CSTO not fully ready to respond to hybrid attacks, says Russia-led military bloc secretary-general

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), , is not fully ready to respond to hybrid attacks, the organization’s secretary general, the Russia-led military bloc secretary-general Stanislav Zas said on Sunday.

 

“Is the CSTO ready to repel such attacks, hybrid attacks? I would say no. The CSTO is not fully ready for such response,” he said in an interview with Belarus’s ONT television channel.

 

Zas noted that the CSTO “was established as a purely military-political organization to repel military threats.” “Over the twenty years of its existence, naturally, a serious transformation has taken place. We are turning into a comprehensive platform to ensure security of our states,” he added.

 

Citing examples of methods used in hybrid attacks, Zas listed terrorist threats, “drug trafficking, crime, including in the sphere of information and communications technologies.”

 

“The sphere of cooperation between our states is expanding, as is the sphere of the CSTO’s activity. We are not yet ready but, as a matter of fact, we are moving toward it,” he stressed.

 

Hybrid threats combine military and non-military as well as covert and overt means, including disinformation, cyber attacks, economic pressure, deployment of irregular armed groups and use of regular forces.

 

Created in 1992, the Collective Security Treaty Organization is a Russia-led military alliance grouping the six former Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

 

Source: Asia-Plus

Entrepreneurs from Russia’s Kurgan oblast to establish cooperation with their colleagues from Khatlon

An economic delegation from Russia’s Kurgan oblast, comprising representatives of four companies, has arrived in Tajikistan’s southern province of Khatlon to discuss cooperation.

 

The Investment Agency of the Kurgan Oblast says the delegation members include senior representatives of Temper Rus Limited Liability Company (sale of plumbing and heating equipment) and Zaural Limited Liability Company (sale of timber products) as well as individual entrepreneurs Alexander Aivazov (trade in timber products) and Oleg Koltashov (trade in grains).

 

Ilya Nazarenko, the head of the Kurgan Chamber of the Commerce and Industry who heads of the delegation, says: “We have arrived in Tajikistan to expand trade borders, since at present only export deliveries of sawn timber go from the oblast to Tajikistan. Meanwhile, our enterprises can offer much more. These are products for heat supply, gas supply, water supply as well as special equipment and agricultural products.”

 

Members of the Kurgan delegation have also visited Russia’s trade representative office in Tajikistan and the Tajik-Russian Business Contacts Exchange in Dushanbe.

 

Kurgan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kurgan. Kurgan Oblast is part of the Urals Federal District. It shares borders with Chelyabinsk Oblast to the west, Sverdlovsk Oblast to the north-west, Tyumen Oblast to the north-east, and Kazakhstan (Kostanay and North Kazakhstan Region) to the south.

 

Large oil and gas pipelines pass through Kurgan Oblast’s territory, and Ural and Siberian oil refineries are fairly close. The main industrial centers are Kurgan, and Shadrinsk.

 

The oblast does not have large economic mineral reserves; therefore, it has developed mainly on the basis of subindustries associated with processing of agricultural production and assembly and packaging of finished products. The food industry is well developed here, with meat-packing plants, mills, creameries, and powdered milk factories.

 

Modern large-scale industry began developing during World War II, when sixteen enterprises from western regions of the country were evacuated here in 1941–1942.

 

Source: Asia-Plus

Russia’s interior ministry wants to reorganizes the process of registration of labor migrants

A bill on reorganization of the process of registration of labor migrants has been submitted for consideration to the State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament).

 

Kommersant says the bill expands the use of the Interior Ministry services provided by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) Passport and Visa Service and the Moscow Multifunctional Migration Center for registration of documents of labor migrants and registration of citizens at the place of residence.

 

According to Kommersant, this should simplify the provision of public services and remove part of the load from the ministry.

 

The reorganization will concern, first of all, entry of labor migrants from visa-free countries (about 1.5 million people per year) for Russia. This should compensate for the shortage in the labor market caused by mobilization and reduced entry of labor migrants from visa countries for Russia.

 

Recall, Russia’s interior ministry proposes to take fingerprints from foreigners at the entrance to the country. The Interior Ministry of Russia says fingerprinting should be carried out at checkpoints and not in the territorial divisions of the Migration Service how it is done now.

 

The Russian Interior Ministry has also developed a draft law on reforming migration policy, which, in particular, provides for the use of information systems to search for illegal migrants.

 

The bill implies the widespread use of the capabilities of modern information systems and special tools to search for illegal migrants.

 

The bill “On the conditions for entry (exit) and stay (residence) in the Russian Federation of foreign citizens and stateless persons” was submitted for consideration to the government on September 30.

