The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

U.S. investors are showing growing interest in Kazakhstan’s critical minerals sector, with attention increasingly focused not only on extraction but also on processing, metallurgy and broader supply-chain development, according to Nicole Rodgers, president of the U.S.-based Alliance for Mineral Security, an industry group representing companies involved in mining, processing and...

Pensions

A History of Kazakhstan Pension Reforms: Between Market and Monopoly

Kazakhstanis rushed to withdraw pension savings in May ahead of a sharp increase in the minimum balances required to access their funds, in what may prove to be the final major wave of early withdrawals from the country’s state-run pension system. According to local financial outlet Kapital.kz, the Unified Accumulative...

TCA Interviews

Kazakhstani Filmmaker Zhanana Kurmasheva on Her Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Documentary

Zhanana Kurmasheva is a Kazakhstani documentary filmmaker and graduate of the T. K. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, where she studied film directing. Her debut feature documentary, We Live Here, turns to the human legacy of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site through the lives of people still living with...

Middle Corridor

Kyrgyzstan and Georgia Seek Black Sea Link for CKU Railway

Kyrgyzstan and Georgia placed Black Sea access at the center of their transport agenda during Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's official visit to Bishkek on June 11-13. In talks with President Sadyr Japarov at Yntymak Ordo, the new presidential palace complex, on June 12, the two sides linked their cooperation...

Infrastructure Finance

Opinion: Central Asia’s Shift from Silk Road Romance to Infrastructure Finance – What the June Forums Are Building

In mid-June, Tashkent and Baku will host two major international finance gatherings within the same regional window: the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum in Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Development Bank Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings in Azerbaijan. The overlap in timing is useful less as a calendar coincidence than as a...

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

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Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

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Opinions

Opinion: Central Asia’s Shift from Silk Road Romance to Infrastructure Finance – What the June Forums Are Building

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

UNDP Opinion: Central Asia – Shared Wildlife, Shared Landscapes, Shared Responsibility

UNDP Representatives in Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Wawiernia, Kyrgyzstan, Alexandra Solovieva, Tajikistan, Sudipto Mukerjee, Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, Uzbekistan, Akiko Fujii.

Opinion: Beyond Multivectorism – What Kyrgyzstan’s UN Security Council Win Really Shows

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Eurasia’s New Corridors Are More Than a Transit Race

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: Silk Seven or the OTS? Central Asia May Not Have to Choose

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: How AI Is Reshaping the Global Image of Nations

Sergey Akhmetov

Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor?

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: UK’s C6 Engagement and the Opportunity for British Geostrategic Renewal

Matthew Davies

Opinion: The Southern Dimension of the Middle Corridor – Afghanistan’s Role in Eurasia’s New Logistics Landscape

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Kazakhstan, Oil, the Iran War and Dutch Disease

Charles McLean

Opinion: The U.S. Still Doesn’t Know Where Central Asia Belongs

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: Hormuz Crisis Pushes Afghanistan Aid Routes Toward Central Asia

Aidar Borangaziyev

Business & Economy

Railway Construction

Balykchy-Cholpon-Ata Railway Construction Begins in Kyrgyzstan

On June 14, Kyrgyzstan launched construction of the new Balykchy-Cholpon-Ata railway, a project aimed at extending rail access along Lake Issyk-Kul’s northern shore and strengthening Balykchy’s role as a transport hub. At present, the railway connecting Bishkek with Lake Issyk-Kul ends in Balykchy, at the western edge of the lake. Passengers traveling onward to Cholpon-Ata, the main resort city on the lake’s northern shore, must continue by road. The new Balykchy-Tamchy-Cholpon-Ata railway will stretch 86 kilometers. The line will pass through the village of Tamchy, home to Issyk-Kul International Airport, and is expected to become part of a multimodal transport...

