asia page under the ReSAKSS Asia website: http://resakss-asia.org/regions/central-asia. A link to the newsletter can be found under Blog Posts.
The articles included in this news digest have been generated from online sources. Any opinions stated herein are not representative of, or endorsed by, the International Food Policy Research Institute or its partners.
