The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev on 29 July. The discussion focused on the situation surrounding the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, energy cooperation, critical minerals, trade and investment ties, and current international issues. According to the U.S. Department of State, Rubio...

Gulnara Karimova

Swiss Court Fines Lombard Odier $3.7 Million in Karimova Money-Laundering Case

e-Commerce

Wildberries Kazakhstan Sellers Count Losses After Ukraine Strikes

Over the past month, Ukrainian forces have carried out a series of strikes on the facilities of Russia's largest online marketplace, Wildberries. As with previous attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, including that of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the consequences are again being felt by citizens and businesses in neighboring...

Caspian Sea

As Two Wars Reach the Caspian, Central Asia’s Middle Corridor Holds

Global Business Services

GBSF 2026 Highlights Uzbekistan’s Push for Global Business Services and AI

More than 450 participants from business and government, representing over 45 countries, gathered in Tashkent on July 24–25 for the Global Business Services Forum 2026. The event centered on Uzbekistan’s effort to become a regional center for global business services and business process outsourcing (BPO), with artificial intelligence (AI) also...

Taliban Troubles, Security Service Strife and the Deportation Divide

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Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

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Opinions

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.

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

Business & Economy

Trans-Caspian Cable

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Begin Laying Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have begun laying a fiber-optic cable across the Caspian Sea, marking the start of offshore construction on a long-planned digital connection between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. A specialized cable-laying vessel has departed the Port of Baku and begun laying the line toward Aktau, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan announced. Weather permitting, the underwater installation is expected to take 15 to 20 days. Testing and commissioning are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. The 380-kilometer cable will connect Sumgait in Azerbaijan with Aktau in western Kazakhstan. It will...

Railway Manufacturing

Alstom’s Jérôme Boyet: Kazakhstan Is Building a Regional Rail Manufacturing Hub

Digital Payments

Apple Pay and Google Pay Mobile Wallets Could Launch in Uzbekistan Within Months

Cross-Border Trade

Turkmenistan Renovates Customs Post on Border with Iran

Fuel prices

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Contain Rising Fuel Prices

Copper Smelting

Kazakhstan Targets 50% Increase in Refined Copper Output with Balkhash Smelter

Kazakhstan plans to increase refined copper production by around 50% after approving the construction of a new smelter in Balkhash, one of the country’s largest industrial projects in recent years. The government expects the plant to expand exports of products with greater added value and reinforce Kazakhstan’s position among the world’s leading copper producers. The investment agreement was signed between the Ministry of Industry and Construction and Qazaq Smelter LLP and approved by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. The project forms part of Kazakhstan’s strategy to increase domestic processing of mineral resources and reduce exports of raw materials. Private investment is...

Fuel Supply

Tajikistan Holds Talks on Fuel Imports from China

Tajikistan has begun negotiations with China on importing gasoline and diesel fuel as the country grapples with a sharp decline in fuel imports. Prices are rising, and filling stations in Dushanbe are experiencing diesel shortages. The two sides are discussing possible transport routes and which companies in Tajikistan would be authorized to import petroleum products. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, cited by Asia-Plus, said Chinese fuel could be delivered directly through the Kulma border crossing or via Tajikistan’s northern neighbors. The volume and timing of any future deliveries have yet to be agreed, while pricing remains under discussion....

Marketplace

Kazakhstan Yet to Receive Wildberries Warehouse Request

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration has said it is prepared to consider a request from RWB, the company formed through the merger of online marketplace Wildberries and outdoor advertising operator Russ, to establish additional warehouse capacity in the country. The company’s reported interest comes amid continuing drone attacks on logistics infrastructure in Russia. The ministry said it has not yet received any formal request from Wildberries. Should one be submitted, it would be considered in accordance with Kazakhstan’s legislation and the country’s national interests. “To date, the Ministry of Trade and Integration has not received any official request from...