Gold Mining

Kazakhstan Registers Five New Gold Deposits as Jewelers Seek Raw Materials

Aviation

Turkish Airlines to Fly Daily to Dushanbe

Coal

Kazakhstan Coal Exports Hit 7 Million Tons in Q1 2026

AMM 2026

U.S. Investors Show Growing Interest in Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector

Foreign Investment

Iran’s Solico Group to Build Major Cheese Plant in Kazakhstan

Iranian food conglomerate Solico Group will build a large cheese production plant in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to expand value-added agricultural processing. Kazakhstan's Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Solico Group President Gholam Ali Soleimani signed the investment agreement for the project, which will focus on deep milk processing and industrial-scale cheese production. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 155,000 tons of cheese, with total investment estimated at 35.2 billion tenge, or roughly $70 million, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture. Construction work has already begun at the site in the...

AIRUN CEO Chingiz Arziev on Building Kyrgyzstan’s Sovereign AI

The Times of Central Asia was delighted to interview Chingiz Arziev, CEO of AIRUN a Kyrgyzstan-based company developing AI infrastructure for the Kyrgyz language. AIRUN’s technology includes a large language model, speech recognition, text-to-speech tools, AI translation, and digital avatars designed for use in government, education, media, business, and public services. Chingiz Arziev spoke to TCA about the challenge of building AI for a low-resource language, why digital sovereignty matters for Kyrgyzstan, and how the company hopes to take its experience to other countries facing similar language and technology challenges. TCA: To begin with, can you tell us a little...

Economic Growth

EBRD Names Tajikistan One of Central Asia’s Fastest-Growing Economies

Tajikistan continues to record one of the strongest economic growth rates in Central Asia, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in its June 2026 Regional Economic Prospects report. The EBRD estimates that Tajikistan’s economy grew by 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, supported by growth in trade, transport and communications, along with strong manufacturing growth and higher electricity generation. Fixed capital investment rose by 34.2% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, one of the strongest performances in the region. For comparison, fixed capital investment in neighboring Kyrgyzstan rose by...

FinTech

Uzbekistan to Host Inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in August

Uzbekistan is set to host the inaugural Silk Road Finance and Technology Forum in August, a new international event aimed at advancing the country’s role as a regional hub for financial technology and innovation. According to a joint announcement by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), the forum will take place in Tashkent from August 24 to 26, 2026. The event will be held at Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan and the Islamic Civilization Centre. It is expected to bring together policymakers, regulators, investors, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders from Central Asia and beyond. The...

Local Politics

Kazakhstan's Parliament

Amanat Adilet Merger as Kazakhstan Prepares for New Parliament

Kazakhstan’s long-dominant Amanat party has voted to merge into the newly formed pro-presidential Adilet party, transferring the machinery of the country’s ruling political force into a new vehicle more closely associated with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The move gives Adilet the campaign infrastructure and nationwide network of officials and activists that it lacked as a newly registered party. For Amanat, it offers a way to move beyond a political brand still closely associated with former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Amanat held a congress in Astana on June 12 that is likely to be remembered as the final meeting of a political organization...

Cancer Treatment

Uzbekistan Cancer Care Reforms to be Launched in 2027

Parliamentary Elections

Kazakhstan’s August Elections: Who Will Enter the New Parliament?

Law and Order

Tokayev Criticizes Lawmakers Over “Penaltystan” Label for Kazakhstan

Border Security

Kyrgyzstan Opens New Border Post Near Uzbekistan in Batken Region

Drone Production

Kyrgyzstan Expands Domestic Drone Production

A private research center near Bishkek is expanding production of unmanned and robotic systems as Kyrgyzstan invests more heavily in drones, robotics, and military modernization. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces have expanded alongside sharp increases in defense spending, with drones receiving particular attention since Bishkek acquired its first combat drones in late 2021. The Nanospace Research Center, which operates with private funding, was established with support from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, who allocated land for the facility and helped its founders establish cooperation with the country’s armed forces. According to Nanospace Director Ulan Salamatov,...

