Crossroads Asia

The U.S. presidential elections have always had a significant impact on the foreign policies of various countries, including relations with the states of Central Asia.     

Mongolian leadership has adopted a more strategic approach to foreign policy, while public opinion has increasingly favored Russia and China as Mongolia’s most reliable partners. 

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.