Emomali Rahmon

As long as people have limited opportunities in the socioeconomic and political arenas, and adherence to a religious lifestyle is restricted, pilgrimages will remain as an accessible means of self-fulfillment. 

Although they don’t share a border, budding autocratic dynasties Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are close political neighbors.

Conflicts have intensified across the former Soviet Union, now in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It’s a worrying and disillusioning development for the region. 

The recent outbreak of hostilities on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border represents a dangerous escalation from previous tension and skirmishes to a distinct act of aggression.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon is expected to make a visit to GBAO in early September, though no official announcement has been made.

The world has changed profoundly since the last Central Asian Consultative Meeting, yet the new regional grouping carries on.

European leaders concerned with Afghanistan’s security situation may see Tajikistan as a useful partner to limit refugee flows to Europe.

Both Russia and Pakistan have reportedly urged Tajikistan and the Taliban to cool off their war of words, concerned about conflict on the border.

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.

Tajikistan’s leaders declared the country COVID-free back in January, but the recent death of the president’s sister, reportedly from COVID-19, exposes the reality: The pandemic isn’t over.

A return to the pre-April status quo is preferable to continued violence, but a lack of progress on border negotiations isn’t a long-term solution to instability on the border.