Foreign Investment

Foreign-Owned Companies in Central Asia: What the Figures Mean

When political leaders or national statistical agencies report an increase foreign-owned companies in Central Asia, the media often draw the wrong conclusion. A rise in the number of foreign-owned businesses is frequently interpreted as evidence of growing investment from the countries where their owners originate. In reality, this is not always the case. In some instances, the increase may simply reflect the registration of additional legal entities. The headline figures are nevertheless striking. According to official statistics, Kazakhstan had 52,693 operating entities with foreign ownership as of July 1, 2026, alongside 8,909 with joint ownership. In Kyrgyzstan, 5,724 operating enterprises...

Local Politics

AI Governance

Kazakhstan Smart Cities Face the Test of Turning AI Ambition Into Results

Almaty has ranked 38th among 61 cities in the inaugural Intelligent Cities Index, a respectable result that also reveals the distance between Kazakhstan’s digital ambitions and the world’s leading urban centers. The index, compiled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), assesses how cities use artificial intelligence and digital technology to improve services and outcomes for residents. Almaty scored 62 out of 100, placing it in BCG’s “emerging” category. What Almaty's Ranking Reveals This score placed Almaty 38th among 61 major cities worldwide, ranking above cities including Milan, Melbourne, and Istanbul. However, it remained five points below the lowest-ranked city in BCG’s...

Transport Policy

Bishkek Proposes Curbs on Private Car Use

Public health

Kyrgyzstan Tests Public Health Emergency Response Ahead of World Nomad Games

Cardiac Surgery

Kazakhstan Joins World’s Top 30 Countries in Cardiac Surgery Development

Urban Development

Urbanization: Only One in Four Tajik Residents Lives in a City

Presidential Election

Kyrgyzstan Moves 2027 Presidential Election to January 27

President Sadyr Japarov has signed legislation changing the schedule for Kyrgyzstan's next presidential election. Under the amendments, the vote will be held on 27 January 2027, the fourth Wednesday of January, instead of the fourth Sunday of the month, as provided for under the previous legislation. The amendments also retain the requirement that the Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan's parliament, must schedule the presidential election no later than four months before polling day. Election day will be a paid day off. According to the explanatory note accompanying the legislation, moving the vote from Sunday to a weekday is expected to encourage higher...

Islamic Finance

Uzbekistan Establishes Islamic Finance Council as New Banking Law Takes Effect

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has established an Islamic Finance Council to coordinate the work of banks, microfinance organizations, the Deposit Guarantee Agency and other institutions operating under Islamic financial principles. The council was created weeks after Uzbekistan’s new Islamic banking law took effect on June 29. It will prepare national standards, issue regulatory and supervisory recommendations, advise financial institutions and represent the Central Bank in its work with international standard-setters. Building an Islamic Finance Framework Islamic finance prohibits interest and generally requires financing to be linked to assets, trade, leasing or risk-sharing. Common structures include murabaha, in which a...

Election Funding

Kazakhstan Allocates $73 Million for August Kurultai Elections

Kazakhstan has allocated 34.3 billion KZT, approximately $73 million, from the government’s reserve fund to finance elections for the country’s newly established Kurultai, the unicameral parliament created under the country’s new Constitution, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) member Mikhail Bortnik. Kazakhstan’s new Constitution entered into force on July 1, replacing the previous bicameral parliament with the Kurultai. Elections for the new legislature are scheduled for August 23. A total of 145 deputies will be elected from party lists. Under the new electoral rules, at least 30% of candidates nominated by each political party must come from three combined categories:...

Women’s Empowerment

Tajikistan Develops Gender Equality Strategy and Expands Support for Women

Tajikistan is developing a new strategy to address gender-related social norms for 2027–2036 while expanding programs aimed at increasing women’s economic participation and cooperation with international organizations. The draft strategy was presented at a meeting organized jointly by the Committee for Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Representatives of 46 international organizations, development partners, and civil society groups took part in the discussions, the committee said in its review of activities for the first half of 2026. According to the committee, the strategy is intended to serve as the country’s...

