The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

From October 1 to 3, Astana will host the AI & Digital Bridge conference, which is expected to draw more than 20,000 participants and over 100 technology companies. The wider AI Month begins on September 23 with HackAlem AI powered by OpenAI. Earlier editions of Digital Bridge have drawn a...

Caspian Catastrophe, Opposition Overhaul, and Turkmenistan at 35

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Dastan
Short Stories from the Region

Dastan: Sobir Ruziev, Soviet Fencer Who Elevated Uzbek Sport

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Opinions

Opinion: Weaponizing Faith – The Cold War Roots of Central Asia’s Security Dilemma

Zabikhulla Saipov

From Lenin to Kenesary: What Kazakhstan’s Renamed Streets Say About Power

Issatay Minuarov

Opinion: Why Central Asia Cannot Afford to Abandon the Iranian Route

Timur Serikuly

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Show What Diplomacy Can Deliver as Vast Rail Project with China Advances

Javier M. Piedra

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

Mathieu Lemoine

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Demining Expertise Could Provide Boost to Afghanistan

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Uzbekistan Census – When the Village Reappears in the City

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: The Specter Is Back – A Kazakh Warning to America

Askar Alimzhanov

Opinion: The Amu Darya Stress Test – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Politics of Agricultural Adaptation

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s New Income Growth Plan – Administrative Measures Against Market Realities

Igor Klevtsov

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.

Business & Economy

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026

Golden Gate Ventures Plans Two-Year Program for Central Asian Startups in Uzbekistan

Singapore-based venture capital firm Golden Gate Ventures plans to launch a two-year program in Uzbekistan for 20 startup founders from across Central Asia, giving them access to mentors and the fund’s international network. Michael Lints, MENA founding partner at Golden Gate Ventures, announced the initiative during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026, held in Tashkent from September 22 to 25. The program will be launched with IT Park Uzbekistan, while details of the application and selection process are expected later. Lints told The Times of Central Asia that Golden Gate Ventures had also opened an office in Tashkent in June and now...

Commercial Aviation

Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines Considers COMAC Jets

Digital Economy

How Kazakhstan Became Central Asia’s Digital Hub

Venture Investment

Agrobank Venture Fund Launches With $6.1 Million to Support Startups in Uzbekistan

Middle Corridor

Middle Corridor Debate Shifts From Geopolitics to Commercial Viability

Economic Growth

Central Asia Growth Forecasts Remain Strong in Latest ADB Outlook

Four of Central Asia’s five economies are expected to grow faster in 2026 than developing Asia and the Pacific as a whole, according to the Asian Development Bank’s September Asian Development Outlook. ADB forecasts growth of 5% across developing Asia and the Pacific this year, compared with 8.9% in Kyrgyzstan, 7% in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and 6.3% in Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan is the exception, with growth forecast at 4.8%. Kyrgyzstan is growing faster than its neighbors but is also facing the highest inflation among the five countries. ADB forecasts inflation at 11.2% this year and 8.5% next year. Growth continues to...

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026

What We Found at ICT Week Uzbekistan: Startups, Robots and the Next Wave of Digital Innovation

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 filled Tashkent’s Central Asian Expo with everything from biometric payment systems and health-monitoring AI to experimental satellites and drone football. Held from September 22 to 25, the annual technology event brought together more than 300 exhibitors from 51 countries, according to the organizers. Walking through the exhibition, The Times of Central Asia spoke with developers and startup founders from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan about the latest generation of Central Asian tech products, and attempts to bring engineering education beyond the region’s largest cities. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/document_5309977585415922252.mp4"][/video] Paying with a Palm or a Smile At the BRB...

Capital Markets

Kazakhstan Capital Market Law Set for Major Overhaul

Kazakhstan is preparing to rewrite the rules governing its securities market for the first time in more than two decades. The draft Capital Market Law aims to make it easier for businesses to raise money on the stock market while strengthening protections for investors. The new law is intended to replace the Securities Market Law adopted in 2003. The draft was published for public discussion in September 2026. Kazakhstan’s stock market has expanded significantly in recent years. As of July 31, equity market capitalization on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) stood at KZT 47.7 trillion, or about $100.5 billion, while...

