The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

In “What Is the Status of Middle Powers?”, Michel Duclos of the Institut Montaigne presents Kazakhstan as a test case for whether middle powers can still influence outcomes in an era of intensifying great power rivalry. Writing after the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, which brought together nine heads of...

Caspian Region

Why the Caspian Is Becoming Eurasia’s New Energy Crossroads

Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East are accelerating the emergence of a new Eurasian energy architecture, with the Caspian region increasingly at its center. In international politics, moments when several global crises simultaneously create opportunities for new centers of influence are rare. Today, a vast area...

Eco Expo

Eco Expo Opens in Samarkand as Uzbekistan Pushes Green Investment

Venice Biennale

A Polyphonic Process: Kazakhstan at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Population

Uzbekistan Population Growth: 20 Years To Use a Window of Opportunity

Uzbekistan has a limited window of opportunity to turn its rapidly growing young population into a driver of long-term economic growth, according to a new study on demographic trends and human capital development in the country. The report, produced as part of a broader regional study on Central Asia, analyzes...

OTS Optimism, Afghan Ambushes, and a Deep Dive on the Next President of Tajikistan

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Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

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Opinions

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

Opinion: The Regional Ecological Summit and the Making of a Central Asian Voice

Ilyas Kanybek

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Critical Minerals Promise Is Running Out of Time

Tsoberg Nadezhda and Marzhan Rakhymberdina

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Human Capital Problem – How State Scholarships Are Building a Talent Pipeline for the West

Anel Askar

Business & Economy

Rail Travel

Dushanbe-Moscow Train Service Resumes After Pandemic Suspension

Tajikistan and Russia will reopen a direct passenger train route between Dushanbe and Moscow, restoring the service after it was suspended during the pandemic six years ago. The Dushanbe-Moscow service, a trip of several thousand kilometers that takes four days and passes through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, will start again on June 21. The service will run every two weeks, leaving Dushanbe on Sunday and arriving at Moscow’s Paveletsky Station on Wednesday, and leaving Moscow on Thursday and arriving in Tajikistan’s capital on Monday. “At the request of the Railway Administration of the Republic of Tajikistan and in coordination with the...

Green Energy

Tajikistan Links Green Energy Push to Regional Power Exports

Nuclear Power

Mirziyoyev, Putin to Mark Launch of Uzbekistan Nuclear Plant Project

Alatau City

Tokayev Calls for Greater Role for Kazakhstani Businesses in Alatau City Development

Brain Institute

Kazakhstan Opens Central Asia’s First Brain Research Institute

Rogun Dam

Inside Tajikistan’s Rogun Dam, the Mega-Project Built to Power a Nation

“Building a hydroelectric power plant is a responsibility for our country!” Displayed in Tajik at the entrance to the Rogun construction site, deep in the mountains of Tajikistan, the slogan captures the significance of what has become the most ambitious infrastructure project in the country’s history - and one of the largest hydropower developments in the world. Nearly fifty years after the Soviet authorities launched construction in 1976, the mega-project is finally entering a decisive phase. Long delayed by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the civil war of the 1990s, and the economic struggles of Central Asia’s poorest country,...

EBRD

Uzbekistan-Born Mansurova Named EBRD Regional Head for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has named Nodira Mansurova as its next regional head for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, putting her in charge of operations in three Central Asian markets where the bank has invested more than €2.5 billion combined. Mansurova will be based in Bishkek and is expected to take up the post on September 1, 2026. She will replace Ayten Rustamova, who has led the regional office since 2021. The appointment gives Mansurova oversight of one of the EBRD’s more varied regional portfolios in Central Asia. As of March 31, 2026, the bank’s cumulative investment...

Investment Zone

Kyrgyzstan’s New Investment Zone at Issyk-Kul Opens First Business Center

The Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory (Tamchy SFIT), a newly established investment zone operating under its own legal framework, is opening its first business center on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. The zone also includes an independent international dispute-resolution center based on English common law. According to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the new facility will house the offices of the Tamchy zone’s management company, which is preparing to begin the territory’s operations. The company will be responsible for registering resident businesses and overseeing licensing, as well as managing infrastructure development within the zone. The 3,850-square-meter business center includes...

China

Kazakhstan Turns to China and Hong Kong for Deals, Yuan Debt, and Market Access

Kazakhstan has opened a new phase in its economic ties with China, with a large package of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese agreements arriving alongside Kazakhstan’s first sovereign borrowing in China’s domestic bond market. The two steps show Astana is moving beyond trade growth into finance, listings, yuan debt, and China-linked capital for infrastructure and industry. On June 2, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met a delegation of about 70 business representatives from Hong Kong and mainland China. Kazakhstan’s government said the group included 40 Hong Kong companies and 30 mainland Chinese companies working in...

