In a bid to promote its peaceful civilian nuclear program, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. hosted an official delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in January 2013. The delegates toured the Barakah site — selected for the country’s civil nuclear energy program — where they received a comprehensive update on construction and the achievement of key milestones. “The U.A.E. is making safe and consistent progress in the development of the peaceful nuclear energy program. … We are very satisfied with the quality of the information we have received,” IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said. He praised the Emirati…
Unipath
UNIPATH STAFF For the past decade, Kazakhstan has been the proud host of the Steppe Eagle military exercises. Since 2003, the peacekeeping exercise has gathered thousands of security forces from 15 nations to cooperate, share ideas and build relationships. Held at Camp Illisky and co-sponsored by the United States, Steppe Eagle promotes interoperability among friendly forces. The exercise is helping Kazakh forces prepare to deploy a company-sized unit in support of a U.N. peacekeeping operation by 2015. During Steppe Eagle in 2013, Kazakh forces are undergoing NATO peacekeeping evaluation and certification. Sources: Third Army/U.S. Army Central, U.S. Central Command
Central Asia Newswire Turkmenistan will launch its first space communications satellite in late 2014. The satellite will improve telephone services and increase the number of available television channels. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow announced his intention to build a national space communications system in 2009. Turkmenistan currently uses Russia’s Yamal satellite for its communications needs. The satellite is being manufactured by European aerospace firm Thales Alenia Space, which signed a contract with the Turkmen government in late 2011. Thales is also expected to build a new ground-control system, as well as ensure that the satellite operates effectively for the next 15…
Yemen News Agency (SABA) Yemeni Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Muhammad Nasir Ahmad Ali urged military commanders appointed recently by President Abd Rabuh Mansur Hadi to exert considerable efforts to help modernize and reform the country’s army. Ahmad made the remarks during an April 2013 meeting with the new commanders attended by Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Ahmad Ali al-Ashwal and the Army’s newly appointed Inspector General, Maj. Gen. Muhammad Ali al-Qasemi. “The Yemeni people expect the new military commanders to work hard to make a remarkable change in the process of building and modernizing the armed forces to become…
U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime To combat the threat of illicit drug trafficking, the Kyrgyz Republic drug control and prison services signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in December 2012 to strengthen interagency cooperation. The agreement will fight trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances and improve control of precursor ingredients. It will also help prevent drug abuse in prisons by strengthening the professionalism of the prison staff, said Alimbay Sultanov, chair of the state drug control service. The MOU was developed by an interagency working group designed to increase the rule of law in the Kyrgyz Republic by further…
Central Asia Newswire The Uzbek government will invest $10.4 million in a new transport logistics center in the Surkhandarya region, a key component of the country’s plan to become a regional crossroads for trade and transportation. Located at the nexus of several trading routes, Uzbekistan provides a strategic locale for firms eager to export goods to Russia, China, India and other states. As the country invests millions to improve road and rail networks, the European Union is contributing $2.6 million to upgrade Uzbekistan’s transportation infrastructure. Uzbekistan is not the only Central Asian state developing top-of-the-line transport logistics centers. Kazakhstan is…
The Regional Cyber Defence Summit, hosted in Oman in March 2013, brought together public sector officials and industry experts to discuss cyber security. This summit was the second in a series designed to develop strategies to protect critical infrastructure from cyber attacks; the first was held in Oman the year before. “Cyber attacks in the region that have targeted institutions and infrastructure sectors of vital industries help us realize the challenges faced by countries,” Oman Information Technology Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Salim al-Ruzaiqi said during the summit. “All necessary measures should be taken to ensure that the impact of…
REUTERS Landlocked neighbors Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan announced plans for a regional railway that will allow them to expand trade with former Soviet countries and reach markets in south Asia. The new 400-kilometer (250-mile) route, expected to cost $1.5 billion, will turn Turkmenistan into a major railway transit country linking Russia and other former Soviet states with south Asian countries such as Pakistan. It also will allow Tajikistan to import oil products and other vital cargo. Boosting trade with other parts of Eurasia would help Afghanistan as well, which could also turn into a transit nation for goods flowing from…
BY SGT. DAVID DOBRYDNEY/U.S. AIR FORCE Even in the midst of conflict, it is important to keep an eye on the future. That’s why Afghan doctors and nurses are taking time from their critical daily tasks to be part of the Afghan Trauma Mentorship Program at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital. “We’ve learned things we have not seen before that we will bring back to our hospitals,” said 1st Lt. Dr. Farooq Azam, an ear, nose and throat surgeon with the Afghan National Police. The classes, which have trained more than 40 Afghan doctors and nurses to date, include students…
UNIPATH STAFF Iraqi policemen and their dogs showed off their skills during a ceremony in February 2013. The event celebrated about 100 newly trained dog handlers who completed a 60-day training course at the police canine headquarters in Kerbala. This type of training is invaluable when it comes to securing communities. Dogs have a keen sense of smell — so strong, in fact, that they can detect bombs. Their help is invaluable for military and police units that frequently encounter improvised explosive devices. Canine units can also help chase down suspects and find victims buried in rubble.