Political Parties

Kazakhstan’s Party Landscape Enters a Decisive Week

Kazakhstan’s party system may be approaching one of its most consequential turning points in years. With Amanat scheduled to hold a party congress on June 12 and the newly registered Adilet party planning its own gathering on June 14, speculation is growing that the country’s dominant political organization could be reshaped, merged, or rebranded ahead of elections to the new unicameral Kurultai. The immediate question is whether Amanat, the successor to the party originally created around Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, will remain the major pro-presidential force or whether its extensive organizational resources will be drawn into Adilet, a new...

Armed Forces

Kyrgyzstan’s Armed Forces Double in Size Amid Rising Defense Spending

Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces have roughly doubled in size since 2018 amid a sharp increase in defense spending, military rearmament, and improved social benefits for service personnel, according to General Staff chief Tariel Otonbaev. On May 29, Kyrgyzstan marked the 34th anniversary of the establishment of its national armed forces. Speaking at the anniversary event, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev said the development of the country’s modern military had been shaped by the armed incursions in the Batken region in 1999-2000 and the border conflict with Tajikistan in 2022. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia,...

Tourism

Turkmenistan Eases Restrictions for Foreign Tourists

Turkmenistan has begun gradually easing restrictions on foreign visitors and tourists, though local residents and human rights advocates say the changes have had little impact on the daily lives of the country’s citizens. Reports of a more accommodating approach toward foreign travelers have emerged from both tourists and representatives of the international tourism industry. Canadian traveler Elise Williams said that before visiting Turkmenistan in early 2026, her tour operator advised her not to stray far from her hotel and to avoid taking photographs independently in public places. Upon arrival, however, she found the situation less restrictive than expected. “I felt...

International Affairs

Iran

U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

The United States and Iran said on June 15 that they had reached a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The sides said a memorandum of understanding could be signed on June 19 in Switzerland. The exact terms were not immediately known, with Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief left for later talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the pact called for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” Trump posted, on Truth Social, “Ships of the World, start...

Migration

CIS Official Warns Middle East Crisis Could Increase Migration Pressure on Turkmenistan

C5+1

U.S. Convenes Critical Minerals Dialogue with Central Asian Officials in Kazakhstan

C5+1

From Culture to Critical Minerals: C5+1 Opens Busy U.S. Week in Central Asia

Water Security

Megaprojects Instead of Quotas: How Central Asia’s Water Diplomacy Is Changing

Central Asia + Japan

Japan Extends $229 Million Loan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan

Japan will lend Uzbekistan 36.8 billion yen, roughly $229 million, to cut energy waste in public buildings and industry, targeting two sectors that place heavy pressure on the country’s fuel and electricity systems. The financing was formalized on June 10 in Tashkent, where Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hirata and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov signed exchange notes for two projects under Japan’s yen-loan program, according to the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan. The larger of the two projects, Energy Efficiency Improvement in Public Buildings, has a maximum value of 21.788 billion yen, about $136...

UNAMA

Opinion: Why the Next Head of UNAMA Should Come from Central Asia

A recent briefing on Afghanistan before the United Nations Security Council again showed that the country’s challenges can no longer be viewed only through humanitarian assistance or debates over recognition of the Taliban government. Afghanistan remains a deeply complex domestic issue, but it is increasingly becoming a regional one as well. The discussion now extends beyond human rights and political dialogue with the de facto authorities. It now includes the return of millions of people from neighboring countries, pressure on cities and rural communities, shortages of jobs and water, cross-border trade, security, and the future of regional transport corridors. Against...

Armenia

Pashinyan Victory Points to New Transport Options for Central Asia

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 8 after Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won Armenia’s parliamentary election. The message came through Akorda. Tokayev said the vote, in the preliminary view of most international observers, was open, followed Armenian election law, and allowed citizens to express their will. Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission has released preliminary results from all 2,005 polling stations, giving Civil Contract 727,160 votes, or 49.81%. Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia bloc took 23.29%, while former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance took 9.94%. Turnout stood at 59%. Pashinyan is on course to form another government,...