International Affairs

Regional Cooperation

Central Asia and Azerbaijan: What the Region’s Leaders Agreed at Issyk-Kul

The Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata, on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, briefly became Central Asia’s political capital as it hosted a series of high-level meetings, including bilateral talks between the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the state visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and the informal Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. Only a few years ago, such a format would have seemed unlikely. Today, however, regional leaders are discussing joint railway projects, energy security, transport corridors, investment, and foreign-policy coordination rather than managing old disputes. The agreements reached in Cholpon-Ata suggest that...

Energy Security

Kazakhstan Weighs Proposal to Process Russian Crude

U.S.-Kazakhstan Relations

Rubio and Kosherbayev Discuss CPC Ahead of Tokayev’s U.S. Visit

U.S. Tariffs

U.S. Imposes 12.5% Tariff on Kazakhstan Over Third-Country Import Controls

Bilateral Relations

Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Council of Regional Leaders Holds First Meeting

Gas Supply

Turkmen Gas Exports to Europe Revived in Romanian Proposal

Romania has proposed reviving a long-standing project to transport Caspian natural gas to Europe through the Black Sea port of Constanța, with Turkmenistan identified as a potential supplier. The proposal was discussed on July 29 during a meeting between Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Romania, Annamammet Annayev, and Mihai Daraban, president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Daraban called for renewed consideration of the Azerbaijan–Georgia–Romania Interconnector, known as AGRI. The project envisages transporting gas to Georgia’s Black Sea coast, converting it into liquefied natural gas, and shipping it to a terminal at Constanța for onward delivery through Romania’s gas network....

Black Sea Tanker Attacks

CPC Halts Oil Loadings Again After Two More Tankers Attacked Near Novorossiysk

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has stopped oil loading at its Black Sea terminal near Novorossiysk after two more tankers were attacked early on July 30. The suspension came only three days after Kazakhstan resumed exports through the route following a week-long disruption. The Marshall Islands-flagged NISSOS SIFNOS was attacked at 1:48 a.m. Moscow time while loading Tengizchevroil crude at single-point mooring SPM-3, CPC said. A drone hit the cargo deck near the manifolds used to receive oil. The strike caused a fire, which the crew extinguished with help from three CPC support vessels. CPC said no employees or contractors were...

Caspian Sea

As Two Wars Reach the Caspian, Central Asia’s Middle Corridor Holds

On July 25, two wars met in waters that Central Asian governments had tried to keep apart. Ukraine reported successful long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the targets included vessels involved in carrying military cargo from Iran and a warship. Tehran said an Iranian commercial vessel had been struck, killing one sailor and injuring another, and accused Kyiv of trying to widen the war. It remains unclear whether the vessel identified by Iran was among the targets described by Zelenskyy. Diplomacy produced a limited off-ramp. On July 28, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told his Iranian...

Middle East Crisis

Turkmenistan Condemns Strike on Iranian Ship in Caspian Sea

Turkmenistan has criticized an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea that the Iranian government blamed on Ukraine. In a statement on Monday, Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to media reports of an attack on a ship in the Caspian on July 25 and described “such actions” as unacceptable. “As a Caspian littoral state and the country with a status of permanent neutrality recognized by the United Nations, Turkmenistan underlines that the Caspian Sea is a sea of peace, harmony and good-neighborliness,” the ministry said, without specifically referring to Ukraine or Iran. The Caspian Sea is critical...

Life & Culture

Future Games

Future Games 2026 Begin in Astana, Kazakhstan

The third edition of the Future Games has opened in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, bringing traditional sport and esports together through digital technology. The opening ceremony was attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Rustam Minnikhanov, head of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan. The competition runs from July 29 to August 9 and features more than 800 athletes from more than 50 countries competing for a prize fund of $4.75 million across eight disciplines. They include phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital martial arts, a phygital shooter, phygital dance, and tournaments in...

