Latest news with #Ex-Soviet
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Kyrgyzstan dismantles Central Asia's tallest Lenin statue
BISHKEK (Kyrgyzstan): Russian ally Kyrgyzstan on Saturday quietly dismantled Central Asia's tallest monument to Vladimir Lenin, the revolutionary founder of the Soviet Union. Ex-Soviet states across the region are seeking to strengthen their national identities, renaming cities that have Russian-sounding names and replacing statues to Soviet figures with local and national heroes. Russia, which has military bases in Kyrgyzstan, is striving to maintain its influence there in the face of competition from China and the West and amid its invasion of Ukraine. Officials in the city of Osh -- where the 23-metre (75 foot) high monument stood on the central square -- warned against 'politicising' the decision to 'relocate' it. Osh is the second largest city in the landlocked mountainous country. The figure was quietly taken down overnight and is set to be 'relocated', Osh officials said. The decision 'should not be politicised,' city hall said, pointing to several other instances in Russia 'where Lenin monuments have also been dismantled or relocated.' 'This is a common practice aimed at improving the architectural and aesthetic appearance of cities,' it said in a statement. Despite some attempts to de-Sovietise the region, memorials and statues to Soviet figures are common across the region, with monuments to Lenin prevalent in the vast majority of cities in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan was annexed and incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 19th century and then became part of the Soviet Union following the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. It gained independence with the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
France 24
3 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Uzbekistan seals footballing dream with World Cup qualification
The Central Asian nation qualified for football's premier international tournament on Thursday thanks to a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates -- enough to seal the achievement with one game to spare. "I cannot convey my feelings. I am very, very happy -- for the first time in 34 years the Uzbekistan national team has reached the World Cup," Otabek Khaydarov, a 36-year-old entrepreneur told AFP in Tashkent after the final whistle. Ex-Soviet Uzbekistan started competing as an independent nation in the 1990s, following the break-up of the USSR. Footage shared on social media showed the players, draped in national flags, mobbing coach Timur Kapadze in the press room after the game. The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has given traditional outsiders, like Uzbekistan, the chance to break into the top ranks of world football. But their success is not just down to a larger World Cup. Uzbekistan is one of Asia's fastest developing footballing nations. And across Central Asia, the sport is in the ascendancy -- backed by state funding and growing popularity in a region where combat sports traditionally reign supreme. Ravshan Khaydarov, the coach of Uzbekistan's under-23 national team, said qualification is the result of "a long-term effort". "Presidential decrees adopted to reform football five or six years ago marked the beginning of a process that is still ongoing," he told AFP on the sidelines of a match in Tashkent, ahead of the crunch game against UAE. The construction of new stadiums and training centres, sometimes with FIFA's support, has been crucial, he said. State affair Such backing from the top is essential in a region dominated by autocratic regimes. In both Uzbekistan and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the national football federations are controlled by powerful secret service chiefs. On the pitch, Uzbekistan's charge to the tournament -- to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico -- was led by the star trio of centre back Abdukodir Khusanov, striker Eldor Shomurodov and winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Khusanov, who moved to Manchester City in a reported $45-million deal earlier this year, has become a national hero at home. Bootleg jerseys featuring his name and number are available at bazaars across the landlocked country. Footballing bosses are confident the success of Khusanov and Shomurodov, who plays for Roma in Italy, can be replicated. More than a third of the country's 35 million people are under the age of 20 -- a huge talent pool waiting to be coached. "It is important to have a systemic approach to identifying talent and selecting the best players who will become famous. The world will know Uzbekistan thanks to our national team," said coach Khaydarov. "Our dream is to see Uzbek players in the best European clubs." - 'Creativity' - The country has already had glory at the youth level, recently winning the Asian U17 and U20 Cups and qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "The strength of Uzbek football lies in the combination of play, technique, passing and attacking," said Azamat Abduraimov, a former player and now coach. "Uzbek football has always been renowned for its creativity. We have always had good strikers and creative, technical midfielders. But we lacked success because we were weak in defence," he added. Centre-back Khusanov, who Abduraimov coached as a teenager, has helped address that balance. Many see 21-year-old winger Fayzullaev, who plays for CSKA Moscow and was voted Asia's best young player in 2023, as the next Uzbek in line for a big money move to Europe. His playing style has been compared to star Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who just won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain. For the national team, qualifying for next year's World Cup brings a new set of challenges. Uzbekistan has never played an international match against a top European side, and most of its young talent still lack experience on the biggest stages. In Tashkent, supporter Otabek was relishing the step up.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Uzbekistan seals footballing dream with World Cup qualification
Uzbekistan's players celebrate after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time (Fadel SENNA) Uzbekistan are heading to next year's World Cup for the first time in the country's history, a feat that caps years of progress in a part of the world not known for its footballing prowess. The Central Asian nation qualified for football's premier international tournament on Thursday thanks to a 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates -- enough to seal the achievement with one game to spare. Advertisement "I cannot convey my feelings. I am very, very happy -- for the first time in 34 years the Uzbekistan national team has reached the World Cup," Otabek Khaydarov, a 36-year-old entrepreneur told AFP in Tashkent after the final whistle. Ex-Soviet Uzbekistan started competing as an independent nation in the 1990s, following the break-up of the USSR. Footage shared on social media showed the players, draped in national flags, mobbing coach Timur Kapadze in the press room after the game. The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has given traditional outsiders, like Uzbekistan, the chance to break into the top ranks of world football. Advertisement But their success is not just down to a larger World Cup. Uzbekistan is one of Asia's fastest developing footballing nations. And across Central Asia, the sport is in the ascendancy -- backed by state funding and growing popularity in a region where combat sports traditionally reign supreme. Ravshan Khaydarov, the coach of Uzbekistan's under-23 national team, said qualification is the result of "a long-term effort". "Presidential decrees adopted to reform football five or six years ago marked the beginning of a process that is still ongoing," he told AFP on the sidelines of a match in Tashkent, ahead of the crunch game against UAE. Advertisement The construction of new stadiums and training centres, sometimes with FIFA's support, has been crucial, he said. - State affair - Such backing from the top is essential in a region dominated by autocratic regimes. In both Uzbekistan and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the national football federations are controlled by powerful secret service chiefs. On the pitch, Uzbekistan's charge to the tournament -- to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico -- was led by the star trio of centre back Abdukodir Khusanov, striker Eldor Shomurodov and winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Khusanov, who moved to Manchester City in a reported $45-million deal earlier this year, has become a national hero at home. Advertisement Bootleg jerseys featuring his name and number are available at bazaars across the landlocked country. Footballing bosses are confident the success of Khusanov and Shomurodov, who plays for Roma in Italy, can be replicated. More than a third of the country's 35 million people are under the age of 20 -- a huge talent pool waiting to be coached. "It is important to have a systemic approach to identifying talent and selecting the best players who will become famous. The world will know Uzbekistan thanks to our national team," said coach Khaydarov. "Our dream is to see Uzbek players in the best European clubs." Advertisement - 'Creativity' - The country has already had glory at the youth level, recently winning the Asian U17 and U20 Cups and qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "The strength of Uzbek football lies in the combination of play, technique, passing and attacking," said Azamat Abduraimov, a former player and now coach. "Uzbek football has always been renowned for its creativity. We have always had good strikers and creative, technical midfielders. But we lacked success because we were weak in defence," he added. Centre-back Khusanov, who Abduraimov coached as a teenager, has helped address that balance. Advertisement Many see 21-year-old winger Fayzullaev, who plays for CSKA Moscow and was voted Asia's best young player in 2023, as the next Uzbek in line for a big money move to Europe. His playing style has been compared to star Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who just won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain. For the national team, qualifying for next year's World Cup brings a new set of challenges. Uzbekistan has never played an international match against a top European side, and most of its young talent still lack experience on the biggest stages. In Tashkent, supporter Otabek was relishing the step up. "I would like to have strong opponents at the World Cup, I know at that there will be no weak ones there." sk-bk/asy-jc/ea
Russia Today
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Vance blasts ‘Russian meddling' excuse
