Central Asia

Phone survey work in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in August and September underscores general discomfort with the topic of Afghanistan.

A new Wall Street Journal report suggests that Putin offered Russian bases for the U.S. to use to monitor Afghanistan. It’s not at all clear if the offer was genuine. 

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan underscores the need for an enhanced diplomatic approach to the region.

In late July, a Tajik official said the country had the capacity to accept 100,000 Afghan refugees. Since then, Dushanbe has fallen into the broader, anti-refugee Central Asian line.

Presidential meetings in Central Asia are often dismissed for a lack of concrete results and for their exclusively ceremonial character. But there are good reasons to take the latest meeting seriously.

The Central Asian republics can learn from the experience of Southeast Asia and use the crisis in Afghanistan to spur forward regional cooperation at a time of great power competition. 

What lies ahead for Afghanistan as the United States withdraws and fighting between the Taliban and the government intensifies?

Following summits in 2018 and 2019, the 2021 meeting comes amid a great number of regional difficulties and concerns.

As the Turkmen president’s son continues his tour of top government positions, digitalization remains a critical priority for the regime. 

Kyrgyzstan has added additional reporting requirements for NGOs in the name of financial transparency, but opportunities for misuse concern activists and foreign governments.

For Central Asia, a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery opens great opportunities for prosperity.