Film Festival

How Kyrgyzstan Used the SCO Film Festival to Raise Its International Profile

UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO Adds Mangystau Rock Mosques to World Heritage List

FIFA World Cup

Uzbekistan’s Shomurodov Shortlisted for World Cup Goal Award

Tourism

Japarov Says Tourist Flow to Kyrgyzstan Has Reached 13 Million as Central Asia’s Travel Boom Accelerates

Football

Dastan Satpayev Scores on Chelsea Debut

Kazakhstan international Dastan Satpayev has opened his account for Premier League club Chelsea, scoring in his first appearance for the London side, albeit in a pre-season friendly. Satpayev made his first appearance for Chelsea on July 28 at the age of 17, just weeks before his 18th birthday, after which he will become eligible to complete his move under FIFA regulations governing the international transfer of minors. Chelsea agreed to sign the Kazakhstan forward last year but postponed completion of the transfer until he reached the required age. Having joined the club for its pre-season preparations earlier this month, Satpayev...

Opinion

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

When people think of Uzbekistan’s architectural heritage, the images are familiar: the turquoise domes of Samarkand, the madrasas of Bukhara, Khiva’s walled city, and the monuments of Shakhrisabz. But Uzbekistan’s history did not stop with the Silk Road. At its 48th session in July, UNESCO inscribed “Tashkent Modernist Architecture. Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia” on the World Heritage List. The new site brings together ten buildings and urban complexes constructed between the 1960s and the early 1990s, during the period in which Tashkent was dramatically rebuilt following the 1966 earthquake. The inscription deserves to be celebrated. More importantly, it expands the...

TCA Interviews

From Instagram to Hollywood: How Kazakhstan’s Yerlan Tanay Became a Sought-After Colorist

Kazakhstani colorist Yerlan Tanay has built an international career in post-production, working with major companies including The Mill and Company 3. Now based in Los Angeles and working freelance, he has experienced both the opportunities and instability of Hollywood’s highly competitive market. His long-term goal is to move further into feature films. Tanay career changed after he began sharing his work on Instagram, where he was approached about joining The Mill. In this interview with The Times of Central Asia, he explains how that move opened the door to Hollywood and what he learned inside leading post-production studios. TCA: You...

Korean Culture

K-Pop in Central Asia: Why Korean Pop Culture Has Captured a Generation

On weekend afternoons in Almaty, Tashkent, or Bishkek, groups of teenagers practice synchronized dance routines in parks, shopping centers, and university courtyards, their clothes echoing the polished style of Korean idols. BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, NewJeans, aespa, SEVENTEEN, and many other groups fill their playlists and social media feeds. Some are filming dance covers for TikTok, others are preparing for local competitions, while many simply gather with friends who share the same enthusiasm. K-pop in Central Asia has become much more than a foreign music genre. It forms part of the broader Korean Wave, or Hallyu, encompassing television dramas, films,...

Justice

Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border

Kyrgyzstan Uncovers Suspected Smuggling Tunnel on Uzbek Border

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have uncovered an underground tunnel on the border with Uzbekistan that is believed to have been built for smuggling goods, 24.kg reported, citing the Batken Regional Department of Internal Affairs. According to the police, officers from the department responsible for combating extremism and illegal migration received information that an underground passage was being constructed to move goods illegally across the border. During an inspection of an abandoned house on Mamazhanov Street in the village of Chechelik, Kadamjay District, investigators discovered a tunnel leading toward neighboring Uzbekistan. According to the regional police department, the tunnel is approximately 12...

