Central Asia

While it may not yet be a powerful alliance, BRICS has the potential to be an attractive alternative for the countries of the Global South to pursue their national interests.

Despite Moscow’s diplomatic overtures, Uzbekistan announced on October 17 that it will not be pursuing full membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. 

Russia is increasingly reliant on transnational schemes to circumvent sanctions, which occasionally run through Central Asia.

Uzbekistan’s prosecutor general has urged media to reply only on official sources of information in relation to the recent assassination attempt. The problem is, officially, very little has been said.

Russian politicians and commentators challenging Central Asian sovereignty unmask a continuous view of the region as part of Russia’s domain.

A member of the group, also kidnapped from Turkiye earlier this year, was given a 20 year sentence. The exact charges are unknown. 

The Central Asian countries are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and it showed in their most recent UNGA speeches.

O’zLiDeP, already the dominant force in the country’s parliament, saw its vote share increase in an election observers said lacked real competition.

Allamjonov stepped down last month from his post in Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration. A suspect has been arrested but authorities have not commented on a motive.

Since 2021, 30 judges have been held accountable for corruption, resulting in 15 prison sentences, which notably is more than in the previous eight years combined.

The increasing cooperation among Turkic states is a strategic regional response to intensifying great power competition and shifting geopolitical dynamics in Eurasia.

After October 7, conspiracy theories have gained traction within Central Asian Salafi circles accusing Shias of acting as agents of the Jews in a coordinated effort to undermine Sunni Islam.