Region
Central Asia
China’s Rise Reverberates in Tajikistan
By Sher Khashimov
China’s growing importance to – and influence over – the country is a case study in Beijing’s geopolitical rise over the past several decades.
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.
Uzbekistan’s Transition to a Green Economy: Challenges and Opportunities
By Paola Agostini , Weijen Leow, and Marco Mantovanelli
Tashkent recognizes the need to enhance its economic transformation with a green approach.
The Diplomat Magazine Hits Issue 100
By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
The Diplomat reaches a milestone: reflecting on 100 issues of the magazine.
The Ukraine War Echoes in Ancient Samarkand
By Dan Storyev
An unusual diaspora -- Indian medical students evacuated from Ukraine last year -- has found community in a small Catholic church in Samarkand.
Moscow Multilateral Security Dialogue: Regional Consensus Elusive on Afghanistan
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Pakistan skipped the meeting, while Russia has proposed a new effort to build “regional consensus” – a G-5.
After Temporary Suspension, What’s Next for the Trans-Afghan Railway?
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
Railway transportation re-opened from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan after a recent suspension was lifted, but key questions remain.
UN Working Group Calls for Release of Uzbek Blogger Sattoriy
By Catherine Putz
The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says Otabek Sattoriy’s 2021 detention is arbitrary under international law.
Former Kyrgyz President Atambayev Released From Jail, Flies to Spain
By Catherine Putz
In prison (mostly) since 2019, the former Kyrgyz president was granted yet another retrial but also released and allowed to leave the country.
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.