Religion

Tajikistan Hijab Ban Denied by Authorities Amid Confusion

Press Freedom

Tajikistan Frees Two Journalists as Press Freedom Concerns Persist

Rule of Law

Former Tajik Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Detained in Case of 23-Year-Old Woman’s Death

Internet Restrictions

A Signal from Uzbekistan: How Turkmen Border Villages Reach the Outside World

Gulnara Karimova

Swiss Court Fines Lombard Odier $3.7 Million in Karimova Money-Laundering Case

Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court has fined Geneva-based private bank Lombard Odier 3 million Swiss francs, or about $3.68 million, after finding that it failed to take adequate organizational measures to prevent money laundering in a case linked to Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan’s late President Islam Karimov. The court also dismissed criminal proceedings against Karimova without ruling on the allegations against her. The ruling was delivered on July 27 in Bellinzona, following a trial that began in April. Swiss prosecutors had accused Karimova of accepting bribes and leading a criminal organization known as “The Office,” which allegedly channeled...

amnesty

Kazakhstan Amnesty Clears $48 Million in Unpaid Fines

Kazakhstan has written off unpaid administrative fines for more than 680,000 people under the country’s first administrative amnesty, Prosecutor General Berik Asylov said. The amnesty was applied to 681,700 people in 1.3 million administrative cases in less than a month, according to Asylov. The canceled fines were worth 22.8 billion tenge, or approximately $48 million. Asylov published the figures in a post on X. The measure formed part of an amnesty signed on July 1, the day Kazakhstan’s new Constitution took effect. It extended an amnesty to selected administrative offenses for the first time, alongside provisions covering criminal cases. It...

Domestic Violence

After Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s Domestic Violence Laws Face an Enforcement Test

The release of Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, a cousin of former Kazakhstan Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, following an amnesty has renewed public attention to one of the country’s most pressing social problems: domestic violence. The trial of Bishimbayev and Baizhanov attracted widespread attention in Kazakhstan and abroad. Bishimbayev was convicted of torturing and murdering his common-law wife. The proceedings were broadcast online and closely followed by journalists and the public. Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Baizhanov received a four-year sentence for concealing the crime. Amid the public outcry, Kazakhstan adopted legislation strengthening penalties for domestic violence. The legislation...

Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan Police Robot Dog Raises Privacy Questions

Kazakhstan’s police used a mobile facial-recognition robot to scan crowds during Metallurgist Day celebrations in Karaganda Region, saying the machine helped identify four people sought over legal or administrative violations. The deployment extends the country’s rapidly expanding surveillance network beyond fixed cameras, allowing police databases to be accessed through a platform that can move through crowded public spaces. The four-legged robot was used during celebrations held on July 17-18 in the industrial cities of Balkhash and Temirtau, which attracted more than 115,000 visitors. More than 1,000 police officers were also deployed to maintain public order, according to the Karaganda police....

Environment

Chemical Waste

Kyrgyzstan Hazardous Waste Cleanup Begins at Soviet Era Kristall Plant

Kyrgyzstan has launched a project with Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom to eliminate hazardous chemical waste stored for decades at the former Kristall industrial plant, one of the country's most dangerous Soviet-era environmental sites. Located in Tash-Kumyr in Jalal-Abad Region, the Kristall plant was intended to become one of the Soviet Union’s largest producers of high-purity silicon, a material used in microchips and, more recently, solar panels. Construction began in 1982 and the site was commissioned in 1989, but was never completed at its planned scale. Rising energy costs and the economic disruption that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union left...

Rogun Dam

Italy Commits $150 Million to Tajikistans Rogun Hydropower Plant

World Bank

World Bank Approves $20 Million Project to Boost Cross-Border Water Cooperation in Central Asia

Extreme Heat

Extreme Heat Buckles Roads and Strains Power Grids Across Central Asia

Heatwave

Kazakhstan Wildfires: Heatwave Tests Reforms Three Years After Semey Ormany

Public Health

Kazakhstan and China Launch One Health Research Center in Almaty

Kazakhstan and China have opened a joint research center in Almaty focused on infectious diseases and biosafety. The Center for One Health Research opened on July 27 at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, known as KazNARU. It was created under Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During the opening ceremony, four institutions signed a memorandum covering joint research and academic exchanges. The signatories were Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences, KazNARU, Zhejiang University, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The center will support research into microbiology, veterinary medicine,...

