Crossroads Asia

Work on Kyrgyzstan’s North-South Alternative Highway, an ambitious project to speed up travel throughout the mountainous country and help connect its disparate regions, may finally be coming to an end.

As Central Asian governments tighten restrictions on the hijab in the name of upholding secularism, devout Muslim women find themselves forced to navigate an increasingly difficult choice between their faith and the law.

Typically, rationing in rural areas begins in late October, but this year the state power company announced the start of restrictions on electricity in late September.

The case has come to define Kyrgyzstan's autocratic slide under President Sadyr Japarov.

The two states have thousands of years of historical exchanges, but modern-day relations only really began to flourish in the post-Cold War era.

Alisher Qodirov’s outspoken criticism of Russian chauvinism and the Soviet legacy marks a significant shift in Uzbekistan’s political discourse, sending a clear message to Moscow.

Kazakhstan’s planned transition to a Latin alphabet is intertwined with issues of national identity, geopolitical shifts, and post-colonial discourse.

Central Asian nations are forming closer alliances with each other in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War, and these efforts are reflected in their recent UNGA speeches.

Given the implications for security and stability, Central Asian countries must develop a common, coordinated approach to Afghanistan. Uzbekistan is seeking to lead the way.

Around 200 nuclear power plants are currently operating in 30 countries around the world. Kazakhstan may well be on its way to joining that list. 

Mongolia believed that hosting the Russian leader was in line with its national interests – including the need to address Mongolia’s growing demand for energy.

Akayev has the dual distinction of having been independent Kyrgyzstan’s first president and also its first president to be ousted in a popular revolution.