Asian countries and the Ukrainian crisis

Initial Reports and Clarifications Following the tragic explosions near the tomb of the late General Qasem Suleimani, a prominent figure in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, initial reports from Iranian authorities stated that 103 individuals had lost their lives. However, as more details emerged, the Health Ministry's official, Bahram Ainullahi, provided a revised figure, confirming that 95 people had tragically died. This adjustment was attributed to some names being duplicated in the initial list of victims, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced in the aftermath of such devastating events. The Toll on the Injured Beyond the lives lost, the aftermath of the incident also saw a significant number of individuals sustaining injuries. The Health Ministry reported that 211 people were wounded in the explosions, further emphasizing the scale and impact of the tragedy on the community in Kerman. Seeking Accountability and Support In the wake of the devastating explos...

Kazakhstan's President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, emphasized the enduring bond between Kazakhstan and Russia during a recent interview. Describing Russia as the "main strategic partner and ally," Tokayev underscored the significance of the friendly ties that bind the two nations. He further highlighted that the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Russia has surpassed an impressive $21 billion. Moreover, Tokayev expressed a sentiment widely shared in the international community: that addressing global challenges often requires Russia's active involvement and cooperation. Kazakhstan and China: A Flourishing Partnership Parallel to its robust ties with Russia, Kazakhstan's relations with China have been burgeoning at an impressive pace. Trade between Kazakhstan and China has surged to an estimated $24 billion, reflecting the depth and breadth of their economic collaboration. President Tokayev further pointed out a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship:...

This inspirational story of a single mom who worked for AT&T and then quit her job to start a YouTube channel is a perfect example of the many ways technology can make life better.   Who Is at&t girl?    Lily is the at&t girl who has been a part of the company since 2006. She was first introduced to the public in 2007 and has been a part of our marketing campaigns and commercials ever since. Her goal is to show that at&t is an inclusive company that welcomes everyone.   AI writers are not human writers, they are computer-generated content creators. They are not meant to replace human writers but they can assist them by getting rid of writer’s block and generating content ideas at scale.     How Milana Vayntrub Became the Breakout Star of the AT&T Commercials    Milana Alexandrovna Weintrub was born on March 8, 1987, in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, USSR. Milana is Jewish. She moved to West Hollywood when she was three years old with he...

Azerbaijan exported 11.2 billion cubic meters of gas in the first half of 2022, which is 25.7% higher than the same period last year. The country's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov made the announcement, Interfax reported (http://interfax.az/view/871597).  According to the minister, 48% or 5.4 billion cubic meters were sent to Europe. 38% or 4.3 billion cubic meters were exported to 38% or 4.3 billion cubic meters were exported to Turkey . Last year, the volume of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Europe via Trans Adriatic Pipeline made 8.2 billion cubic meters. This year this figure will exceed 10 billion cubic meters. 

Oleg Golishnikov, an expert from Uzbekistan, commented for Caliber (https://caliber.az/ru/post/92960/) on the events in Karakalpakstan , where unrest occurred against the background of constitutional amendments in the country. According to the expert, external forces could have been involved in the events in Karakalpakstan, but even if they were, they failed. He stressed that it would be an oversimplification to consider Russia or the West responsible for provoking the unrest, since Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries have their own internal dynamics. Golishnikov also said that he does not expect Karakalpakstan to turn into a second Transnistria or Abkhazia, that is, a zone of permanent conflict and history . At the same time , there have been recent manifestations of protest potential in all Central Asian republics: "The recent events in Kazakhstan , Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are not links in the same chain, but they once again draw the attention of the authorities of ...

Orda (https://orda.kz/odkb-vs-nato-vechnyj-konflikt-ili-nadezhda-na-sotrudnichestvo/) publishes a selection of experts on Monday's CSTO summit. Here is their summary   ◾️ Nikita Shatalov, political observer ( Kazakhstan ): "The topic of Afghanistan - very important for us and for our Central Asian neighbors - should be a priority for the organization. It has been at war for four decades and has experienced the return of the Taliban. And this political group is extremely interested in exporting its ideology and destabilizing at least Tajikistan. The peacekeeping initiative of [Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev, that is, sending CSTO forces to participate in UN missions, is an attempt to make something new out of the organization. (...) Therefore, in the joint statement of the CSTO member states, there is a clause on constructive interaction with NATO, despite Russia's simmering conflict with this military bloc. ◾️ Alexander Khramchikhin, military expert (Russia): ...