Climate Change

Kyrgyzstan Records 348 Mudflows in Six Months, Highest Total in Decades

Kyrgyzstan recorded 348 mudflows during the first half of 2026, the highest number in 30 to 40 years, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Kyrgyzhydromet. These violent torrents of water, mud, and boulders killed eight people and injured three. Roads, villages, and critical infrastructure are concentrated in narrow mountain valleys. Each new debris flow can therefore threaten lives and isolate entire communities. A Rapidly Escalating Season The damage extends beyond the human toll. Authorities evacuated 236 people from hazardous areas, while mudflows damaged 668 hectares of farmland. Preliminary estimates place economic losses at 399 million soms (approximately $4,560,000)....

Groundwater Management

Kazakhstan Hydrogeologists Complete Six-Month USGS Groundwater Training

Kazakhstani hydrogeologists have completed a six-month online training program led by experts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Department of Groundwater at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation organized the seminars for specialists at Kazhydrogeology, the country’s National Hydrogeological Service. Staff from its branches also took part. The training covered current approaches to groundwater monitoring and assessment. Participants also studied groundwater modeling and water resource management, drawing on international practices in hydrogeology. The USGS awarded certificates to 20 participants from Kazhydrogeology and its branches. Employees from the ministry’s Department of Groundwater and the Department of Strategic Development received...

TCA Interviews

Saving The Caspian Seal: An Interview with Assel Baimukanova

The Caspian seal is the only marine mammal native to the Caspian Sea and the world’s only seal species found exclusively in an inland body of water. Once numbering close to one million, its population has declined dramatically over the past century due to commercial hunting, habitat degradation, pollution, accidental entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change. Today, the species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Kazakh zoologist Assel Baimukanova has spent the past 13 years studying the Caspian seal alongside her father, renowned scientist Mirgaliy Baimukanov. Their work takes them to remote islands in the northern...

Kazakhstan Weighs Proposal to Process Russian Crude

Latest

Features

Features

Taliban Troubles, Security Service Strife and the Deportation Divide

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

Taliban Troubles, Security Service Strife and the Deportation Divide

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Mathieu Lemoine

Timur Serikuly

Zamirbek Minbaev

Askar Alimzhanov

Zamirbek Minbaev

Igor Klevtsov

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

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Begin Laying Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable

Kazakhstan Targets 50% Increase in Refined Copper Output with Balkhash Smelter

Tajikistan Holds Talks on Fuel Imports from China

Kazakhstan Yet to Receive Wildberries Warehouse Request

Foreign-Owned Companies in Central Asia: What the Figures Mean

Local Politics

Local Politics

Kazakhstan Smart Cities Face the Test of Turning AI Ambition Into Results

Kyrgyzstan Moves 2027 Presidential Election to January 27

Uzbekistan Establishes Islamic Finance Council as New Banking Law Takes Effect

Kazakhstan Allocates $73 Million for August Kurultai Elections

Tajikistan Develops Gender Equality Strategy and Expands Support for Women

International Affairs

International Affairs

Central Asia and Azerbaijan: What the Region’s Leaders Agreed at Issyk-Kul

Turkmen Gas Exports to Europe Revived in Romanian Proposal

CPC Halts Oil Loadings Again After Two More Tankers Attacked Near Novorossiysk

As Two Wars Reach the Caspian, Central Asia’s Middle Corridor Holds

Turkmenistan Condemns Strike on Iranian Ship in Caspian Sea

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

Future Games 2026 Begin in Astana, Kazakhstan

Dastan Satpayev Scores on Chelsea Debut

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

From Instagram to Hollywood: How Kazakhstan’s Yerlan Tanay Became a Sought-After Colorist

K-Pop in Central Asia: Why Korean Pop Culture Has Captured a Generation

Justice

Justice

Kyrgyzstan Uncovers Suspected Smuggling Tunnel on Uzbek Border