Local Politics

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

National Identity

Kazakhstan Reclaims the Golden Horde

National Identity

Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative

Education

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Foreign Teachers to Ease Education Staff Shortage

Law and Order

Tokayev Criticizes Lawmakers Over “Penaltystan” Label for Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has criticized lawmakers who have referred to Kazakhstan as “Penaltystan,” or “Aiyppulstan” in Kazakh, over what critics describe as the state’s excessive reliance on fines and administrative penalties. Speaking at a meeting on the development of Alatau City, Kazakhstan’s planned smart city near Almaty, Tokayev argued that maintaining public order and security is essential at a time of growing international instability and military conflicts around the world. “In today’s turbulent environment, amid military conflicts around the world, peace and stability are vital for our country,” Tokayev said. “Without them, there can be no reforms or positive...

Border Security

Kyrgyzstan Opens New Border Post Near Uzbekistan in Batken Region

A new border post has opened in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region near the border with Uzbekistan, as authorities continue efforts to improve security infrastructure in sensitive frontier areas, according to 24.kg news agency. The opening ceremony for the Sogment border post took place in the village of Sogment in Batken district. The facility is part of the Charbak border outpost under the Batken regional department of Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service. The presidential representative’s office in Batken region said the ceremony was attended online by Abdikarim Alimbaev, chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service, while local officials, border guards, and regional authorities gathered...

AI in Education

Turkmenistan Looks to OpenAI as it Modernizes Education

Officials from Turkmenistan have met with OpenAI to discuss the use of artificial intelligence in the country’s education system. The London meeting between a delegation from Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Education and OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, took place during the Education World Forum 2026 this week, according to state media. The forum is a major annual gathering in which governments, the private sector, international NGOs, and others network and discuss ways of improving education systems. The meeting between ministry officials and OpenAI representatives addressed the “practical possibilities” of using AI in schools, the state-run Turkmenistan: Golden Age outlet reported. “The...

Education Reform

Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs

Kazakhstan has begun a large-scale restructuring of its education system in 2025-2026 as authorities attempt to address labor shortages, overloaded school infrastructure, and the growing mismatch between graduates’ qualifications and the needs of the economy. While previous reforms focused primarily on expanding access to education, the government is now shifting toward tighter administrative management of student enrollment, stronger support for technical and vocational training, and the integration of digital technologies into schools. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the reforms are unfolding amid growing pressure on Kazakhstan’s labor market. One of the most pressing issues remains the...

International Affairs

United Nations

Kyrgyzstan Wins First-Ever Seat on UN Security Council

Kyrgyzstan has been elected to the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, securing a non-permanent seat after a closely watched contest for the Asia-Pacific Group’s vacancy. The election marks the first time Kyrgyzstan will serve on the Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body for matters of international peace and security. It also returns Central Asian representation to the Council for the first time in nearly a decade, following Kazakhstan’s 2017–2018 term. Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific seat in the General Assembly vote, joining the incoming class of non-permanent members that will serve two-year terms from...

Middle Powers

Kazakhstan’s Middle Power Moment: From Balancer to Regional Organizer

EAEU

As Armenia Looks West, Could Uzbekistan Move Closer to the EAEU?

EAEU

Putin’s Astana Visit Shows What Russia Still Wants From Kazakhstan

U.S. Diplomacy

Top U.S. State Department Official Travels to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

U.S.-Central Asia Engagement

Washington Links TRIPP and Jackson-Vanik Repeal in Push Toward Central Asia

A notable strategic shift is taking place in U.S. foreign policy, one that could have a long-term impact on the economic architecture of Eurasia. After decades in which Central Asia and the South Caucasus were viewed largely through the lens of security, counterterrorism, and competition with Russia and China, Washington is increasingly emphasizing trade, investment, transport routes, and access to critical minerals. One of the clearest signs of this shift came during a recent hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where Senator Steve Daines and Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the implementation of the U.S.-backed Trump Route...