Cooperation

China Tajikistan Financial Cooperation Talks Focus on Banking Links

China and Tajikistan have discussed expanding financial cooperation, as Dushanbe looks to deepen banking links with one of its most important economic partners. The discussions took place on June 2 during a meeting between Firdavs Tolibzoda, chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan, and Gu Shu, chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China, one of China’s largest lenders. The talks focused on practical banking links between the two countries, including easier settlement of trade payments, support for Chinese-backed investment projects, and the use of digital tools in Tajikistan’s financial sector. Tolibzoda described China as one of Tajikistan’s key strategic and...

Life & Culture

Photography

19th Century Photographs of Central Asia on Display in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan’s Museum of Fine Arts is showcasing the work of Paul Nadar, a French photographer who documented daily life, ancient ruins and a Russian imperial railway during a three-month trip in Central Asia in the late 19th century. People in traditional dress are seen in some of the photos in the museum exhibition, offering a glimpse of local society at a time when much of Central Asia was unfamiliar to many in Western Europe. One image shows a solitary figure beside the railway in the Karakum Desert, an expanse that covers much of modern Turkmenistan. Others depict people on horseback....

Robotics

Kazakh Robotics Team Wins Top Judged Award at U.S. Tech Event

TCA Interviews

Kazakhstani Filmmaker Zhanana Kurmasheva on Her Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site Documentary

FIFA World Cup

The World Cup Begins, and Central Asia Is Finally Part of It

Architecture

Opinion: Beyond Ornaments – Rethinking Kazakhstan’s Architectural Identity

Academy of Sciences

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov Awarded Academic Titles

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has been awarded the title of professor in economic and political sciences and elected as an academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. The announcement was made by the state-run Golden Age. The award ceremony took place at the Academy of Sciences on the eve of Science Day, observed annually in Turkmenistan on June 12. According to the official statement, Berdimuhamedov received the professorship for his “outstanding contributions to scientific-production, innovation-industrial, socio-economic, and scientific-technical transformations,” as well as for promoting modern science and expanding international cooperation. The academy also said his election as an academician...

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Coming Soon

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team will be discussing the latest report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference with special guest Samuel Doveri-Vesterbye, Director...

Gastronomy

Almaty Turns to Gault&Millau to Boost Food Tourism

Almaty is trying to turn its restaurant scene into part of its international tourism brand. The city administration has announced cooperation with Gault&Millau, the French restaurant guide that evaluates restaurants, chefs, hotels, and hospitality culture in multiple countries. The partnership gives the city a new external platform, while also raising a public-spending question. The Almaty authorities described the cooperation as the first time a guide of this level had entered the Central Asian market. The tourism department said the partnership would open Almaty to a global audience of gastronomic tourists and strengthen the city's position on the international tourism map....

Football

Central Asian Football Stays Active as Uzbekistan Prepares for World Cup

Uzbekistan’s football team takes to the global stage on June 17 in Mexico City, when it faces Colombia in its first round-robin match of the World Cup. Other countries in Central Asia that didn’t qualify for the event aren’t just cheering from afar; they’re training and competing in hopes of one day achieving the same goal. On Tuesday, Tajikistan held India to a 1-1 draw after a late penalty score by Sheriddin Boboev in a friendly match at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan. The draw followed a 3-1 win for Tajikistan over India in Tursunzoda four days earlier. “While...

Justice

Drug Trafficking

Uzbekistan Toughens Anti-Drug Laws as Synthetic Narcotics and Online Trafficking Rise

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved tougher measures against drug trafficking and endorsed reforms aimed at protecting public health, particularly among young people, as authorities respond to the growing spread of synthetic drugs and internet-based narcotics sales. According to the presidential press service, Mirziyoyev reviewed proposed legislative changes aimed at protecting public health and the nation’s gene pool from drug abuse. The review also covered road safety concerns. Officials outlined the significance of a recently adopted law that increases criminal liability for the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, and other potent substances. The legislation, which had...

