LPM to hosts first policy conference

The BBC says they have just heard from Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who said that at least 912 people had died in Turkey following early Monday morning's earthquake.

Erdogan reportedly also said that at least 5,383 people had been wounded in Turkiye.

The latest estimate the BBC has for Syria, which comes from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, is reportedly 320. Dozens more were reportedly injured in Syria.

The earthquake hit near the border between the two countries.

Media reports have said a powerful earthquake struck the south-eastern part of Turkiye, near the Syrian border, on February 6 at 4:17 am local time (1:17 GMT).

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at a depth of 17.9 kilometers near the city of Gaziantep.

The Syrian health ministry reportedly said people had died in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.

Many buildings have collapsed and rescue teams have been deployed to search for survivors under huge piles of rubble.

CNN says Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkiye since 1939, when an earthquake of the same magnitude killed 30,000 people, according to the USGS. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring each year on average, anywhere in the world. Seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck Turkiye in the past 25 years – but Monday’s is the most powerful.

Source: Asia-Plus

The influx of Russian to Tajikistan reportedly increases more than three times

An article entitled “Russians Beat 5-Year Record for Departing to Central Asia, Armenia, and Mongolia”, in particular, notes that Russians left their country for neighboring countries and CIS member nations 8.4 million times, which is 4.7 million cases more than in 2021 when there was COVID.

Russian nationals reportedly crossed the border on the way out 24.3 million times in total last year, 2.9 million cases more than in 2021. The most popular destinations were Abkhazia (recognized by Russia to be a separate nation from Georgia), Turkey, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and Egypt. A total of 15.1 million departures were to these countries last year, according to Novaya Gazeta Europa.

Russia-neighboring countries and CIS member states that do not share a border with Russia (excluding Belarus and Moldova) faced a massive influx of Russian nationals last year: the number of people departed to those nations reportedly reached 8.4 million (130-percent increase compared to 2021)

According to the report, the influx of Russian to Tajikistan last year increased by 212 percent compared to 2021.

Despite its remoteness from Russia, Tajikistan has also become a place of migration for Russians. CABAR.asia reported on October 11 last year that tickets in the direction of Moscow-Dushanbe rose from 150 to 2000 US dollars. Rooms in hotels are booked for the coming weeks, and an unusually large number of Russians appeared on the streets. The arrival of foreigners also caused an increase in rental housing, as in other countries of Central Asia.

Meanwhile, “Russians Beat 5-Year Record for Departing to Central Asia, Armenia, and Mongolia” says the third quarter of the year when mobilization was declared saw most people leaving Russia. A total of 3.5 million people departed Russia to those countries between July and September, followed by 2.1 million between October and December.

Over the past five year, the influx of Russians has been record high to Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia.

The number of times Russian nationals departed to Israel reportedly doubled last year, growing to over 100,000.

The publication notes that this growth does not mean millions of Russians left the country forever. Some of them often return, and some might have crossed the border multiple times. However, demographers Yulia Florinskaya and Alexey Raksha estimated last year’s emigration wave to stand between 400,000 and 800,000 people.

Over 100,000 reportedly opted to stay in Georgia, and at least 100,000 more in Kazakhstan. A total of 50,000–100,000 people left for Serbia, and around 40,000 for Armenia. Israel, Kyrgyzstan, and the EU welcomed around 35,000 Russians each, they say.

Last year also saw massive growth in Russians leaving for Asia: Thailand, Sri-Lanka, and India. The record number of travels, even compared to pre-COVID years, was to the UAE.

The FSB also recorded 1.1 million departures to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” in Q2 and Q3 of 2022. It is also reported that 470,000 Russians entered Ukraine last year.

Source: Asia-Plus

Tajikistan bought 4 tons of gold last year, says WGC report

The WGC notes that gold plays an important part in central banks’ reserves management, and they are significant holders of gold. This gold reserve data – compiled using IMF IFS statistics – tracks central banks’ reported purchases and sales along with gold as a percentage of their international reserves.

The report entitled “Gold Demand Trends Full Year 2022”, in particular, notes that two years on from dropping to its lowest level in a decade, central bank demand has rebounded strongly. Last year reportedly saw the second consecutive y-o-y increase in demand from this sector, with net purchases totaling 1,136 tons.

The report notes that this marked a banner year for central bank buying: 2022 was not only the thirteenth consecutive year of net purchases, but also the second highest level of annual demand on record back to 1950, boosted by +400t demand in both Q3 and Q4.

The report says that regionally, the Middle East was an active buyer of gold during the year. Egypt (47t), Qatar (35t), Iraq (34t), the United Arab Emirates (25t) and Oman (2t) significantly boosted their gold reserves.

Central Asia reportedly also saw a healthy level of buying.

The WGC report says the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) last year increased its gold reserves by 4 tons.

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan gold reserves in 2022 rose by 34 tons and 6 tons, respectively.

WGC experts highlighted geopolitical uncertainty and high inflation as key reasons for record demand for gold in 2022.

The WGC had previously noted that Tajikistan’s gold reserves remained unchanged at 17.19 tons in the first quarter of 2022 from 17.19 tons in the fourth quarter of 2021. A total cost of those 17.19 tons of gold was reportedly 1.1 billion U.S. dollars.

By July 1, 2022, Tajikistan’s gold reserves have reportedly reached the 8-month import coverage. An average monthly volume of Tajikistan’s imports over the first six months of this year had reportedly amounted to 358 million US dollars.

The World Gold Council is the market development organization for the gold industry. It works across all parts of the industry, from gold mining to investment, with the aim of stimulating and sustaining demand for gold. The World Gold Council is an association whose members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies. It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way and developed the Conflict Free Gold Standard.

Source: Asia-Plus

What challenges does ADB address in Tajikistan?

The ADB resident mission in Tajikistan opened in 2003, and I am the 7th ADB country director here. I assumed the post on February 15, 2021 but physically arrived in Tajikistan in June 2021. Actually, it had been around 17 years since I last worked in Tajikistan (on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan power interconnection line).

- In 2018, it was decided that ADB cooperation with Tajikistan will be based on a grant basis. Will this arrangement continue in the foreseeable future? - Based on the IMF’s debt sustainability assessment, ADB moved to 100% grant financing for Tajikistan in 2018 from 50/50 grant/loan ratio during 2015–2017. If Tajikistan’s debt classification improves to allow concessional lending along with grants, we will move to blended assistance.

- ADB is the undisputed leader among the world's financial institutions in terms of investment in Tajikistan. How much investment has the Republic received in 25 years, and what projects over the years can ADB be proud of? - Since Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, the bank has become the country’s largest multilateral development partner with over $2.5 billion in assistance, including over $1.8 billion in grants.

We have over 180 joint projects with the government of Tajikistan, and every project is important. It’s difficult to single-out one or two projects. The ADB-Tajikistan partnership has helped improve the country’s transport and energy infrastructure, support social development, overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, expand agricultural production, strengthen resilience to climate change, and enhance regional cooperation and trade.

Tajikistan ranks first among Central Asian countries in terms of climate change vulnerability

- Who and how determines the directions of ADB’s support? How are grant proposals prepared and do the proposals of Tajik experts pass international expertise? - We listen and coordinate with the government, development partners, civil society, and other stakeholders and jointly determine the directions of our support.

what-challenges-does-adb-address-in-tajikistan - Judging by the number of grants, a significant amount of funding in Tajikistan is aimed at increasing resilience to climate change and strengthening water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Is this correct and why? - ADB attaches great importance to addressing climate change and strengthening disaster resilience, which is reflected in our long-term corporate strategy: Strategy 2030. One of our seven corporate priority areas is “tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability.”

ADB has two ambitious targets for actions on climate change. First, by targeting 75% of ADB committed operations that will be supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation by 2030; and second, climate finance from ADB’s own resources will reach $100 billion to 2030.

Tajikistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Central Asia and suffers from enormous negative effects. The impact of climate change is largely present through increases in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, unpredictability of precipitation, and changes to water regimes, caused in part by rapid snowmelt and glacier retreat owing to rising temperatures.

- Tell us about ADB contribution to the development of transport in Tajikistan? - For landlocked Tajikistan, connectivity with neighboring countries is essential for economic growth. But the country’s geographical constraints such as mountainous terrain, severe winters, and remoteness from international seaports and markets are a challenge.

ADB started its assistance to the transport sector of Tajikistan in late 1990s. To date, ADB has invested over $800 million in the sector. ADB projects have focused on rehabilitating major regional links and modernizing border crossings under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, improving road safety and maintenance, strengthening road asset management, and repairing rural roads to help reduce poverty.

Energy is among ADB priorities in Tajikistan

- Do non-governmental organizations participate in ADB activities? - ADB commits to working with civil society. CSOs, both operationally focused and advocacy organizations, work with ADB across several areas, such as: stakeholder engagement throughout the project cycle, implementation of ADB-supported projects, particularly in the delivery of social services, monitoring and evaluation, and policy design and review.

CSOs play an invaluable role in helping ADB to strengthen policies and operations and are crucial partners in the development process.

- In what directions will ADB cooperation with Tajikistan develop and what place will energy projects take in this cooperation? - ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy 2021–2025 for Tajikistan is aligned with ADB's Corporate Strategy 2030 and the country's National Development Strategy 2030. Guided by this, ADB pursues three strategic priorities: supporting structural reforms to enhance resource allocation and mobilization; improving labor productivity through human capital development; and fostering better livelihoods through investment in a land-linked economy.

Energy has been one of our priorities in Tajikistan. ADB’s total energy assistance to the country amounted to $585 million as of end 2021. ADB projects have focused on modernization of generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, sector restructuring and reforms, and developing regional energy market.

In 2020, ADB committed a $105 million grant program to accelerate the implementation of the ongoing reforms. The program includes the separation of the generation, transmission, and distribution businesses; debt restructuring; introduction of a new tariff methodology that ensures cost recovery; investments in metering and billing infrastructure; redesign of the fund-flow mechanism with a settlement system; and introducing five-year management contract in a newly established power distribution company.

Source: Asia-Plus

EU Migration Impasse Leaves Many Refugees Homeless

BRUSSELS — Some refugees and asylum-seekers in Brussels have been spending months in between the Street of Palaces and the Small Castle — quite literally.

Unfortunately, it's not a dream come true at the end of their fearful flight from halfway across the globe. It's a perpetual nightmare.

Petit Chateau, which means small castle, is a government reception center that often does anything but welcome arrivals. The Rue des Palais — street of palaces — has the city’s worst squat, where the smell of urine and the prevalence of scurvy have come to symbolize how the European Union’s migration policy is failing.

They are only 2½ miles (4 kilometers) from the sleek Europa Building where EU leaders will hold a two-day summit starting Thursday to deal with migration issues that have vexed the 27 member nations for more than a decade.

Shinwari, an Afghan army captain who helped Western powers try to stave off the Taliban, now lives in a makeshift tent camp right on the canal opposite Petit Chateau.

It's a place as desolate as it is hopeless.

"It is very cold. Some guys have different diseases and many of us are suffering from depression, because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” said the 31-year-old, who left behind his wife and four children, convinced that Taliban forces that took over in August 2021 would kill soldiers like him who worked with NATO countries.

“They search houses. No one’s life was safe,” Shinwari said. “They have already once told my family ‘Your son has taken refuge in an infidel country.’”

Even now, far from home, he's too scared to be identified beyond his last name and with only the vaguest military details. He doesn't want his face shown in photos or video, for fear the Taliban might hurt his family.

Exacerbating his plight is the reception he's been given in the wealthy EU — largely marked by indifference, sometimes even hostility.

“Unfortunately, no one gets to hear our voices,” he said from his tent, surrounded by a half-dozen ex-members of the Afghan military.

Instead, the vocabulary of EU leaders before the summit is much more about “strengthening external borders,” “border fences” and “return procedures” than it is about immediately making life better for people like Shinwari.

And with 330,000 unauthorized attempts made to enter the EU last year — a six-year record — projecting a warm embrace for refugees doesn't win many elections on the continent these days.

Many Afghans also look with envy at the swift measures that the EU took after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 to grant Ukrainians temporary protection measures such as residency rights, labor market access, medical aid and social welfare assistance — things that all largely pass them by.

“The issue of Afghans and Ukrainians are the same, but they don’t get treated the same way," Shinwari said. "When Ukrainians come here, they are provided with all the facilities ... on the first day of their arrival, but we Afghans who have left our country due to security threats, we don’t get anything. It is surprising because human rights are not the same for everyone and that upsets us and makes us feel disappointed and neglected.”

EU leaders have already said that a full breakthrough on their migration policies won't come before bloc-wide elections in June 2024.

Shinwari said he was lucky to puncture the EU's beefed-up borders to use his right to asylum after an eight-month trek through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and eventually Belgium. It included beatings, arrest and escape in Iran, and hunger and fear along much of the trail.

Shinwari made it to Europe alive, “but now that I am here, I am homeless like a nomad” with a flimsy blue tent to keep out Belgium's many rain showers, he said.

Other Afghan former soldiers settled in the Rue des Palais, where their stories of trauma, depression, drugs and violence were just as bleak.

“The situation is not good here. If the Red Cross brings food, we will have something to eat, but if not, then many don't have anything,” said Roz Amin Khan, who fled Laghman province to arrive in Belgium two months ago.

Since arriving four months ago, Shinwari said that he had one interview with asylum processing authorities and has been waiting ever since.

The lack of help for most refugees has been driving nongovernmental organizations and volunteers to despair.

“Between the legal framework and the situation on the ground there is a world of difference,” said Clement Valentin, a legal advocacy officer at the CIRE refugee foundation. “There is this gap, and it is tough to understand — for me and for the NGOs.

"But I cannot even begin to comprehend how tough it must be for Afghans here in Belgium, or other European nations, to understand this.”

The legal sloth isn't limited to Belgium. The EU's Agency for Asylum said in its latest trends report of November 2022 that “the gap between applications and decisions had reached the largest extent since 2015,” and was widening still. Overall, it said, more than 920,000 cases were still pending, a 14% annual increase.

Such was the bureaucratic backlog at the Petit Chateau when Shinwari arrived, that would-be asylum-seekers had to wait sometimes for days in the rain and cold just to get in the front door. Citizens living close by brought food and set up fire pits, because the government didn't act.

Even if the situation has improved, the physical and mental scars are easy to see, said Michel Genet, director of Doctors of the World Belgium.

“People have been through big traumas and a very difficult situation, and they expect to come here and be taken care of," but they're not, Genet said.

During many sleepless nights in the freezing cold, with the dull buzz of passing cars in the background, Shinwari's thoughts drift back home.

“Sometimes I think about the future, and I think how much longer I have to live on the streets," he said. "My mind is surrounded with problems. I think of the safety of my family and my future.”

Source: Voice of America

Pope Planning India, Mongolia Trips After Portugal, France

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis said Sunday he is planning to visit India next year and is studying a possible trip to Mongolia later in 2023 in what would be a first for a pope.

Francis outlined his upcoming travel schedule during his flight back to Rome from South Sudan.

He confirmed that he would be in Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day the first week of August and would participate in a Sept. 23 meeting of Mediterranean bishops in Marseille, France.

He said there was "the possibility" that he would fly from Marseille to Mongolia, which would be a first for a pope.

Looking further ahead, Francis said he thought he would visit India in 2024, after plans for a trip in 2017 fell apart.

Francis spoke to reporters after a six-day visit to Congo and South Sudan, where he was joined in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields.

The Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian leaders made a novel joint visit to push South Sudan's political leaders to make progress on implementing a stalled 2018 peace accord that ended a civil war following the country's 2011 independence from Sudan.

Welby and Greenshields joined Francis aboard the papal plane back and took part in his airborne news conference, during which they were asked if they would be willing to join Francis on future trips too.

Welby said he would be "delighted to" if it might be helpful, joking that the papal plane was "the best airline I've ever flown on."

Greenshields also was keen but noted his mandate ends in May.

In a nod to the nearly all-male Vatican delegation that accompanies Francis on his foreign trips, Greenshields pointed out that he would be replaced by "a very capable woman" as moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rev. Sally Foster-Fulton, an American. The Church of Scotland has had ordained female ministers since the 1960s.

"She would be delighted to do the same thing," he said.

The Vatican delegation, made up mostly of cardinals and bishops, traditionally only includes one woman: a protocol expert in the Vatican secretariat of state. On this trip, Francis also invited as his personal guest a Congolese nun.

Source: Voice of America

Tajikistan and Russia Discuss Trade and Economic Cooperation

DUSHANBE, Issues of expanding Tajik-Russian bilateral economic cooperation were discussed yesterday by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Zavki Zavkizoda and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov.

Zavkizoda noted that Russia is the largest main trading partner of Tajikistan and for the last ten years has been ranked first in the structure of foreign trade turnover. Thus, in 2022, the foreign trade turnover between the countries amounted to more than $1.6 billion and increased by $321 million or 23.7 percent compared to 2021.

The parties discussed the issues of attracting investments from Russia, creating joint industrial enterprises, including in the free economic zones of Tajikistan, comprehensive preparation for the upcoming visit of the Russian Prime Minister and the Tajik-Russian High-Level Investment Forum, strengthening interregional cooperation, including holding the ninth conferences on interregional, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

The parties also expressed their readiness to take measures to increase and diversify the export of Tajik products to Russia.

Source: National information agency of Tajikistan

Tajik U-20 Football Team Will Play Against Peers from Azerbaijan

DUSHANBE, The next rival of the Tajik U-20 football team at the training camp in Turkiye will be their Azerbaijani peers.

The match is scheduled for February 6, and will be held at the Arslan Zeki Demirchi sports complex in Side.

Earlier, Tajik team played three control matches in Antalya, drawing with their peers from Iraq (0:0) and the Polish club LKS (1:1), as well as lost to Bukhoro FC of Uzbekistan (1:3).

Tajik team will be at the training camp in Turkiye until February 19.

Source: National information agency of Tajikistan

Delegation of Tajikistan Is Preparing to Take Part in ITB Berlin 2023

DUSHANBE, Yesterday, the leadership of the Committee for Tourism Development met with the heads of domestic travel agencies that will take part in the international tourism fair ITB Berlin 2023.

The heads of travel agencies were given specific recommendations for active participation in the fair, a worthy presentation of tourism facilities using digital technologies, and a high sense of patriotism and hospitality of the Tajik nation.

At this fair, the country’s tourist pavilion entitled “Tajikistan — a Country of Tourism” on an area of 20 square meters will be put on display for travel lovers.

This year, at the ITB Berlin, more than 20 domestic travel agencies will represent the competitive advantage of Tajikistan in the field of ecological, health, sports and mountaineering tourism, hunting, rare culture and ancient civilization of the Tajik nation as a national tourism product.

Source: National information agency of Tajikistan