Uranium Supply

Kazatomprom Secures New Uranium Block as Nuclear Demand Expands

Kazakhstan has granted its state-controlled uranium producer Kazatomprom six-year exploration rights to the Kyzyltu block in the Kyzylorda region, where preliminary resources are estimated at around 10,000 metric tons. Kazatomprom announced the exploration license on September 21 and said geological exploration would begin shortly to determine the block’s commercial potential. Kazakhstan remains the world’s largest uranium producer, accounting for roughly 40% of global mine production. Kazatomprom reported output of 25,839 metric tons in 2025 on a 100% basis, including its partners’ shares. The new exploration rights follow a wider effort by Kazatomprom to replenish its resource base. In March, the...

Local Politics

Saida Mirziyoyeva

Opinion: Why Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration Was Given Sweeping Powers and Broad Immunity

Saida Mirziyoyeva, the 41-year-old daughter of Uzbekistan’s president who has headed his administration since 2025, is taking an increasingly active role on the international stage. She participated in the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, and was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the meeting, the two sides discussed further expansion of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Combined with the law on Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration adopted in August, Mirziyoyeva’s growing international profile raises a broader question: how far could her political influence extend? A New...

Opposition

Tajikistan’s Islamic Opposition Changes Leader After 20 Years

Secularism

Kazakhstan Hijab Debate Exposes Divide Over Secularism

Education

Kazakhstan Tests AI After Finding 700 Errors in School Textbooks

Government Appointments

New Kazakhstan Government Retains Core Economic Team

Military Deaths

Kazakhstan Orders Military Overhaul After 14 Die in Caspian Drills

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has replaced the country’s defense minister, three days after 14 servicemen were killed during military exercises in the Caspian Sea. Tokayev appointed Aidos Myrzakhmetov to lead the ministry, ordered a broad inspection of the Defense Ministry, and gave officials ten days to prepare a military reform plan. Dauren Kosanov, who had held the role since June 2025, was dismissed on September 27. On the same day, Tokayev appointed Myrzakhmetov and introduced him at a meeting of senior Defense Ministry officials. Myrzakhmetov, 45, is a career officer who spent much of his career in the State Guard...

Education Policy

Kazakhstan Education Reform Puts 12th Grade Under Review

Kazakhstan is considering whether to eliminate the 12th grade at Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS), as some families transfer their children to regular schools after the 10th grade so they can graduate a year earlier. Established in 2008, NIS is a state-funded network of elite schools specializing in science, mathematics, and languages. It operates its own 12-year curriculum. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova said 88% of NIS graduates finish school at age 18, while about 300 received their diplomas at age 19 last year. A commission is examining whether the curriculum can be compressed into 11 grades, with conclusions expected by January...

Latin Alphabet Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s Senate Approves Latin Alphabet Changes

Uzbekistan’s Senate has approved changes to the country’s Latin-based alphabet, replacing four existing forms with individual letters: Oʻ will become Ö, Gʻ will become Ğ, Sh will become Ş, and Ch will become Ç. The revised alphabet will contain 28 letters and one apostrophe instead of the current 26 letters and three letter combinations. The law was approved at the Senate’s 19th plenary session on September 10 and sent to the president for consideration. The changes are expected to affect schools, official documents, media, publishing, and digital technologies. The reform follows years of debate over Uzbekistan’s transition from Cyrillic to...

Migration Policy

Kazakhstan Prepares QazETA Entry Authorization for Visa-Free Travelers

Kazakhstan is preparing to change entry rules for citizens of countries that enjoy visa-free travel: before their trip, they may be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The system remains voluntary for now, but legislation already suggests that authorities are preparing for their phased mandatory introduction. The new rules will also affect Russians and citizens of other Eurasian Economic Union countries. An ETA is a form of pre-travel authorization used by a number of countries to screen visa-exempt travelers before arrival. QazETA is the digital platform through which Kazakhstan issues the authorization. It does not replace a visa...

International Affairs

Abraham Accords

Kazakhstan Takes Part in Abraham Accords Meeting as Trump-Promised Signing Awaits

Kazakhstan took part for the first time in an official meeting of Abraham Accords countries on September 24 in New York, as Washington works to revive and expand the framework after nearly three years of disruption following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The meeting brought together officials from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. It was the first official gathering of the group since October 2023 and was hosted by the N7 Foundation during the UN General Assembly. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker led the American delegation. Kazakhstan...