 

If adopted, a special law enforcement regime of controlled stay will be introduced for foreigners whose presence is undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation, but they cannot leave the country.

 

Recall, the Russian Federation on December 29 last year imposed mandatory fingerprint registration and photography in addition for medical examinations for foreign citizens arriving in Russia for employment purposes and those arriving in Russia for purposes other than work for the period exceeding 90 calendar days.

 

These additional requirements to get the work permit in Russia as well as to work in Russia apply to citizens of countries who are allowed to work without work permits.

 

Fingerprinting and photography of foreign nationals who have arrived for the purpose of work shall be performed: for EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) citizens, within 30 calendar days from the date of arrival in Russia; for CIS citizens, when applying for a patent; and for highly qualified specialists (HQS), upon obtaining a work permit.

 

The medical examination of such foreign nationals must be performed prior to the completion of fingerprinting, but not later than 30 days from the date of arrival.

 

These requirements do not apply to certain categories of foreign nationals, for example, citizens of Belarus and children under 6 years old.

 

These requirements also do not apply to senior representatives of international (inter-state, intergovernmental) organizations entering the Russian Federation in connection with the performance of official duties, as well as members of their families.

 

The fingerprint registration and photography are also not imposed for foreign nationals being chiefs of diplomatic missions, representative offices, consulates, officials, members of the diplomatic staff, consular officers, and members of administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions and consulates.

 

Under rules that came into force on October 31, 2021, foreign nationals entering Russia on a work visa must undergo a mandatory medical examination (for infectious diseases, HIV infection and drug addiction).

 

On June 23, 2021, the Federation Council approved the creation of a federal information system to collect information about the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population.

 

Source: Asia-Plus

 

Tajikistan: UN expert’s visit to assess situation of human rights defenders

UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor will assess the situation of human rights defenders in Tajikistan during an official visit to the country from today, 28 November to 9 December 2022.

The visit will provide an opportunity to discuss the situation of human rights defenders and key concerns and challenges faced by civil society in the country.

Lawlor said she would focus on Tajikistan’s implementation of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and other relevant international human rights instruments, to ensure a favourable and enabling environment for human rights defenders to carry out their legitimate and peaceful activities to promote and protect human rights.

‘I will also examine existing and planned measures to protect human rights defenders, including legislation and policies; the overall environment for registering and administering non-governmental organisations; freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the accessibility of legal aid,” Lawlor said. During her visit, the expert will meet representatives of Government agencies, as well as UN officials, representatives of regional human rights mechanisms, members of civil society organisations and human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and other relevant stakeholders.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share her preliminary observations with the media. It will take place at 1500 local time on Friday, 9 December 2022, at the UN Headquarters in Dushanbe, 5/1 Lohuti Street. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur’s findings and recommendations will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2024.

ENDS

Ms Mary Lawlor (Ireland) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights in Trinity College Dublin. She was the founder of Front Line Defenders – the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. As Executive Director from 2001-2016, she represented Front Line Defenders and had a key role in its development. Ms. Lawlor was previously Director of the Irish Office of Amnesty International from 1988 to 2000, after becoming a member of the Board of Directors 1975 and being elected its President from 1983 to 1987.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

 

Source: UN Human Rights Council

Nominations of Tajikistan Presented at the Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

From November 28 through December 3, the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO is being held in Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco.

The delegation of Tajikistan is headed by the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO Zulfiya Burhon.

During the session Tajikistan`s joint nominations, including «Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving,» «Ceremony of Mehgan,» «Traditional embroidery in Central Asia,» «Art of crafting and playing Rubob» and «Telling tradition of Khoja Nasredin Afandi Anecdotes» will be considered.

 

Source: National information agency of Tajikistan

Theft of gold items from the shopping center “Sadbarg”

To Department-1 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Shokhmansur district of Dushanbe, with a statement from a 24-year-old woman, resident of Dushanbe, that on November 24, 2022, at about 16:15, an unknown person, entering the Sadbarg Shopping Center, stole two gold chains and disappeared.

The amount of damage was 20 thousand somoni.
During the operational-search activities, police officers on suspicion of theft detained a 15-year-old resident of Dushanbe.
An investigation is underway on this fact.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan

17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO

On November 28 – December 3, 2022 the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO is being held in Rabat, the Kingdom of Morocco. During the session Tajikistan`s joint nominations, including “Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving”, “Ceremony of Mehgan”, “Traditional embroidery in Central Asia”, “Art of crafting and playing Rubob” and “Telling tradition of Khoja Nasriddin Afandi Anecdotes” will be considered.

 

Source: Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan