Kazakhstan Sports

Minister of Culture, Information and Sports--Yesetzhan Kosubayev ...

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Int ... [Read More]

2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Kazakhstan

The Ministry of Culture, Information, and Sports produced materials on trafficking that government-run media were required to cover in their reporting. The materials included details of antitrafficking efforts by government agencies, information on hotlines, analysis of risks for those offered a job abroad, and stories of families whose trafficked relatives never returned home. These publications also covered successful investigations of crimes and were designed to build trust with law enforcement. The Ministry of Culture, Information, and Sports encouraged all media outlets to carry publications on trafficking issues. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Sports equipment and sportswear should be brought to Kazakhstan when possible. There are many recreational activities at hand, including downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, snowboarding, ice skating, tennis, swimming, volleyball, etc.  Some Western winter sports equipment can be found around town, but larger size men's and women's shoes and boots are hard to find, and prices of sporting equipment tends to be high.  Activities in the mountains near Almaty, at any time of year, require sunglasses and sun block. ... [Read More]

For the Record Newsletter – European Programs Branch

Project Description: Organized a series of workshops for children with chronic iodine deficiency diseases (IDD) and their families, targeting low-income families. The program was modeled on American approaches to chronic disease. Fifty children and 100 caretakers attended five weekly classes and five group therapy sessions. The classes covered topics such as medical information regarding IDD, activities and sports accessible to children with IDD, parenting skills, diet, and school issues. The therapy group focused on handling the emotional and psychological effects of chronic illness. The program's main goal was to provide participants with tools and outlets that would improve the lives of children living with IDD. ... [Read More]

Office of Academic Exchange Programs: European Programs Branch – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs – U.S. Department of State

- Activity: Sports Day for Children, June 1st (Bishkek) ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Many sports are found in Bishkek and the surrounding countryside.  A large outdoor swimming pool, located at a hotel near the Embassy, is open to American staff and their families, and a modest indoor pool is sometimes open in winter.  A group of Embassy staff play basketball weekly at the local Bishkek Physculturni Institute versus a local team.  A rock climbing wall and lessons are also available through the Institute.  The Maple Leaf Golf Club, a golf course started by Canadian expats, opened in 2002 and is about twenty minutes from downtown toward the mountains.  Though the course is still somewhat rough, you can’t beat the beautiful mountain scenery and cheap green fees!  Clubs are available for rent, but it is a good idea to bring your own if you have them.  Bishkek has a limited number of outdoor tennis courts, and an indoor tennis court is available for rent in the sports palace during winter.  Some spectator sports, such as soccer and wr ... [Read More]

For the Record Newsletter – European Programs Branch

Aiming to provide tools and outlets to improve the lives of children living with iodine deficiency diseases (IDD), Marina Asatiani (CI, 2000) of Tbilisi, Georgia, organized a series of workshops for children with IDD and their families. The program, modeled on the American approaches to chronic disease, targeted low-income families. Fifty children and 100 family caretakers attended five weekly classes and five group therapy sessions, covering topics such as medical information, activities and sports accessible to children with IDD, parenting skills, nutrition, and school issues, as well as how to cope with the emotional and psychological effects of chronic illness. ... [Read More]

Europe and Central Asia

Corruption. Corruption has been the most significant problem within Georgia's law enforcement agencies. Georgia's anti- corruption efforts continue to be hampered by the widespread tolerance of corruption within Georgian society. During 2001 the Government of Georgia formed a commission to reform the law enforcement agencies (so-called "power ministries"). The commission developed a strategy for reorganization that was forwarded to the Georgian National Security Council; however, no significant changes were made. In any case, none of these proposed measures can truly ameliorate the situation given the low wages of officials and poor standard of behavior from those in charge that nourish wide-scale, low level corruption. The new hope of eradicating corruption within the system emerged with the appointment of a new Minister of Internal Affairs, who has publicly and repeatedly announced his commitment to combating corruption and the trafficking ... [Read More]

Europe and Eurasia

The United States actively continued to monitor and encourage all levels of government to implement the FWA. Macedonia's ethnic minorities enjoyed the FWA's positive impact in 2004, when they applied for the first time for dual-language passports, studied at the state-supported, Albanian-language Tetovo University and saw mixed-ethnic police patrols ensuring the safety of Macedonia's streets and borders. Unequivocal U.S. support for the FWA process helped encourage Macedonia's multiethnic coalition Government to overcome a contentious intra-coalition debate and agree on new municipal boundaries in August. United States recognition of Macedonia's constitutional name and statements by the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Defense Secretary, and the U.S. Ambassador underscoring U.S. commitment to the FWA helped reduce support for a national referendum on decentralization that could have reversed progress under the FWA. ... [Read More]

Europe and Central Asia

AlbaniaI. Summary Drug trafficking is a significant problem in Albania, which is a major transit country for heroin from Afghanistan and Turkey destined for markets throughout Europe. Organized crime groups use Albania as a transit point for drug and other types of smuggling due to the country’s strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and porous borders. The most common illegal drugs are heroin, marijuana, and to a lesser extent, cocaine. Heroin is typically transported through the "Balkans Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania, and on to Italy, Greece and the Netherlands. Cocaine is smuggled from South America, via the United States, Italy, Spain, Greece or the Netherlands, and ... [Read More]