  "The U.S. says it does not support Taiwan independence, but has removed expressions (https://t.me/asian_states_in_ukrainian_crisis/1250) such as "Taiwan is part of China" and "The United States does not support Taiwan independence" from the State Department website. "Such contradictory moves only make people question the seriousness and effectiveness of the U.S. claims that it adheres to a policy of 'one China' integrity," the PRC Foreign Ministry press office noted on Twitter . "Those who betray the faith will not only tarnish their reputation, but will pay the price. If the U.S. breaks its promise on the Taiwan issue, it will surely be punished by history," the message stresses.

  russia and Turkey have agreed to start accepting the "Mir" card in Turkish hotels. This was reported to TASS agency (https://tass.ru/ekonomika/14663219) by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. According to him, the parties also agreed to increase the number of ATMs that will be able to service these cards. "We also discussed the possibility of making payments in Russian rubles or Turkish liras, the work of "Mir" card in the hotels of the Republic of Turkey. We agreed that banks will accept the cards, agreed that conditions will be created for the presence of the necessary terminals in hotels , hotels, and today we have discussed this in detail with our Turkish partners," Novak said. The deputy prime minister also said that Russia and Turkey have agreed to increase the number of flights between the two countries to keep the tourist flow ahead of the vacation season and vacations. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the international payment system...

  The losses of seven leading Japanese corporations from the impact of sanctions imposed against Russia over Ukraine were estimated at over $2 billion by April. Among others, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo lost money. The newspaper Sankei Shimbun wrote this (https://www.sankei.com/article/20220510-R4PAUDG3WRNPZH5MZRWRBFFZVA/photo/SRURFTOL4BNSDNAJNKVHNZW27E/) based on the results of the companies' annual reports for last year. The amount of losses includes reduction of the market price of corporate assets in Russia and Sakhalin-1 (https://t.me/asian_states_in_ukrainian_crisis/1052) and Sakhalin-2 Asia oil and gas projects. Despite the losses, the final profit of all seven companies reached a record high level. The other day, the G-7 countries agreed to reduce their dependence on Russian energy resources - primarily oil and gas. At the same time, Tokyo, a member of the group, intends to retain its shares in Sakhalin projects.

 In Ankara, the "Immortal Regiment" march took place on the territory of the Russian Embassy. More than 300 people marched in columns holding portraits of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, RIA Novosti reported. Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Erkhov addressed the crowd. The ambassador told those participating in the "Immortal Regiment" that "Nazis still raise their heads." "You and I, all those gathered here, we are not human beings for them, "subhumans." We must remember those to whom we owe our lives. Those who won yesterday so that we can win today. Remember at what price happiness was won," said Yerkhov. Asia May 2022

  The Kazakh president's visit to Turkey continues. Yesterday Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev and Turkish leader Recep Erdogan played  table tennis and signed several documents, including an agreement on military intelligence, information technology and simplification of customs control. The countries plan to reach a $10 billion trade turnover. It is now half that. According to Kazakh media reports, Tokayev and Erdogan discussed (https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/erdogan-myi-budem-ryadom-s-nashimi-kazahstanskimi-bratyami-468301/) Ukraine in a tight circle. "Our views on a peaceful resolution of the crisis model on the basis of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity coincide. This war has once again emphasized the importance of cooperation and cohesion of Turkic states on a bilateral level," the Turkish president said.   The media call (https://t.me/asian_states_in_ukrainian_crisis/1275) Tokayev's visit historic. It could be a serious step to bring Turkey ...

  According to (https://telp.cc/Mm7)the website of the Moscow-based Institute of Middle East Studies, which is closed to the general public, most Iranians want the country to remain neutral in the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. According to the newspaper, the Sociological Center for Iranian Students (ISPA) conducted a nationwide survey in cities and rural areas of the country. The number of respondents was in the range of 2 thousand people.  As it turned out, 37.9% of respondents are not interested in news about Ukraine at all, 27.6% follow it to a lesser extent and 20.3% - to a greater extent. In other words, almost half of Iranians have followed the situation to some extent by Asia continent. When asked how worried they were about the possible consequences of this operation for Iran, 47.9% of those who were somehow aware of the news about the r ussian -Ukrainian conflict were "not worried at all" or "slightly worried about its consequences for Iran," ...

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan stated that it considers the statements of unnamed foreign leaders about the possible accession of the country to the Union State of Russia and Belarus "provocative. "Recently, some foreign publications, claiming objectivity and impartiality in the coverage of events, have continued to replicate unsubstantiated statements by some leaders of foreign countries regarding the expansion of the Union State and the accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan to it. In this connection, we reiterate the inadmissibility of such provocative actions that can damage friendly relations between Uzbekistan and its 05 foreign partners. The Republic of Uzbekistan, in order to ensure the independence and sovereignty of the country, based solely on national interests, will continue to firmly pursue the chosen course of independent development," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Asia 2022 .