Counter-Terrorism

Turkmenistan Seeks Bigger Counter-Terrorism Role in Central Asia

Turkmenistan wants to host a United Nations counter-terrorism facility that would contribute to cooperation among Central Asian countries, whose security concerns have included online radicalization, instability in Afghanistan, and the repatriation of citizens from Syria and Iraq. Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov discussed the initiative with Alexandre Zouev, a Russian diplomat who is acting under-secretary-general of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), during a visit by Turkmenistan’s top diplomat to the United States last week. In the May 28 meeting, the Turkmen delegation provided details about the plan to establish a program office of UNOCT in Ashgabat, according to the...

Nuclear Diplomacy

Kazakhstan Offers the IAEA a Practical Option on Iran

On May 26, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in Astana. The meeting pointed beyond bilateral nuclear cooperation toward Kazakhstan’s possible role in wider nuclear-security problems. Tokayev welcomed a roadmap for deepening Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency through 2036, alongside documents on nuclear medicine and science. Grossi’s visit also followed Kazakhstan’s referendum on its first post-independence nuclear power plant, which has widened the civilian side of the country’s nuclear profile. Iran was not the subject around which the meeting was organized, but it is the issue that gives the meeting strategic weight. In particular,...

EAEU

EAEU Leaders Meet in Astana Amid Growing Internal Trade Disputes

Astana is hosting Eurasian Economic Union events on May 28-29, with leaders arriving on Thursday and the main meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council scheduled for Friday, May 29. The first part of Thursday was dominated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his delegation during Putin’s state visit to Kazakhstan. At the Palace of Independence, Tokayev and Putin introduced their official delegations to each other during the Russian president’s state visit, while Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting would begin on Friday morning in narrow and expanded formats....

Life & Culture

Podcast

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

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 focus on the newly released report from the European Neighbourhood Council on foreign information manipulation in...

TEDxMarvila

Love Takes Center Stage at TEDxMarvila in Lisbon

TCA Interviews

“Don’t Try to Please the West” – Screenwriter Kazybek Orazbek on Kazakh Cinema

TCA Interviews

Uzbekistan’s New Visual Language: How OZBE Reimagines Culture Through Streetwear

Healthcare

Turkmenistan Works With WHO on Healthcare Upgrades

Venice Biennale

A Polyphonic Process: Kazakhstan at the 2026 Venice Biennale

"There is a Kazakh proverb that says: a foolish person arrives with noise, sweeping everything away in their path, while a wise person arrives quietly, carefully observing the world around them." Syrlybek Bekbota, the curator of the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale – the most important art event in the world – offers me this thought at the dawn of the exhibition's opening, and it feels like both a manifesto and an omen. The theme of the pavilion is perfectly in line with the overarching curatorial theme, In Minor Keys, conceived by the late Cameroonian-Swiss curator Koyo Kouoh,...

Film Festival

Eurasian Film Festival in London Showcases Cinema from Central Asia and Beyond

The ninth edition of the ECG Eurasian Film Festival has concluded in London, bringing together films from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the wider post-Soviet space. The festival, held in partnership with the Romford Film Festival, was created to promote Eurasian cinema in the English-speaking world and connect filmmakers from the region with international audiences and industry professionals. It is also listed by FestivalFinder, the European Festivals Association’s platform for film festivals. The festival still gives filmmakers from smaller Eurasian film industries access to London audiences and industry professionals. Too often, movies from across Eurasia are framed through a narrow...

Cultural Heritage

From Golden Treasures to Looted Burial Mounds: How “Black Diggers” Are Destroying Eastern Kazakhstan’s History

Eastern Kazakhstan has gained international recognition for its extraordinary archaeological discoveries, but alongside that fame has come a growing threat: illegal treasure hunters, known locally as “black diggers,” are destroying historical monuments and depriving future generations of access to invaluable artifacts. Eastern Kazakhstan’s Archaeological Treasures In recent years, the Eastern Kazakhstan has become one of the most important archaeological regions in Central Asia. Researchers have uncovered ancient burial complexes belonging to the Saka, nomadic peoples of the early Iron Age whose sophisticated culture has challenged long-standing assumptions about the civilizations of the Eurasian steppe. Excavations at the Shilikty, Eleke Sazy,...

Taxation

Kyrgyzstan Weighs Higher Sugary Drink Taxes as Child Health Concerns Rise

Kyrgyzstan is considering higher taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, including a new sugar-content-based excise system, as officials seek to curb rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease among children and adolescents. On May 26, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health organized a high-level policy dialogue on the taxation of sugary drinks as part of the country’s strategy to prevent noncommunicable diseases and promote healthier diets. According to the ministry, noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, and diabetes, remain the leading cause of premature deaths in Kyrgyzstan. Excessive consumption of sugary beverages is increasingly recognized as a major risk factor for obesity...

