Author: Churai Ekaluck

The government decree approved on March 2 this year by the Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan and the relevant ministries and departments instructed to take practical measures to build solar power plants in the regions of the country. According to the country’s statistical agency, about 21.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were produced in the republic in 2022. In particular, 93.1% of electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), about 6.9% – by thermal power plants, and 0.001% comes from solar energy. The hydropower potential of Tajikistan, according to the Ministry of Energy, is 527 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year,…

The EU’s partnership with Central Asia is growing but limited ⁠— understanding the regional political context and geopolitical reality can change this Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has impacted the country’s stance and influence in its so-called ‘near-abroad’. The countries making up Central Asia have frequently been considered to be in Russia’s sphere of influence and have strong ties not only historically but also economically and militarily. Yet, the current geopolitical realities which the war in Ukraine has brought about, as well as the resulting sanctions against Russia and the weaponisation of the financial system have changed domestic political…

A foreign policy that is adaptable is pragmatic and `is guided by the fundamental principle of international politics: “There are no permanent friends or permanent foes, but only permanent interests.” ASEAN countries are reevaluating the direction and tactics of their foreign policy in light of the Ukrainian crisis and global financial crisis evoked by the pandemic and Ukraine tragedy. Against such a backdrop, President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. paid a recent three-day state visit to China at the request of Chinese President Xi Jinping. As president, Marcos was making his first trip to China,…

The first round consultations of Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations started on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Relevant authorities of China and the ASEAN countries, as well as officials from the ASEAN Secretariat, attended the meeting via video link. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the procedural rules, organizational arrangements and work plans of the negotiations, and worked out a timetable and road map for follow-up negotiations. In November 2022, China and ASEAN jointly announced the official launch of the negotiations. The two sides agreed that the negotiations will cover the fields including trade…

America’s proxy wars typically rage for years and even decades, leaving battleground countries like Ukraine in rubble. Unless the proxy war ends soon, Ukraine faces a dire future. Ukraine needs to learn from the horrible experience of Afghanistan to avoid becoming a long-term disaster. The greatest enemy of economic development is war. If the world slips further into global conflict, our economic hopes and our very survival could go up in flames. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock to a mere 90 seconds to midnight. The world’s biggest economic loser in 2022 was Ukraine, where…

Most of the time, headlines about Afghanistan are ringed with tragedy: food shortages, orphaned children, and even executions. Since the Taliban took full control of the country in 2021, the humanitarian situation there has deteriorated, as economic and diplomatic isolation does little to alleviate strife caused by human rights abuses perpetrated by the country’s new rulers. Yet daily life goes on. Now experiencing their first significant pause in conflict for decades, Kabul and other towns continue to bustle with commerce. Shops and restaurants are still open. Battered autos throng the roads. Electricity is in short supply, but generators keep lights on in hotels…

TOKYO – An appropriate visiting forces agreement (VFA) with Japan will benefit the Philippines, but the proposed military agreement with Tokyo as well as the planned trilateral security and defense pact with the United States should not provoke tensions in the disputed South China Sea, President Marcos said. Marcos said he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had a brief discussion on the possible VFA between Manila and Tokyo during their bilateral meeting here on Thursday. “I think, in general, if it will be of help to the Philippines in terms of protecting, for example, our fishermen, protecting our maritime…

In a reflection of the influential role that China plays in the region, leaders from both Myanmar’s ruling military and the anti-junta National Unity Government – essentially enemies – praised China over the Lunar New Year weekend, competing for their neighbor’s blessing. Junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said that China had been an important and good neighbor, while the shadow Unity government sent a message through diplomatic channels saying that it could “guarantee that the fruits of their revolution’s success will not harm the interests of regional countries, including China, but give even more benefits.” China is an…

Japan’s Yokogawa Bridge Corp. apparently transferred over US$1 million in 2022 to Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), which is owned by Myanmar’s abusive military, for a Japanese government development aid project, Human Rights Watch said today. The Japanese government should suspend all ongoing non-humanitarian aid benefitting Myanmar’s junta, which has committed widespread and systematic crimes since the February 2021 military coup. The Japanese government should also ensure that Japanese companies, including Yokogawa Bridge Corp., end their business relationships with entities owned or controlled by Myanmar’s military. “Through Yokogawa Bridge Corp.’s business dealings with MEC, the Japanese government has effectively helped fund…

HÀ NỘI — Coach Park Hang-seo wants the Vietnamese national side to start the year with a win against Myanmar on Tuesday in the AFF Cup. The South Korean coach is confident the host side will beat Myanmar to finish top of Group B at Hà Nội’s Mỹ Đình Stadium. “Happy New Year to Vietnamese people and reporters here,” said Park as he began the press briefing on January 2. “A game against Myanmar is the opening match of Việt Nam in 2023. We want a win to have a good start for Việt Nam’s football in a year with…