The cost of equipment for Russians may increase by up to 50% after the legalization of parallel imports due to the Russian attack on Ukraine. This is written by (https://www.forbes.ru/tekhnologii/464985-kak-izmenatsa-ceny-na-tehnologiceskie-tovary-iz-za-parallel-nogo-importa) Forbes.   russia is under sanctions because of the armed invasion of Ukraine. Shipments of many goods, including appliances for end users, are banned, but end users can use parallel imports - ordering gadgets from countries that have not imposed restrictions against Moscow.   On May 6, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia approved (http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202205060001?index=0&rangeSize=1) the list of goods allowed for parallel imports to Russia. It included such technological goods as Apple Watch, game console Xbox, smartphones Apple and Samsung and other products - a total of 56 categories. Goods will have to be imported through Kazakhstan , China or Kyrgyzstan . ...

  Kyrgyzstan plans to develop previously mothballed coal deposits, 24.kg reports. The reason is the energy crisis in the country . According to the results of the autumn-winter period of 2021- 2022 , it became necessary to increase the production of local coal up to 1 million tons. It is planned to reactivate two sites: "Ak-Ulak" of Min-Kush field with more than 114 million tons of coal reserves and "Sulukta field-11" of Sulukta brown-coal field with 69 million tons of coal reserves.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky awarded servicemen, including Azerbaijanis , who distinguished themselves in the fight against Russia. According to the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, Ragif Vagif oglu Aliyev and Mejid Marlen oglu Abdulgafarov were awarded medals "For Valor" of Ukraine.  Both Azerbaijanis are sergeants in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Aliyev comes from the Samukh district of Azerbaijan, and Abdulgafarov from the Guba district. May 2022

 The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey reported that the geopolitical crisis and "air sanctions" led to a sharp decrease in the number of Russian tourists: they arrived 48% less than in March 2021. Russia's share in the total foreign tourist flow to Turkey has more than halved - from 24.24% to 10.91%, that is, for the first time in many years Russia was not even in the top three inbound markets of Turkey, said Ator. The geopolitical crisis and "air sanctions" changed the picture of inbound tourism in Turkey in March. According to the data published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in March 2022, 114,384 Russian tourists arrived in Turkey. That is 52% of March 2021 (219,458 tourists). Accordingly, the flow of tourists from Russia to Turkey in the first spring month fell by 48%, almost twice. Russia's share in the total foreign tourist flow to Turkey more than halved - from 24.24% to 10.91%. At the same time, the total foreign tourist flow to...

  Today we asked Japanese girls and Japanese boys on the streets of Tokyo about their thoughts on the war between Russia and the Ukraine.   As a Ukrainian I want say that I was really surprised to hear about the war on this channel. I subscribed just to learn some Japanese and it always seemed to me like Japan is so far away from Ukraine that most Japanese people don't even know about our existence. And now even here I hear the news about my country. This is strange. It's like a completely different reality   Amazing how she was able to stay professional and not tell what she thinks about it herself. I know that's how good journalism is but if i was in her place i sure as hell wouldn't have been able to stay that calm. So good job.   I wonder if the Japanese in Hokkaido who live close to the Kuril Islands feel compare to the Tokyo residents in this video since its another land that has a long history of disputed over between Russian and Japan. Also ...

  Russia's depletion is a chance to reclaim the "Northern Territories" - the Kuril Islands, military analyst and retired General Seiyu Mori writes in a JBPress article (https://telp.cc/LUG). The Russian army is losing billions of dollars every day fighting in Ukraine, the equipment cannot be recovered, and with a military budget of over $ 60 billion, Russia will not be able to fight for long, but every day is dragging it further down, Mori noted    In his view, "despite the optimistic mood of the Russian president, it is inevitable that the Russian people will have less desire to fight. Young people are leaving the country, along with talented people, undermining its fortress... Contrary to Putin's optimism, depletion and decline of Russia is inevitable, and a situation may arise where the process of returning the Northern Territories will have to be initiated. In a territorial dispute , the weakening of the other side is an excellent chance", the analyst ...

  The UK government has launched an investigation after British-made components were found in weapons systems deployed by Russia in Ukraine. The investigation was launched after specialists from the RUSI think-tank (https://t.me/asian_states_in_ukrainian_crisis/1043) discovered that the Borisoglebsk-2 electronic warfare complex contained complex components manufactured by the UK, the US, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands. The UK parts included several high-frequency transistors, examples of so-called "dual-use" electronics that can be used for both military and civilian purposes, The Telegraph reported (https://telp.cc/LUU).    It is suspected that the parts, which have been banned from sale to Russia since 2014, got there through India, one of the key buyers of Russian military equipment.