Kyrgyzstan

Japarov selected another Japarov (no relation) to head the new Cabinet of Ministers.

It’s been a year since Kyrgyzstan erupted in post-election protests and precipitated the fall of yet another government in Bishkek.

A row over the Kumtor mine, featuring corruption and environmental catastrophe, threaten Kyrgyzstan’s ability to attract investment.

The Interior Ministry justified the wiretaps as part of investigations into the October 2020 unrest.

Japarov signed the bill passed by the parliament last month, but many questions remain about how it will be implemented.

Presidential meetings in Central Asia are often dismissed for a lack of concrete results and for their exclusively ceremonial character. But there are good reasons to take the latest meeting seriously.

The Central Asian republics can learn from the experience of Southeast Asia and use the crisis in Afghanistan to spur forward regional cooperation at a time of great power competition. 

Kyrgyzstan’s first president admitted to making mistakes regarding the mine.

Following summits in 2018 and 2019, the 2021 meeting comes amid a great number of regional difficulties and concerns.

Kyrgyzstan’s parliament will shrink and change after the next election, expected later this year, under new legislation and a new constitution.

With another former prime minister arrested, the Kumtor case grows. Meanwhile, some have been released and others kept in custody.