April 26 marks a date that changed the course of world history. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents, the consequences of which are still felt today. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary...
A large-scale corruption case involving Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan's last president Islam Karimov, is set to go to trial on April 27 at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, according to a Finews report and official Swiss sources. The proceedings mark a significant step in a case...
The ongoing escalation in the Middle East, with Iran at its epicenter, appears to be accelerating economic rapprochement between countries in the region and Central Asia. Kazakhstan’s diplomacy has emerged as a key driver of this process. In recent days, Kazakhstan’s foreign minister has visited several Gulf states, while Israeli...
China does not do military alliances. Its declared posture is one of non-interference in other nations’ internal affairs. Yet Beijing has long understood that commercial ties alone cannot anchor strategic relationships; only security partnerships can. China’s recent experiments with 2+2 security dialogues – bringing together foreign and defense ministers –...
At Sotheby’s in London, Central Asia comes into view as a world of dazzling craft and taste. The Arts of the Islamic World & India auction on April 29th gathers rare eastern Islamic works that show how the region turned faith, power, and luxury into art. The standout lot is...
Central Asian countries must accelerate the transition from discussing climate goals to implementing them in practice, as water scarcity intensifies and the impacts of climate change deepen, participants at a regional conference said on Friday. A key event on the final day of the Regional Ecological Summit (RES 2026) in...
Central Asian leaders have adopted the Astana declaration on ecology and sustainable development, giving the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana a formal political outcome while a wider package of biodiversity, climate, and pollution initiatives takes shape around it. Kazakhstan’s environment ministry says the five heads of state adopted the document,...
The European Union has stepped up sanctions pressure on Kyrgyzstan by restricting supplies of sensitive technologies and imposing measures on the country’s financial institutions. The decision, adopted as part of the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, reflects growing concerns in Brussels that the Central Asian republic may be used...