Justice

Citizenship Revocation

Russia Cancels Citizenship of Eight People Originally From Central Asia

Russia’s Federal Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs have revoked the citizenship of eight naturalized people originally from Central Asia, citing alleged threats to national security, Interfax reported. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the citizenship cancellations were carried out under Russia’s 2023 citizenship law, which allows authorities to strip naturalized citizens of Russian nationality in certain cases related to national security and public safety. Among those affected is a resident of Russia’s Tver region who had previously been convicted several times of arranging fictitious registrations and residency permits for foreign nationals and Russian citizens. According to the FSB,...

Kazzinc

Kazakhstan Says Violation of Production Procedures Preliminary Cause of Deadly Kazzinc Blast

Prisons

Uzbek Diplomats Visit Prisoners in Russia’s Sakhalin Region

Forced Labor

Turkmen State Employees Forced Back Into Cotton Harvest Campaign

Administrative Detention

“I Felt Like an Uzbek in Russia”: Russian Woman Detained in Almaty After Video Sparks Backlash

Tajik Migrants

Tajik Migrant in Russia Receives Nearly $15,000 in Unpaid Wages After Government Intervention

A Tajik labor migrant working in Russia has received nearly $15,000 in unpaid wages following an intervention by Tajikistan’s Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment, the ministry said. According to the ministry’s representative office in Russia, the worker approached officials in May, alleging that a private Russian company had failed to pay his salary. The office then contacted the employer, which later settled the debt in full. The worker received 1.065 million rubles, or about $14,800, according to the ministry. The company was not named. The ministry urged Tajik citizens seeking employment in Russia to sign formal labor contracts and...

Human Rights

Rights Groups Urge EU to Tie Turkmenistan Relations to Human Rights Progress

Rights groups have urged the European Union to take a tougher line on Turkmenistan, warning that closer ties with Ashgabat should be tied to measurable progress on human rights. The call came in a briefing by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) ahead of the EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue, scheduled for June 22, 2026, in Ashgabat. The organizations called on European institutions to press Turkmen authorities to take concrete steps to improve civil liberties, freedom of expression, and human rights protections. Turkmenistan remains one of the world’s most closed and repressive...

Rule of law

American Professor and Longtime Central Asia Researcher Denied Entry to Kyrgyzstan

Professor Steve Swerdlow of the University of Southern California (USC) arrived at the Bishkek airport at 4:30 am on May 19, leading a group of 16 students for a trip of a lifetime: two weeks in Kyrgyzstan and two weeks in Kazakhstan. Swerdlow, a veteran Central Asian researcher who had previously worked for Human Rights Watch in Uzbekistan (2010), Kazakhstan (2011), and Kyrgyzstan (2012-2019), had led similar trips to Kyrgyzstan with USC students in 2022 and 2024. This time, however, there were problems immediately upon his arrival at Bishkek. “I was taken out of line at passport control and whisked...

Regional Security

Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the interior and public security ministers of the “Central Asia-China” format in Astana during the second meeting of regional law enforcement agencies. The meeting was attended by Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, Turkmen Interior Minister Muhammet Hydyrov, and Uzbek Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov. Participants discussed transnational crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and extremism. Tokayev said strengthening cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of Central Asia and China is essential for maintaining regional stability. “Transnational organized crime is becoming increasingly flexible and interconnected. Cybercrime has...

Environment

Eco Expo

Eco Expo Opens in Samarkand as Uzbekistan Pushes Green Investment

Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 opened on June 2 at the Expo Center of Silk Road Samarkand, placing Uzbekistan’s green economy plans before officials, lenders, companies, scientists, and environmental groups already gathered in the city. The exhibition is scheduled to run through June 4 and is being held alongside the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility, one of the main global forums for environmental finance. The timing gives Uzbekistan a rare week of attention on climate, water, biodiversity, and clean technology. The GEF Assembly runs from May 30 to June 6 in Samarkand. The GEF says its Assembly is...

