After removing his closest aide and head of security services, Tašiev, from office, President Žaparov is continuing with dismissals and arrests against a network of senior officials, ministers, MPs and even mayors suspected of plotting yet another coup in Bishkek. A great waltz to ensure ‘stability’.

Following agreements on border demarcation between the two countries, the first intergovernmental council held in Bishkek outlined new objectives for commercial and economic cooperation. Joint tourism projects and centres for combating drug trafficking and crime are also on the horizon.

General Tašiev, considered the real strongman of the country over the last five years, has been sidelined. According to an interview given by the president himself, some members of parliament had begun to fuel opposition between him and the head of the Gnkb, the local branch of the former KGB, in a country that has already experienced several coups d'état in the post-Soviet era.

Never before have the Americans tried so hard to show Central Asians how mutual cooperation can compensate for the inevitable irritation of Russia and China. The approach of the current Trump administration is to put ideological issues aside and focus on economic advantages, finding much greater harmony with the historical “satraps” of the region.

A 12-year-old Kyrgyz girl who immigrated with her family seven years ago has been elected in Sommières to the body that promotes youth participation in public life. Her parents are proud: "In Central Asia, there is no freedom of expression, even for adults. I hope that one day my daughter will be able to make a significant contribution to life in Kyrgyzstan."

In Majluu-Suu, the historic factory that symbolised the electrification of the Soviet Union promoted by Vladimir Ilič is on the verge of closing down for good. Incandescent light bulbs, once exported abroad, have now been replaced by LED bulbs produced in China. The Kyrgyz authorities are seeking to convert the factories, but almost 60% of the city's inhabitants have now emigrated in search of work.