ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Kyrgyzstan’s decision to ban uranium mining in 2019 was a hard-won victory for civil society and an acknowledgement of the tortured environmental legacy of industry during the Soviet era.
- By Chris Rickleton and RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
But Kyrgyz officials are now calling for the ban to be lifted, as populist President Sadyr Japarov continues his pursuit of state-led production in the extractive industries that he first championed more than a decade ago as an opposition politician.
And while the head of state eyes a new cash cow, other officials are speaking excitedly about a…