Blog
Crossroads Asia
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Implications for Kazakhstan’s Energy Sector
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
If Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign -- and energy -- policies are to be successful, Tokayev will need to shrewdly balance the country’s partners.
The Language of the China-Russia Soft Power Rivalry in Uzbekistan
By Niginakhon Uralova
The China-Russia soft power rivalry in Uzbekistan plays out most clearly via language and education programs.
Can the Eurasian Economic Union Survive Putin?
By Catherine Putz
If the EAEU is simply an economic project, the current circumstances will strain its relevance as members suffer the consequences of close ties to the Russian economy.
Hearings Begin in Case Against Kyrgyz Journalist Temirov and Singer Nazarov
By Catherine Putz
As preliminary hearings began last week, Temirov discovered that his Kyrgyz passport had been canceled already.
Internet Severed Again in Tajikistan’s GBAO
By Catherine Putz
For much of the last six months, the internet has been either inaccessible or heavily curtailed in Tajikistan’s eastern autonomous region.
Can Digital Governance Strengthen Mongolia’s Democratic Institutions?
By Bolor Lkhaajav
Mongolia sees e-government as essential to eliminating red tape and fighting corruption. How are its efforts faring thus far?
China and Uzbekistan: An Emerging Development Partnership?
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
Uzbekistan is leveraging its partnership with China to address the logistical and geographic challenges it faces.
The Richest Get Richer in Kazakhstan
By Paolo Sorbello
According to Forbes.kz, Kazakhstan’s top-three wealthiest amassed an additional $2.5 billion in one year.
The Trans-Caspian Corridor: Kazakhstan’s Silk Road?
By Wilder Alejandro Sánchez and Kamila Auyezova
Kazakhstan and the Caucasus nations are looking at the Trans-Caspian transportation corridor with renewed vigor given the war in Ukraine.
What’s in Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum?
By Colleen Wood
On June 5, Kazakhs will vote on a package of reforms intended to transform the country from a super-presidential system to a “presidential system with a strong parliament."
Dilemma of the Sacred Lands: Preserving Mongolia’s Ovoos
By Bolor Lkhaajav
Amid Mongolia's mining boom, cultural sites such as ovoos (cairns) need special protection.
Public Opinion on China Waning in Central Asia
By Elizabeth Woods and Thomas Baker
Even as China’s economic influence expands, a credibility gap looms in Central Asia.