Wildlife Restoration

Kazakhstan Releases New Group of Przewalski’s Horses Into the Wild

Irrigation Water

Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan Agree on Summer Water Releases from Bahri Tojik Reservoir

Water Supply

Tajikistan Announces Water Infrastructure Drive, Urges Central Asia Cooperation

Waste Processing

Tajikistan Waste Recycling Plant Put on Hold After Iranian Investors Withdraw

Waste Management

Dushanbe Considers Waste-to-Energy Plant as Part of Green Development Strategy

Authorities in Tajikistan’s capital are considering the construction of a modern waste-to-energy facility that would process municipal solid waste while generating electricity, as part of efforts to develop more sustainable urban infrastructure. The proposal was discussed during talks between Tajikistan’s minister of energy and water resources, Daler Juma, and Environmental Protection Committee chairman Bahodur Sheralizoda, and representatives of the Chinese company Wangneng Environment, which specializes in waste treatment and energy recovery technologies. The parties explored the possibility of introducing municipal waste-processing technologies, including electricity generation through waste incineration and other forms of energy recovery. Such systems are used in a...

Water Security

Opinion: Water Without a Guarantor – Central Asia’s Next Security Test

The Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development,“ taking place in Dushanbe on May 25-28, comes at a difficult moment. Central Asia's water problem is no longer only about environmental management; it is moving into the field of regional security. The conference agenda is familiar and necessary: climate, investment, innovation, transboundary cooperation, and the implementation of the Water Action Decade. The harder question is what happens outside the conference hall. Does Central Asia still have a credible way to stop water stress from becoming an interstate crisis? For decades, the region operated in...

Compensation Mechanisms

Kyrgyzstan Calls for Compensation Mechanisms to Maintain Regional Water Infrastructure

Kyrgyzstan is calling for compensation mechanisms with neighboring countries to help finance the maintenance of water infrastructure and glacier preservation. Officials warn that shrinking glaciers and declining precipitation already pose serious risks for Central Asia. The issue was raised by Erlist Akunbekov, Kyrgyzstan’s deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and minister of water resources, agriculture, and processing industry, during the opening of the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development,” 2018-2028, in Dushanbe on May 26. Akunbekov described the melting of glaciers as a regional challenge, not solely a national problem. “Without...

Aral Sea

Kazakhstan Says Aral Sea Bed Afforestation Has Reached 1.2 Million Hectares

The environmental disaster of the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake, remains one of the most serious ecological challenges facing Central Asia. The total area of the dried seabed now covers approximately 6 million hectares, including 2.8 million hectares in Kazakhstan. The Aral Sea once covered about 68,000 square kilometers and supported fishing communities along what is now the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border. Its collapse followed decades of Soviet-era irrigation projects that diverted water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, a history The Times of Central Asia previously reported. As full restoration of the Aral Sea's water level is no...

Kyrgyzstan Wins First-Ever Seat on UN Security Council

Latest

Features

Features

OTS Optimism, Afghan Ambushes, and a Deep Dive on the Next President of Tajikistan

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

OTS Optimism, Afghan Ambushes, and a Deep Dive on the Next President of Tajikistan

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ken Moriyasu

Sergey Akhmetov

Timur Serikuly

Matthew Davies

Timur Serikuly

Charles McLean

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ilyas Kanybek

Tsoberg Nadezhda and Marzhan Rakhymberdina

Anel Askar

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Dushanbe-Moscow Train Service Resumes After Pandemic Suspension

Inside Tajikistan’s Rogun Dam, the Mega-Project Built to Power a Nation

Uzbekistan-Born Mansurova Named EBRD Regional Head for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan

Kyrgyzstan’s New Investment Zone at Issyk-Kul Opens First Business Center

Kazakhstan Turns to China and Hong Kong for Deals, Yuan Debt, and Market Access

Local Politics

Local Politics

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

Tokayev Criticizes Lawmakers Over “Penaltystan” Label for Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan Opens New Border Post Near Uzbekistan in Batken Region

Turkmenistan Looks to OpenAI as it Modernizes Education

Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs

International Affairs

International Affairs

Kyrgyzstan Wins First-Ever Seat on UN Security Council

Washington Links TRIPP and Jackson-Vanik Repeal in Push Toward Central Asia

Turkmenistan Seeks Bigger Counter-Terrorism Role in Central Asia

Kazakhstan Offers the IAEA a Practical Option on Iran

EAEU Leaders Meet in Astana Amid Growing Internal Trade Disputes

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

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

A Polyphonic Process: Kazakhstan at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Eurasian Film Festival in London Showcases Cinema from Central Asia and Beyond

From Golden Treasures to Looted Burial Mounds: How “Black Diggers” Are Destroying Eastern Kazakhstan’s History

Kyrgyzstan Weighs Higher Sugary Drink Taxes as Child Health Concerns Rise

Justice

Justice

Russia Cancels Citizenship of Eight People Originally From Central Asia