Stalking

Kazakhstan Considers Tougher Penalties for Repeat Stalking Offenses

Saddam Gulamov

Extradited Turkmen Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Visa Fraud

German Authorities Investigate Alleged Schengen Visa Scheme Involving Citizens of Uzbekistan

U.S. Crime

Uzbekistan’s Consulate Urges Citizens to Follow U.S. Law After Cargo Theft Arrests

FIFA World Cup

Uzbekistan Seeks Explanation After World Cup Team Subjected to Security Checks in New York

Uzbekistan’s national football team was subjected to extensive security checks before a friendly match against the Netherlands in New York, prompting the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek an official explanation from United States authorities. The incident took place ahead of Uzbekistan’s final warm-up match before its historic debut at the FIFA World Cup. Videos showing players and coaching staff undergoing detailed inspections upon arrival at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island circulated widely on social media and were later reported by the New York Post. According to the report, members of Uzbekistan’s delegation were searched with handheld metal detectors...

Counter-Terrorism

Kyrgyzstan Says 31 Suspected KTJ and Islamic State Members Detained in Southern Operation

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, said it detained 31 suspected members of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Islamic State during an overnight counterterrorism operation in the southern Osh and Batken regions. The operation took place on the night of June 8-9. Authorities imposed a legal counterterrorist-operation regime in Osh, Kyzyl-Kiya, Kara-Suu district, and Uch-Korgon village in Kadamjay district. The GKNB said the suspects had planned attacks against law enforcement officers and religious figures. Security officers detained 11 people in Osh region and 20 in Batken region. During searches, officers seized religious extremist literature, electronic storage devices with extremist...

EU Sanctions

EU Sanctions Seminar in Bishkek Puts Kyrgyzstan’s Russia Trade Under Scrutiny

The European Union held a full-day sanctions seminar in Bishkek on June 9, aimed at Kyrgyz companies, banks, logistics operators and virtual-asset businesses. The session comes less than seven weeks after Brussels used its anti-circumvention tool against Kyrgyzstan for the first time. The EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic said the seminar was designed to raise awareness of EU sanctions, explain their application, and improve cooperation to prevent circumvention. The published agenda set out a program covering the EU sanctions system, financial restrictions, dual-use trade controls, penalties, trade-flow risks, and practical compliance. It also included question-and-answer sessions on financial sanctions...

Child Labor

ILO Reports Rise in Child Labor in Turkmenistan’s Cotton Fields

The International Labour Organization has reported a rise in child labor during Turkmenistan’s 2025 cotton harvest, despite improvements in some working conditions and continued cooperation with the government. The findings were published in the ILO’s second consecutive assessment of labor conditions during the country’s cotton campaign. The monitoring mission was conducted between August 28 and November 4, 2025, across all five regions of Turkmenistan. Observers interviewed 1,611 cotton pickers, 458 farmers, and 1,415 public-sector employees, as well as local officials and farm managers. Children were not interviewed for safety reasons, meaning conclusions regarding child labor were based on direct observations...

Environment

Water Management

Tajikistan and ADB Discuss Modernization of Tajik Sea Reservoir

Tajikistan is planning a major modernization of the Tajik Sea reservoir, known until 2016 as the Kayrakkum Reservoir. The project is a strategic water initiative for the country and the wider Central Asian region. Prospects for the project were discussed during a meeting between Tajikistan’s officials and representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Ulaanbaatar, according to the Tajik state news agency Khovar. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the talks involved Presidential Economic Adviser Ne’matullo Hikmatullozoda, Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Leah Gutierrez, and Regional...

Central Asia + Japan

Japan Extends $229 Million Loan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan

Forest Fires

Kazakhstan Develops Specialized Firefighting Vehicle for Forest Fires

Locust Control

Kazakhstan and China Test Biological Locust Control Agent

Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan Channels Billions of Cubic Meters Into Caspian Sea

Recycling

Uzbekistan Draft Proposes Annual Fee for Vehicles Over 30 Years Old

A draft government resolution in Uzbekistan has proposed annual environmental compensation payments for owners of vehicles manufactured 30 or more years ago, as part of a wider plan to regulate end-of-life transport and expand vehicle recycling. The proposal has not yet been adopted. The draft document, titled “On Organizing the Utilization of Vehicles with Expired Service Life and Recycling of Their Components,” was released through official public consultation channels and outlines a phased approach to introducing scrappage and recycling mechanisms across the country. According to the proposal, from January 1, 2027, owners of passenger vehicles manufactured 30 or more years...

