Uzbekistan

Tokyo is a quiet but important partner to Central Asia, with notable engagement on projects related to the Aral Sea.

Although there are millions of ethnic Uzbeks in neighboring countries, the Uzbek government does not seriously entertain the idea of building bonds with them. Why?

Uzbek citizens interested in getting to the United States are confronted with a confusing miasma of regulations, made all the more murky by disinformation and scammers. 

It's taking residents' livelihoods, too

Thousands were imprisoned under the regime of Islam Karimov, unjustly convicted on religious extremism and other charges. Many have been freed, but they remain unexonerated. 

The Uzbek Forum's findings from monitoring the 2023 cotton harvest point at some instances of forced labor when voluntary workers were scarce. 

Transparency International notes a “troubling picture” in the region as countries struggle with “dysfunctional rule of law, rising authoritarianism, and systemic corruption.”

The EU and Central Asia have a critical opportunity to strengthen their collaboration in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges affecting global trade routes.

“One of the best of our people has left -- and this further complicates relations between the Karakalpaks and the Uzbek authorities,” a fellow Karakalpak activist told The Diplomat.

Goods exported to Russia from China via Central Asia need not be weapons in order to contribute to Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. 

Reactions in Uzbekistan following Zakhar Prilepin’s comments are indicative of a larger, ongoing conversation about nationhood, independence, and national identity in Central Asia.

Bunyodjon Boboniyozov was given a five-year sentence under criminal charges related to insulting the president and posing a threat to the constitutional order.

In contrast to the past, when youth from Central Asia largely migrated to Russia and other countries to do hard, physical labor, the younger generation is more focused on looking for educational opportunities abroad.

In both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Huawei has positioned itself as a major player in the telecommunications market.

Chinese electric vehicles are making inroads into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, but for different reasons.

Affordable housing projects funded by foreign investment are an important initiative to benefit low-income families in need of housing, especially in rural areas, but there are several challenges.

If rare earth elements are the crude oil of the 21st century, then Central Asia and Mongolia may be the Saudi Arabias of these strategic minerals. 

It’s been a busy year for Central Asia, with numerous Western diplomats swinging through the region or welcoming Central Asian delegations in their own capitals.

Uzbek authorities have told Kazakh authorities that Urazbayev never officially renounced his Uzbek citizenship and therefore Kazakh authorities have revoked his Kazakh citizenship. 

Uzbek bloggers Fazilhoja Arifhojaev and Olimjon Khaidarov occupy vastly different ends of the blogger spectrum, but they illustrate the limits of free speech in Uzbekistan. 

While polygamy is illegal in Uzbekistan, having a second (or third) wife is still trendy.

Why does the energy-rich region experience such frequent power and heating failures?

The EAEU is largely ineffective in terms of economic cooperation and integration, which are paradoxically its very reasons for being.

A conversation with Temur Umarov about Russia, China, and Central Asia amid the war in Ukraine.