Region
Central Asia
Mary Lawlor on the ‘Climate of Fear’ Among Human Rights Defenders in Tajikistan
By Catherine Putz
A conversation with U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor about her recent country visit to Tajikistan.
Infrastructure Failure Tests Kazakhstan’s Government
By Paolo Sorbello
Tokayev threatens to fire the ministers that fail to reach substantial progress in remedying the heating crisis.
The Declining Value of a Chinese Education in Kyrgyzstan
By Adina Masalbekova
Kyrgyz students are discovering that a Chinese diploma isn’t a fast track to a high-paying job.
How India Can Broaden its Relationships With Central Asia
By Dante Schulz
From the January 2022 summit to the recent NSA meeting, India has ramped up its outreach to Central Asia this year.
Taliban Turn to Shariah to Justify Executions, But It’s Not That Simple
By Atal Ahmadzai and Faten Ghosn
The international community should not let the Taliban regime terrorize and violate the fundamental human rights of 35 million people through a fraudulent claim of divinity or sovereignty.
Why So Much Attention on Russia’s Vague Proposal for a ‘Gas Union’ With Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan?
By Catherine Putz
Central Asia might actually be interested in Russian gas, but please don’t call it a “union.”
Putin to Visit Kyrgyzstan for EAEU Summit
By Catherine Putz
Authorities in the Kyrgyz capital extended a ban on protests that’s been in place most of the year, hoping to head off any trouble when Putin (and Mirziyoyev) come to town.
Russia Wants to Speed up Joint Nuclear Power Plant Project in Uzbekistan
By Catherine Putz
Uzbekistan has both financial and political reasons to pump the brakes, even if Tashkent has no intention of scrapping the project.
What Tajikistan’s Persecution of Faromuz Irgashev Really Means
By Catherine Putz
The journey of Faromuz Irgashev from presidential hopeful to prison underscores Tajikistan’s total descent into authoritarianism.
Does the Eurasian Economic Union Have a Place in Central Asia’s Future?
By Ali Koseoglu
While Russian political and military influence is dwindling, does a Russian-designed economic union have a chance to survive within the changing geopolitics of Central Asia?
Kyrgyz and Uzbek Presidents Sign Border Agreements Into Law
By Catherine Putz
They did so separately, however, given how contentious the agreement on the Kempir-Abad reservoir is in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan Walks Diplomatic Tightrope Between Russia and Europe
By Catherine Putz
Back-to-back visits by Kazakh President Tokayev this week to Moscow and Paris underscore Astana’s unique position.