Central Asia

There are no major alternatives to natural gas to ensure the stable and steady development of Uzbekistan’s economy and society.

Visit Uzbekistan and you’ll see a variety of alphabets used, a product of the country’s many changes and the long march toward fully using a Latin script. 

An attack on a journalist highlights the difficult environment for the press.

As expected, following last summer’s constitutional referendum dropping references to “elbasy,” many of the First President’s other special privileges are ending.

It seems the Kyrgyz authorities are set on prosecuting the politicians and activists who stridently opposed the border deal with Uzbekistan, accusing them of coup-plotting.

The war in Ukraine, in particular, is putting a drag on economies across Central Asia.

China has now forged comprehensive strategic partnerships with all the Central Asian states. 

All three countries have suffered from energy shortages this winter, underscoring the need for new sources across the region.

Almaty’s journalists witnessed Kazakhstan’s largest city roil with protests, peaceful at first, then become engulfed in deepening anger and shocking violence. 

The legal battle for justice for those arbitrarily detained and those who were brutally tortured during Kazakhstan’s Bloody January imploded before it started.

In two southern Kazakhstan cities, the January protests devolved into shocking violence, from the use of live ammunition against protesters to police beatings of those detained. 

The government’s version of events highlights a high-level conspiracy, but provides few details on motives and methods.