Kazakhstan-China Economic Cooperation

Kazakhstan China Joint Investment Fund to Finance New Projects

TRIPP Route

TRIPP Is a Logical Extension of the Middle Corridor

UN General Assembly

Central Asia at the UN: Iran Threats and Sanctions Disputes

U.S.-Kyrgyzstan Relations

President Japarov Pursues U.S. Partnerships in Utah and New York

C5+1

How Kazakhstan Initiated C5+1

When U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio travels to Samarkand in mid-October, he is expected to meet the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states under a diplomatic format known as C5+1. He will also be accompanied by representatives of more than 100 American companies, underscoring how far the platform has developed since its creation in 2015. C5+1 — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, plus the United States — has become Washington’s principal diplomatic mechanism for engaging Central Asia as a region. It has expanded from meetings of foreign ministers to presidential summits and cooperation on trade, security,...

C5+1

Rubio to Lead Major U.S. Business Delegation to Uzbekistan for C5+1 Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a delegation including executives from more than 100 American companies to Uzbekistan in October. The visit will bring a substantial business contingent to talks with Central Asia’s foreign ministers in Samarkand. Sergio Gor, the U.S. special envoy for South and Central Asia, announced the visit in a statement published by the U.S. Embassy in India. Gor said the talks would focus on “deepening regional economic connectivity, enhancing energy security,” alongside cooperation on shared regional priorities. The delegation is expected in mid-October, alongside a C5+1 ministerial meeting. The C5+1 format brings together the...

UN General Assembly

At the UN, Mirziyoyeva Champions “Human Dignity” as Central Asia Seeks a Greater Voice

Uzbekistan called for a more effective United Nations and sought support for its Security Council candidacy during the General Assembly’s September 23 debate. Delivering the national address, presidential administration chief Saida Mirziyoyeva urged countries to work together despite deepening international divisions. “Our choice is human dignity,” said Mirziyoyeva. “Openness does not mean weakness.” Speaking in Uzbek at the Assembly’s 81st session in New York, she argued that a country’s strength should be judged by its ability to protect people’s rights and interests. The message offered a basis for cooperation beyond competing geopolitical camps, with particular emphasis on young people’s opportunities...

Cold War

Opinion: Weaponizing Faith – The Cold War Roots of Central Asia’s Security Dilemma

Central Asia’s contemporary security dilemma is partly rooted in Cold War strategies that transformed Muslim identity into a factor of geopolitical competition. Washington viewed Soviet Central Asia’s Muslim populations as a potential pressure point against Moscow. The Soviet Union itself mobilized Central Asian Muslim personnel during its intervention in Afghanistan. These policies did not alone create later radical movements, but they contributed to a regional environment where existing grievances, ideological narratives, and transnational networks could be redirected and intensified. The origins of Washington’s interest in Soviet Muslim populations as a strategic factor emerged during the final years of the Cold...

Life & Culture

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, 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 looks at how a military tragedy on the Caspian is creating political shockwaves across Kazakhstan; a whole series of military...

AI Education

Opinion: Kazakhstan Is Betting on AI to Close Its Rural Education Gap. Is the Infrastructure Ready?

Cycling

Alexey Lutsenko Makes Asian Games History With Sixth Gold

Medieval Archaeology

What 20 Animal Teeth Reveal About Medieval Herding Along Uzbekistan’s Silk Road

Asian Games

Uzbekistan Wins First Gold as Record Team Competes at Asian Games

Chess

Kazakhstan’s Timur Turlov Elected FIDE President

Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. and president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, has been elected president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). At 38, he became the second-youngest person to lead FIDE and the first representative of Kazakhstan to hold the position. The election took place on September 26 in Samarkand during the FIDE General Assembly. Turlov defeated German businessman Wadim Rosenstein in the second round by 110 votes to 85. In the first round, Turlov received 96 votes and Rosenstein 76; a third German candidate, Jan Henric Buettner, received 20. Former world champion Viswanathan Anand...

