Central Asia

Democratic values like freedom of the press are a bulwark that keeps Kyrgyzstan from sliding into authoritarianism.

Despite domestic opposition in Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek and Tashkent are moving ahead with their agreements on the Kempir-Abad reservoir.

After eight months in jail, and mounting pressure, the charges against Mamai were recently reclassified and he's been released to house arrest.

And in Uzbekistan, Berlin sees a rising regional power.

In the early 1990s, ethnic Russians left Kazakhstan in droves. In 2022, that flow once again reversed as Russians fled into Central Asia.

Uzbekistan has made impressive development gains over the past five years by relentlessly pursuing the path of market-oriented reforms. 

The kind of Iranian drones Tajikistan has an agreement to manufacture are not those seen in the sky over Ukraine.

With Ukraine in mind, the European Union is courting Central Asia, even if it means overlooking the region’s autocratic “democracies.”

Last year, Kyrgyzstan passed a “fake news” law. This year, it’s been used to suspend access to at least two media outlets.

There’s no evidence that Uzbekistan is assembling Iranian drones for Russia to use in Ukraine, but Tashkent’s firm retort to the suggestion underscores its difficult geopolitical position. 

Amid ongoing protests, Iran is looking to accelerate its adoption of China’s AI surveillance and internet censorship methods.

The trial of the former health minister could shed light on the direction of “New Kazakhstan.”