Waste Management

Bishkek Launches Second Phase of Waste-to-Energy Plant

Bishkek has begun construction of the second phase of its waste-to-energy plant, a project city officials say will significantly expand waste processing capacity and add to the Kyrgyz capital’s energy supply. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 11. The facility, located at Bishkek’s main sanitary landfill, is the first waste-to-energy plant in Central Asia. Its first phase was officially inaugurated in December 2025 and was designed to process 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day. The plant was built by China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., which invested $95 million in the project. The second phase will...

Lake Balkhash

Kazakhstan and France Develop Master Plan to Preserve Lake Balkhash

Kazakhstan and France are developing a long-term strategy to preserve Lake Balkhash, one of Eurasia’s largest inland water bodies, as concerns grow over the impact of climate change and shifting water resources in the region. An open meeting of the working group tasked with preparing a master plan for the conservation of the lake’s ecosystem was held in Astana. The project is being implemented through cooperation between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the French Development Agency, and France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research. Lake Balkhash, located in southeastern Kazakhstan, is the world’s second-largest non-drying saline lake after...

Glaciers

Tajikistan Renames Central Asia’s Largest Glacier

Tajikistan has officially renamed the country’s largest glacier, previously known as the Vanchiakh Glacier, as the Tajikistan Glacier, according to a government decree signed on June 3. The glacier, also widely known internationally as the Fedchenko Glacier, is the longest glacier outside the polar regions. Stretching approximately 77 kilometers and covering about 700 square kilometers, it forms part of a vast glacial system that includes around 100 smaller glaciers. The glacier is one of the largest in Eurasia, surpassed in area only by the Siachen and Baltoro glaciers in the Karakoram mountain range. Siachen extends roughly 76 kilometers and covers...

U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

Latest

Features

Features

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

Defence Deals, Cotton Conscription, and Kyrgyzstan’s UN Victory

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

UNDP Representatives in Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Wawiernia, Kyrgyzstan, Alexandra Solovieva, Tajikistan, Sudipto Mukerjee, Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, Uzbekistan, Akiko Fujii.

Zamirbek Minbaev

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ken Moriyasu

Sergey Akhmetov

Timur Serikuly

Matthew Davies

Timur Serikuly

Charles McLean

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Balykchy-Cholpon-Ata Railway Construction Begins in Kyrgyzstan

Iran’s Solico Group to Build Major Cheese Plant in Kazakhstan

AIRUN CEO Chingiz Arziev on Building Kyrgyzstan’s Sovereign AI

EBRD Names Tajikistan One of Central Asia’s Fastest-Growing Economies

Uzbekistan to Host Inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in August

Local Politics

Local Politics

Amanat Adilet Merger as Kazakhstan Prepares for New Parliament

Kyrgyzstan Expands Domestic Drone Production

Kazakhstan’s Party Landscape Enters a Decisive Week

Kyrgyzstan’s Armed Forces Double in Size Amid Rising Defense Spending

Turkmenistan Eases Restrictions for Foreign Tourists

International Affairs

International Affairs

U.S.-Iran Framework Could Reopen Central Asia’s Southern Route

Japan Extends $229 Million Loan to Boost Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan

Opinion: Why the Next Head of UNAMA Should Come from Central Asia

Pashinyan Victory Points to New Transport Options for Central Asia

China Tajikistan Financial Cooperation Talks Focus on Banking Links

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

19th Century Photographs of Central Asia on Display in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov Awarded Academic Titles

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Coming Soon

Almaty Turns to Gault&Millau to Boost Food Tourism

Central Asian Football Stays Active as Uzbekistan Prepares for World Cup

Justice

Justice

Uzbekistan Toughens Anti-Drug Laws as Synthetic Narcotics and Online Trafficking Rise