Western mainstream political parties blaming Russian meddling for electoral failures are increasingly out of touch with voters, US Vice President J.D. Vance has said. EU politicians would rather suppress dissent than reflect on their actions, he told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Ahead of attending the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Vance urged Western politicians to embrace the rise of anti-establishment politics. He criticized attempts to dismiss viewpoints on issues such as traditional values and immigration by those who attribute them to 'misinformation.' 'If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how strong your understanding of the will of the people actually is,' Vance said. Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state and presidential candidate, notably popularized the tactic of blaming Russia following her loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election — a claim Moscow has consistently denied. Read more Ex-Soviet country slams EU state's 'interference' A recent instance occurred in Romania in December, where the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of voting in the country's presidential election after right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly led the race. Media reports revealed that the alleged Russian interference cited by the court actually stemmed from a consulting firm associated with the ruling National Liberal Party. Allegations of Russian efforts to undermine Romanian democracy were promoted by Context, an NGO funded by the US through the National Endowment for Democracy — an organization that according to its co-founder Allen Weinstein is mostly doing in the open what the CIA previously did covertly. The narrative suggesting Moscow bolstered Georgescu was supported by the US Embassy in Romania and senior American officials. Vance argued that mainstream parties in the EU are 'kind of terrified of their own people.' He pointed to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which despite electoral success struggles to find coalition partners due to being labeled extremist by centrist factions. READ MORE: Trump freezes all National Endowment for Democracy funding – media Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, ignited controversy in Berlin by endorsing the AfD in this month's federal election, asserting that 'the entire fate of Europe' hinges on its outcome. In response, the German government accused the billionaire of election interference, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz stating that freedom of speech does not encompass the promotion of 'extreme-right positions.'
Russia Today
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Calm him down' – Lukashenko on Armenian PM's EU tilt
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is leading his nation towards disaster, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told a press conference on Sunday. Yerevan's 'pandering to the EU' is a 'most dangerous game,' said Lukashenko, who won his seventh term as the Belarusian leader in the presidential election over the weekend, according to exit polls. 'Calm him down,' the president said, referring to Pashinyan. 'He will destroy Armenia.' Lukashenko was referring to Pashinyan's plans to seek closer ties with Brussels. Earlier this month, the Armenian media reported that the government was preparing to hold a referendum on whether to apply for EU membership. Under Pashinyan's leadership, Yerevan has also been looking to deepen relations with individual Western nations. France reportedly offered to provide security for the small landlocked nation that borders its regional rival, Azerbaijan. Armenia has also been seeking to reduce Russia's role as a security provider in the region, such as by forgoing the services of Russian troops guarding its border with Iran. Read more Ex-Soviet state moves closer to EU membership bid In June 2024, Armenia and the US also stated that they intended to upgrade their bilateral relations to the level of 'strategic partnership,' with Washington pledging to help Yerevan in its 'defense transformation.' According to Lukashenko, seeking favor from faraway nations and alienating neighbors is a mistake on Yerevan's part. 'He [Pashinyan] has a problem… in the east and a problem in the west. Now, he is pitting Russia against himself as well,' the Belarusian president said, adding that the Armenian prime minister 'has surrounded himself with enemies,' and the EU would hardly be able to aid him in any way. Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain strained after Baku retook the breakaway region of Karabakh by force in the autumn of 2023 after which most of the territory's predominantly ethnic Armenian population fled to Armenia. Yerevan's relations with Georgia and Türkiye – a traditional backer of Azerbaijan – are strained as well. Read more US pushing ex-Soviet state to 'suicide' – Russian intel agency 'A war in the Caucasus should be prevented,' Lukashenko said, warning that Armenia's actions could lead to another conflict in the region. The Belarusian president also dismissed accusations from Yerevan that he supported Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. Minsk 'supported common sense' and wanted a war in the region to be averted, the president said, adding that he had sought to play the role of mediator during the crisis and warned Pashinyan that his actions would lead Armenia to war. 'That is exactly what happened,' he stated. Lukashenko also said that he liked the Armenian people and called on them to 'keep what they have.' Russia has also previously warned the Armenian people not to trust Western intentions, saying that Washington and its allies don't have the interests of their country at heart. Armenia 'will have to renounce its own traditions, national societal norms, and stable commercial ties' with other countries in the region to realign itself with the West, thus committing 'national suicide,' the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service said in November 2024.
