Kazakhstan

Central Asia might actually be interested in Russian gas, but please don’t call it a “union.”

Back-to-back visits by Kazakh President Tokayev this week to Moscow and Paris underscore Astana’s unique position.

Will the government target all assets spirited abroad or only those owned by specific individuals? 

In March, Tokayev promised a “New Kazakhstan” but there was nothing new in the recent uncompetitive presidential election.

The Kazakh public generally remains silent about the plight of ethnic Kazakh detainees held in Xinjiang. The education system is one reason why.

In recent months, Astana has hosted top leaders and diplomats from China, Russia, Europe, and the United States, underscoring its balanced approach to diplomacy. 

In “New Kazakhstan,” an typical old Kazakhstan-style election grants Tokayev power through 2029.

As certain as his re-election may be, Kazakhstan's leader faces a pressing array of domestic and international challenges.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu's trip to Central Asia seeks to “reinforce the United States’ commitment to each country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity."

If Kazakhstan wants long-term economic growth, it needs economic and political constraints and counterweights.

After eight months in jail, and mounting pressure, the charges against Mamai were recently reclassified and he's been released to house arrest.

In the early 1990s, ethnic Russians left Kazakhstan in droves. In 2022, that flow once again reversed as Russians fled into Central Asia.