Football

Astana to Host Central Asia’s First UEFA Super Cup

Astana will host the 2028 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Super Cup, the first such match to be held in Kazakhstan or anywhere in Central Asia. To stage one of the major fixtures of the European club season, Astana Arena will have to replace its recently installed artificial turf with natural grass and undergo further upgrades. UEFA’s Executive Committee, the governing body of European soccer, selected Astana at a meeting in Thessaloniki on September 15. The match will bring together the winners of the 2027/28 Champions League and Europa League. The Super Cup is played as a single match...

Smart Cities

Astana’s WIPO City of Innovation Bid Reaches Final 15

Astana is the only Central Asian city among 15 finalists for the inaugural World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) City of Innovation Award. WIPO, a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), announced the finalists on September 22. Shanghai, Moscow, and Liverpool are among the other cities competing for the award. The award focuses on what cities pledge to do over the following 12 months rather than what they have already achieved. Judges consider the ambition of those plans, how well they fit each city’s circumstances, and whether they can realistically be carried out. Astana’s submission is heavily focused on technology....

Sportsmanship

Kazakhstan’s MMA Gold Medalist Comforts Tajik Opponent at Asian Games

A mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Kazakhstan embraced and comforted his distressed Tajik opponent after defeating him to win gold at the Asian Games in Japan. It was one of the more striking scenes so far at the Games, which began on September 19 and run until October 4. China was at the top of the medal standings with 78 medals, including 48 golds, on Wednesday. Japan and South Korea were in second and third place, respectively. Kazakhstan was fourth with 19 medals, including seven golds. Kadyrbek Shynbayev, a 22-year-old MMA fighter from Kazakhstan, won Tuesday’s final in the...

Justice

Child Protection

Uzbekistan Kindergarten Case Over Alleged Assault Prompts Calls for Tougher Penalties

Authorities in Uzbekistan are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old girl at a state kindergarten in the Namangan region. The suspect has been detained, while the case has prompted a wider debate over tougher penalties for sexual crimes against children. The alleged assault occurred at a kindergarten in Uchkurgan district. Police opened a criminal case on September 12 under two provisions of the Criminal Code, one covering the rape of a child under 14 and the other covering a threat to kill or use violence. The suspect, identified as K.M., worked as the kindergarten’s head of maintenance and...

Caspian Sea

At Least Nine Kazakh Servicemen Killed During Caspian Sea Exercises

Women’s Safety on Trains

Women-Only Carriages in Kazakhstan: What Has Changed After Five Years?

Opinion

Opinion: How Europe Balances Conditions and Interests in Uzbekistan

Illegal Migration

Uzbekistan Proposes Up to 15 Years in Prison for Organizing Illegal Migration

Military Deaths

Deaths During Caspian Military Drills: Kazakhstan Investigates Commanders’ Actions

Fourteen servicemen in Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces were killed during military exercises on the Caspian Sea on September 24, and five Armed Forces officials were detained. On the same evening, around 100 relatives and Aktau residents gathered outside the city morgue as a serviceman read out the names of the dead. People demanded the chance to identify the bodies, and screams and crying could be heard after some names. September 25 was declared a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Defense later reported that 17 had been swept into the sea; three were rescued, one of whom was...

Public Spaces

Kazakhstan Proposes Fines for Unauthorized Graffiti

Kazakhstan is preparing to introduce fines for unauthorized graffiti on public buildings and structures. The Interior Ministry has proposed enshrining a ban in law following a campaign against vandalism and drug-related graffiti. Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov presented the proposals on September 21 at a government meeting. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Interior Ministry to prepare amendments aimed at “establishing a complete ban on all types of graffiti that damage public places.” A significant part of the police’s current work involves drug-related graffiti: inscriptions advertising drugs and providing sellers’ contact details. According to the Interior Ministry, police and volunteers have...

Rule of Law

Kyrgyz Court Upholds Ex-Security Chief Tashiyev’s Conviction but Changes Charge

On September 10, the Bishkek City Court upheld convictions against former security chief Kamchybek Tashiyev and seven others, but changed the offense from plotting to overthrow the government to interfering with electoral rights. All eight had been convicted in July of plotting the violent overthrow of the government. They received four-year prison sentences, replaced by three years of probation. The change has added to the confusion surrounding the alleged plot. On September 14, Tashiyev’s lawyer asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the appeal judges’ actions, saying the defense had received no warning of the new charge. The Letter of...

