Crossroads Asia

Without guarantees that observers would be accredited, and an apparent lack of engagement by Dushanbe, the OSCE has chosen to cancel its monitoring mission.

Given the classified nature of the trial, the details of the alleged plot are unknown.

An investment agreement worth $1.6 billion will see France’s Orano Group and Mongolia’s MonAtom Group jointly develop the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium mine.

Planned originally for 2024, the summit is now scheduled for April 2025 in Samarkand – setting it apart from earlier China- and U.S.-Central Asia leaders summits, which occurred outside the region.

In contrast to India’s well-established bilateral security engagements with Central Asian states, China has been less active beyond the scope of the SCO. 

The Russian prime minister recently complained about "unfounded claims and illegal statements by high-level representatives of Kyrgyz government bodies against honest, bona fide Russian companies..."

Islamic practices in Uzbekistan, after enduring seven decades of Soviet-imposed atheism, are now being increasingly adopted by the younger generation. 

Six police officers were sentenced to three years in prison in relation to the torture of 44 foreign nationals in the dark days of Qandy Qantar 2022.

The hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan has tapped into the region’s thirst for cooperation.

During his nomination hearing last week, now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio endorsed the annulment of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, although its removal is ultimately a Congressional task.

Given Trump’s past approaches, it’s entirely possible that the new U.S. president will demand that Central Asia’s governments “do more” with respect to Russia.

Due to global turmoil, the importance of the Middle Corridor has grown exponentially. However, the Caspian Sea continues to pose a significant obstacle to the realization of the corridor’s economic potential.