Day: May 26, 2025

Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce has signed an investment agreement with Kyrgyz-registered Jartash LLC for the construction of a major sports and hotel complex, Ramada Resort by Wyndham Issyk-Kul.

The resort will be developed on private land on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, the country’s most popular tourist destination. Ramada is part of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, the U.S.-based company recognized as the world’s largest hotel franchisor, operating approximately 9,200 properties in 95 countries.

The project aligns with the State Program for Sustainable Tourism Development through 2030, which aims to strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s tourism infrastructure and establish the country as a regional hub for sports and recreational tourism.

Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakyt Sydykov hailed the agreement as a strategic milestone. “This is not just an investment agreement, it is a step toward the strategic transformation of the Issyk-Kul region. The new resort will become the flagship of our tourism industry, opening new horizons for attracting investment and international visitors to Kyrgyzstan,” he said.

The investor will receive tax and customs incentives under the agreement.

Ramada Resort by Wyndham Issyk-Kul will feature:

• A hotel with 250-300 rooms across various categories
• Olympic and training swimming pools
• Gyms and rehabilitation facilities
• Infrastructure for professional sports training
• Recreation zones and venues for international events

The resort is expected to create over 200 jobs and generate more than $9 million in state revenue over the next decade. Officials anticipate that the project will serve as a model of effective public-private partnership and catalyze the development of a new tourism cluster along the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing renewed federal scrutiny over alleged ties to a Brooklyn-based businessman with close links to the Uzbek government. As The Times of Central Asia reported last year, the investigation centers on whether Adams helped improve Uzbekistan’s public image in exchange for campaign contributions.

According to court documents reviewed by THE CITY, the businessman, Tolib Mansurov, a dual citizen of the United States and Uzbekistan, allegedly served as an intermediary for the Uzbek government while also helping to fund Adams’ mayoral campaigns. In return, Adams is said to have provided favorable public exposure that enhanced Uzbekistan’s reputation, despite the country’s long-standing record of human rights abuses.

Prosecutors describe Mansurov as a well-connected figure who maintained frequent communication with officials at Uzbekistan’s mission to the United Nations. He organized multiple events involving Adams and the Uzbek-American community in New York. One notable event was a flag-raising ceremony at Bowling Green on September 2, 2023, during which Adams became the first New York City mayor to raise the Uzbek flag in the financial district. “Happy Uzbekistan Independence Day!” Mansurov posted on social media. “Mayor Eric Adams made history by being the first to raise the Uzbek flag on Wall Street!”

Mansurov also arranged a roundtable at City Hall and hosted various cultural gatherings, including Ramadan dinners and community meetings, through the Silk Road Foundation, a nonprofit he founded. Prosecutors allege the foundation coordinated closely with Uzbekistan’s UN mission.

Alongside his community engagement, Mansurov reportedly funneled illegal straw donations into Adams’ campaign. In one instance, he allegedly reimbursed four employees who made individual contributions. He later arranged ten more donations of $1,000 each, again reimbursing at least one donor, according to investigators.

In private messages, Adams reportedly referred to Mansurov as “my strongest go-to person.” In May 2024, months after the FBI had seized Adams’ electronic devices, the mayor used a new phone and the encrypted app Signal to ask Mansurov for a favor. He requested that Mansurov quickly gather 20 donations of $250 each to meet the threshold for matching public campaign funds.

Mansurov has not been charged but is cooperating with investigators. He has denied any involvement in money laundering, though prosecutors say he received over $11 million from a Cyprus-based entity, which he allegedly used to purchase real estate in Brooklyn.

This is not the first time Adams’ campaign financing has come under legal scrutiny. Federal prosecutors have previously accused him of accepting illicit donations and perks from Turkish interests. The FBI is also examining his fundraising ties to individuals connected to China.

Commenting on the broader implications, exiled Uzbek journalist Shahida Yakub said, “The regime is trying to gain legitimacy in the West. They always want to be liked by the U.S. The mayor of New York is important.”

Federal investigators continue to probe Adams’ relationships with foreign governments and the role of campaign donations in potentially influencing his political conduct.