~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ Kyrgyz News Digest On-Line No 16 (C) Kyrgyz American School Editors: Edil Baissaloff [email protected] Bolot Kerimbaev [email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
April 29 - May 6, 1996
C O N T E N T S
Chronicles
Useful Information
Acknowledgements
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C H R O N I C L E S
The Presidents of Kazakstan and Uzbekistan are coming to Bishkek to discuss means of establishing and funding a Central Asian peacekeeping batalion. They will check on how the Agreement on economic cooperation is being implemented and by Kyrgyz iniative they will also discuss regulation of water resources. Uzbekistan is suggesting establishing a new monthly magazine to be called "Central Asia - Problems of Integration". (SK: May 3-4, 1996)
The current problems of economic integration among Uzbekistan, Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan include the fact that Uzbekistan's currency is not convertable so deals among these states are never paid in sums. The Central banks failed so far to create a good system of mutual payments. These countries still charge customs duties on goods being imported from each other. There are no standard and set prices for electroenergy, gas and oil. The railroad systems of Uzbekistan and Kazakstan are discriminating against goods being shipped in transit to Kyrgyzstan. For instance, they charge three times higher service and transit fees than for domestic cargos. Funds allocated by Kazakstan and Uzbekistan for exploitation of Kyrgyz irrigation systems, water reservoirs and channels are not comensurable with the amount of water resources exported by these countries. (SK: May 3-4, 1996)
The President signed a decree on implementation of state regulation for tobacco growing and production. For this, the government is establishing a State Joint Stock Corporation "Kyrgyztamekisi". It will be the second big state monopoly company for controling a profitable export industry after Kyrgyzalko, controlling production of wine and vodka, was established last year. (VB: May 6, 1996)
Toupchubek Turgunaliev and Jusup Usenov, two opposition members charged with slandering Askar Akaev during the presidential election in December, were sentenced to one year in prison with a postponed sentence. They were freed in the court room immediately after the sentence was declared. (Res: April 29, 1996)
This autumn the Central Asian Orthodox Eparchy will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of their establishement and the Bishek Voskresenski Sobor will turn 50. The Partriarh of Moscow and all of Russia, Alexiy II will visit Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan during the celebrations. (SK: April 30-May 1, 1996)
Speakers of both houses of the Jogorku Kenesh participated last week in the celebrations that took place in St. Petersburg to mark 90th birthday of the Russian Duma. Parlamentarians from the four Customs Union states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan also established interparlamentarian committee to prepare model laws on which these countries will build their legislation to be similar in terms of economic integration. (VB: April 30, 1996)
The Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Jian Zemin will visit Kyrgyzstan on July 1-6, 1996. During a recent visit to China, Kyrgyz delegation asked China to open an air corridor so that Bishek could become a major hub between Europe and South East Asia. (VB: April 30, 1996)
The World Bank will allocate 19 grants of 500 thousand to 2.5 mil US dollars to Kyrgyzstan this year. The bank will fund projects related to agricultural development, the social sphere and telecommunications systems. (VB: April 30, 1996)
C U R I O U S F A C T S
On May 5th, Kyrgyzstan had one of its national holidays: Constitution Day. Although, after revising more than half of the three year old constitution on the 10th of February this year, this date should be the real one observed.
After Bishkek was terrified by bombs that exploded at the Interior Ministry and the Bishkek Police Department, the White House (Government Building) changed its guards from plain militia officers to those of special unit for state protection. It is said, that now there are fewer people on the floors of the White House who would come there "to drink tea or have lunch" than before. (VB: May 3, 1996)
Uzbekistan exports only gas to Kyrgyzstan whereas Kyrgyzstan supplies Uzbeks with a long list of goods. Kyrgyz officials think that this is specially being done by the Uzbek government, which still hasn't agreed to recognize the Som and a Som/Sum exchange rate. Uzbekistan does not have an embassy in Bishkek whereas Kyrygzstan has had one in Tashkent since July of 1993. (SK: May 3-4, 1996)
U S E F U L I N F O R M A T I O N
Purchase --- Sale
US Dollar 11.71 --- 11.76
Deutsch Mark 7.75 --- 7.99
Russian Ruble 437 --- 430
Kazak Tenge 0.172 --- 0.177
Uzbek Sum 0.21 --- 0.24
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
Idea Dean Camilla Sharshekeeva
Advisor Dr. John Clark
Internet Freenet (IREX): Igor Aronov, Jonathan Korn
S O U R C E S
SK=Slovo Kyrgyzstana VB=Vecherniy Bishkek SG=Svobodnye Gory DV=Dlya Vas Res=Res Publica KPK=Komsomolskaya Pravda v Kirgizii ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
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