Country
Kazakhstan
Ukraine’s Shadow Over Blinken’s Travels Through Central Asia
By Catherine Putz
The war in Ukraine provided the thematic backdrop for the U.S. secretary of state’s recent trip through Central Asia in a way the U.S. war in Afghanistan once did.
Neither Exciting nor Boring: Kazakhstan Prepares for Parliamentary Elections
By Paolo Sorbello
The announced opening up of the political field still fails to leave room for opposition.
Just Passing Through: Kazakhstan’s Parallel Trade Predicament
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
Amid sanctions on Russia, there is a growing trend of back-door sales via third-party channels in friendly countries – like Kazakhstan.
US Secretary of State Blinken Headed to Central Asia Next Week
By Catherine Putz
Antony Blinken's first trip to Central Asia will involve bilateral meetings with all five of his regional counterparts, plus a convening of the C5+1 format.
The Winds of Change: The Social and Political Cost of Climate Inaction in Central Asia
By Murod Ismailov
Climate change may be an “accelerant” for global cooperation, but it also poses significant social, political, and geopolitical challenges in Central Asia.
Is the Aral Sea a Lost Cause?
By Elena Gordillo
The impacts of the Aral Sea’s desiccation are threatening the lives of millions and hopes for its revival are plummeting.
Kazakhstan’s Uranium Industry and the Middle Corridor Come Together
By Wilder Alejandro Sánchez
Astana is betting heavily on the Middle Corridor as a route to access the international energy market without Russia.
It’s Time to Incorporate Consent Into Central Asia’s Sexual Violence Laws
By Catherine Putz
The criminal codes of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan focus on violence in defining rape, rather than the lack of consent.
Kazakhstan’s Media, Journalists Under Pressure
By Paolo Sorbello
An attack on a journalist highlights the difficult environment for the press.
Kazakhstan Annuls Law ‘On the First President’
By Catherine Putz
As expected, following last summer’s constitutional referendum dropping references to “elbasy,” many of the First President’s other special privileges are ending.
The Future of CICA: An Interview With Secretary General Kairat Sarybay
By Wilder Alejandro Sánchez
CICA is undergoing an overhaul internally in the hopes of taking “a prominent place in the comprehensive security architecture of the Asian continent and the world.”
What Are Central Asia’s Economic Prospects in 2023?
By Catherine Putz
The war in Ukraine, in particular, is putting a drag on economies across Central Asia.