Crossroads Asia

Uzbek bloggers Fazilhoja Arifhojaev and Olimjon Khaidarov occupy vastly different ends of the blogger spectrum, but they illustrate the limits of free speech in Uzbekistan. 

Mongolia is intent on making sure it has diplomatic and economic options beyond its two neighbors.

But President Sadyr Japarov has also made clear that change -- and cash registers -- are coming to the country's bazaars one way or another. 

Tajikistan is among the world’s worst perpetrators of transnational repression.

The foreign ministers of the CSTO, of which Russia is a member, without apparent irony put out a statement that says “no state should ensure its security at the expense of the security of other states.”

After a December 1 meeting in Tajikistan, security officials on both sides are proclaiming success and promising progress.

Astana signs yet another wind farm deal, this time with COP28 host UAE’s Masdar for the development of a 1 gigawatt wind power project.

Government officials say the current iteration, which was designed just after independence, looks like a sunflower.

While polygamy is illegal in Uzbekistan, having a second (or third) wife is still trendy.

As the two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, Mongolia in particular is hoping to jumpstart trade and investment.

Central Asian Islamists lack the capability to translate rhetoric into operational attacks, but they are capitalizing on the resumption of conflict in the Middle East to enhance recruitment and financing efforts.

Central Asia features prominently in conversations about evasion of sanctions on Russia and the possibility of secondary sanctions on the region’s economies.