Region
Central Asia
Will Uzbekistan’s 31-Year Effort to Join the WTO Finally Pay Off?
By Niginakhon Saida and Oybek Saidkhodjaev
With one year left until the targeted WTO membership deadline, what could success bring?
Kazakhstan Aims to Increase Oil Exports via BTC Pipeline
By Catherine Putz
But a proposed increase from 1.4 million tons to 2.2 million tons is just a drop in the bucket compared to the volumes Kazakhstan exports via Russia-based pipelines.
Tajik President to Visit Kyrgyzstan, Sign Border Deal, Ahead of Momentous Trilateral Summit
By Catherine Putz
The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to meet for their first-ever trilateral summit on March 31.
Kazakh Youth Find Their Voice for Nuclear Justice at the UN
By Nigel Li
Kazakhstan was among the original 50 states that signed and ratified the treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons in 2018.
What the Launch of a UN Hub in Almaty Could Mean for Stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia
By Alberto Frigerio
Kazakhstan, as Central Asia’s largest economy, has a vested interest in ensuring that Afghanistan is integrated into regional economic frameworks.
Kazakhstan’s Plans for a Regional Sustainable Development Goals Center Backed at UN
By Catherine Putz
The effort, however, comes at a time when major global powers – namely the U.S. – are pivoting away from the kind of U.N.-centered cooperative framework envisioned by Astana.
Tajikistan Holds Parliamentary Elections Without Independent Observers
By Kulobiddin Norov
Dushanbe’s parliamentary polls, held on March 2, took place without external scrutiny and turned up an expected landslide for the ruling party.
Uzbek Security Service Shakeup Continues With Dismissal of Internal Affairs Minister
By Catherine Putz
Pulat Bobojonov, who has been minister of internal affairs since 2017, was moved to an adviser post in the presidential administration.
Gold Plot Auction Heightens Focus on Chinese Investments in Uzbekistan
By Catherine Putz
31 plots in Uzbekistan’s prime gold mining region Navoi went up for auction last month, sparking rumors and discussion about China’s growing business interests in the country.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Agent Law Proposal Could Severely Impact Civil Society and Media Freedom
By Albert Otkjær
As Kazakhstan debates stricter regulations on foreign-funded NGOs and media, some organizations are already closing down due to the freeze on USAID funding.
Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Iran Complicates Central Asian Export Routes
By Nargiza Umarova
Changing U.S. policies present both risks and opportunities for countries like Uzbekistan, which have looked to Iran to connect them to global markets via the sea.
Tokayev’s ‘New Kazakhstan’: Rebranding the Old Guard?
By Elvira Aidarkhanova
Three years after announcing a “New Kazakhstan,” has Tokayev truly changed Central Asia’s leading economy?
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Finalize Border Agreement
By Sher Khashimov
With final documents ready for ratification and then presidential signatures, contemporary Central Asia’s bloodiest conflict nears a conclusion.
Why Is Prominent Uzbek Imam Mubashshir Ahmad Wanted by Authorities?
By Madina Amin
Initial reports suggested the popular figure was wanted on serious charges, but his lawyer refuted that claim.
Silenced Voices, Shifting Power: Mongolian Civil Society, Geopolitics, and the USAID Funding Freeze
By Handaa Enkh-Amgalan
What does the aid freeze mean on a practical level? More broadly, what does it mean for the geopolitical balance Mongolia maintains?
Ukrainian Drones Hit Kazakhstan’s Main Oil Export Outlet in Russia
By Paolo Sorbello
UAVs damaged a pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
Uzbekistan’s Corruption Crackdown: Progress or Perpetual Crisis?
By Kodir Kuliev and Niginakhon Saida
Despite a surge in anti-corruption efforts, systemic fraud and bribery remain deeply embedded in Uzbekistan’s governance. With thousands of officials facing charges yet minimal consequences, is real change on the horizon?
Turkmenistan Settles Gas Swap Deal With Turkiye, Iran
By Catherine Putz
According to Turkish officials, the gas flow is planned to start on March 1, with Turkmen gas reaching Turkiye via a swap deal involving Iran.
Hope and Fear on the Kyrgyz-Tajik Border
By Joe Luc Barnes and Alibek Mukambaev
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are closing in on the conclusion of their long-running border dispute. What does the prospect mean to locals?
Can Kazakhstan Succeed in Its Transition Toward Clean Energy?
By Nigel Li
Faced with climate disasters at home, Kazakhstan is accepting clean energy as a necessity, not just an ambition.
Musk Takes Aim at RFE/RL, to Japarov’s Delight
By Catherine Putz
The powers-that-be in Washington, elected and unelected alike, are parroting the same language used by Central Asian and Russian autocrats about RFE/RL.
Former Kyrgyz Natural Resources Minister Sentenced to 8 Years
By Catherine Putz
Dinara Kutmanova and her son, once at the forefront of the Kumtor nationalization movement, were charged with abuse of office and fraud. They'd been arrested back in 2023.
OSCE Cancels Tajikistan Parliamentary Election Observation Mission
By Catherine Putz
Without guarantees that observers would be accredited, and an apparent lack of engagement by Dushanbe, the OSCE has chosen to cancel its monitoring mission.
Shifting Gears: China’s Advanced EV Hegemony in Central Asia
By Aigerim Turgunbaeva
Economic, political, and environmental trends are accelerating Central Asia’s shift to EVs, and Chinese firms are at the forefront.