Blog
Crossroads Asia
India-Kyrgyzstan Hold Bilateral Military Exercise Khanjar
By Catherine Putz
Special forces troops from India and Kyrgyzstan started a two-week exercise outside Bishkek on April 16.
What Tajik Gold Smuggling Bust Tells Us About Afghanistan
By Catherine Putz
As uncertainty persists in Afghanistan, some will seek to smuggle cash and gold out via Central Asia.
US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Nominated for Higher-level State Department Position
By Catherine Putz
Biden has nominated U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Donald Lu for assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia.
Kazakhstan Moves Toward Ban on Sale, Rental of Agricultural Lands by Foreigners
By Catherine Putz
Five years after massive protests against changes to the land code, land remains a sensitive topic in Kazakhstan.
Is Northern Kazakhstan at Risk to Russia?
By Alimana Zhanmukanova
The “Russian Question” has always alarmed Kazakhstan’s leaders and riled up nationalists.
Mismanagement Fuels Mongolia’s COVID-19 Spike
By Oyunsuren Damdinsuren
Inconsistent policies and double standard are confusing Mongolia's pandemic response at the most critical time.
Grappling With Parliament Limiting His Powers, Mongolian President Moves to Dissolve Ruling Party
By Marissa Smith, Bulgan Batdorj, and Julian Dierkes
Political maneuvering ahead of June's presidential election may post a general threat to Mongolia's democracy.
Kyrgyz President’s Promotion of Poison to Treat COVID-19 Taken Down by Facebook
By Catherine Putz
Japarov's press secretary claims the president took the posts down himself, but Facebook says they were removed for being harmful "misinformation."
Uzbekistan Pushing to Realize the Trans-Afghan Railroad
By Umida Hashimova
Tashkent recently reassured Iran of its interest in the Iranian route to the sea, but Uzbekistan has more actively sought a new route through Afghanistan to Pakistani ports.
Europe’s Troubling Turkmenistan Engagement
By Jade McGlynn and Luke Rawlings
If they are concerned that “democracy is in retreat,” the U.K. and other leading European democracies might want to consider their own retrograde roles in the process.
Money Laundering! What Money Laundering? Case Against Matraimov Closed
By Catherine Putz
Kyrgyz authorities said they were unable to find evidence of Matraimov’s alleged money laundering, despite thousands of words written by investigative journalists outlining it in detail.
Europe Adds Uzbekistan to GSP+ Trade Scheme
By Catherine Putz
The benefits -- zero tariffs on a range of goods -- come with rights monitoring requirements of shortcomings Uzbekistan may have difficulty improving.