Murder Convictions

Uzbek Women Murdered in Istanbul: Two Men Sentenced to Life

Two Uzbek nationals have each been sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey for murdering two Uzbek women in Istanbul. The investigation began in January after the remains of one woman were discovered and later led authorities to a second victim. The killings sparked protests in Istanbul and Ankara. The Istanbul Anadolu 17th High Criminal Court found Dilshod Turdimurotov, 31, and Gofurjon Kamalkhodjaev, 29, guilty of murdering Durdona Khakimova, 36, and Sayyora Ergashaliyeva, 32. Each man received two aggravated life sentences, Turkey’s most severe form of life imprisonment, which carries stricter prison conditions than an ordinary life sentence, along with two...

Environment

Satellites

Kyrgyzstan Prepares to Launch Its First Homegrown Satellite

Kyrgyzstan plans to launch its first domestically developed and assembled satellite in early October, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The spacecraft is intended to collect imagery of farmland, pastures, glaciers, and water resources. The Agriculture Ministry plans to use the data to assess crop conditions and yields, detect drought, and monitor water resources. The satellite has been under development for about two and a half years. Final preparations are underway in Bishkek, including assembling its main components, installing electronic equipment, and testing the system. The launch is scheduled to take place from California during the first week of October. Kyrgyz...

Japanese Investment

Japanese Investment Tackles Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea Crisis

Aral Sea

From Solastalgia to Solutions: What the First Aral School Cohort Discovered in Karakalpakstan

Natural Disasters

Tajikistan Turns to Early Warning Systems as Climate Risks Grow

Central Asia Water Cooperation

Water in Central Asia: Can the Five States Reach an Agreement?

Water Security

Opinion: Chinese Firms Expand Their Role in Kyrgyzstan’s Water Infrastructure

Kyrgyzstan plays a central role in Central Asia’s water system and is of growing interest to China. According to figures cited by President Sadyr Japarov in April 2026, approximately 50 billion cubic meters of surface runoff are generated annually within the country. About 12 billion cubic meters are used domestically, while around 7 billion, or 14% of the total, flow to China. Kyrgyzstan has five main water-management basins. The Issyk-Kul–Tarim management area includes both the closed Issyk-Kul basin and rivers flowing toward China, making its transboundary component a distinct area of bilateral cooperation. The Aksu River, which originates in Kyrgyzstan...

Nature Investment

Opinion: Financing Nature: Why Biodiversity Investment Matters for Central Asia

Just imagine: only 50 years ago, wildlife was far more abundant across many of the world’s forests, grasslands, rivers, and seas. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Living Planet Report 2024, the average size of monitored vertebrate populations fell by 73% between 1970 and 2020, based on data from almost 35,000 populations worldwide. That extraordinary decline has taken place within a single human lifetime. We are used to treating this as an environmental statistic, a sad fact trotted out in a nature documentary to which we have little emotional connection. Seen this way, we miss a vital truth:...

Nuclear Waste

Central Asia Makes Progress on Uranium Cleanup, but Major Risks Remain

Radioactive waste lies beside the river in Mailuu-Suu, a former uranium town in Kyrgyzstan’s picturesque mountain landscape. Engineers preparing to secure it found a problem inside one of its dams. Additional drilling revealed tailings within the dam structure itself. Two subsequent studies concluded that waste from two connected ponds would have to be moved to a safer location. The discovery changed the cleanup design and increased its cost, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s revised master plan. Material that planners had intended to secure in place could no longer safely remain there. Once known as Mailbox 200, the town...

Glacier Melt

Kyrgyzstan Drafts $850 Million Climate Adaptation Plan Through 2035

Kyrgyzstan has put a national climate adaptation plan through 2035 out for public consultation as shrinking glaciers and changing river flows threaten water supplies, agriculture, and hydropower. Published on September 3, the draft sets out measures including climate-risk mapping, better monitoring, and improved warning systems for droughts, floods, and mudflows. The risks extend beyond Kyrgyzstan, as rivers rising in its mountains feed water systems shared across Central Asia. The draft National Adaptation Plan remains subject to public consultation and government approval. Its preliminary cost for 2026–2035 is estimated at 74.5 billion som, with more than half expected to come from...