The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Washington cannot decide where Central Asia belongs. Is it part of Europe? Asia? The Middle East? The confusion is on full display in how the House of Representatives has reassigned the region across subcommittees in rapid succession. In the 116th Congress, which convened in 2019, Central Asia fell under the...

U.S.-Turkmenistan Relations

Washington Meets Ashgabat as Turkmen-American Business Cooperation Association Debuts

On May 7, the Turkmen-American Business Cooperation Association (TABCA) and the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Washington marked the organization’s official launch through a series of daylong events attended by members of the business community, diplomats, and dignitaries, including senior representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Serving as a definitive...

UFO Files

Pentagon UFO Files Include 1994 Tajik Air Report Over Kazakhstan

On May 8, the Pentagon released the first batch of U.S. Department of War files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), including a State Department cable describing a 1994 sighting by Tajik Air pilots over Kazakhstan. The new archive, called the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, was created...

Middle Corridor

Opinion: A New Southern Gate – How the EU-Armenia Summit Unlocks a Critical Branch for the Middle Corridor

Asian Development Bank

ADB Annual Meeting in Samarkand Unveils Major Energy, Climate, and Development Initiatives

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 59th Annual Meeting concluded in the historic Uzbek city of Samarkand after four days of discussions focused on energy connectivity, climate financing, and economic resilience across Asia and the Pacific. Held from May 3 to 6, the gathering brought together government officials, development institutions, economists,...

Victory Day

Opinion: What May 9 Means to a Generation Without War Memories

One evening, sitting beside my grandmother, we opened an old photo album, the kind with thick pages and photographs tucked carefully beneath thin plastic sheets. We turned the pages slowly. At one photograph, she stopped. It showed her as a young girl beside a close relative she rarely speaks about,...

Victory Day

No Tanks on Red Square as Moscow’s Victory Day Pull Fades in Central Asia

Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9 is set to be more restrained this year, with tanks, armored vehicles, and missile systems absent from Red Square for the first time in nearly two decades. The Russian Defense Ministry cited the “current operational situation,” while the Kremlin blamed what it called...

Armed Forces

Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan

Bishkek’s Backlash, Russia’s New Red Lines, and a Caspian in Crisis

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Sunkar Podcast

Uzbekistan’s Sindarov Makes Breakthrough in World Chess

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Opinions

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

Opinion: Expect China to take its 2+2 diplomacy to Central Asia

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion – Kazakhstan’s New Constitution Sends a Key Signal for Global Partners

Javier M. Piedra

Opinion: Trump Has Golden Opportunity to Launch C6+1 on Sidelines of UN

Ken Moriyasu

Opinion: Islamic State Khorasan Province and the Strategic Risks for Central Asia

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: Mirziyoyev in Washington – New Deals Expected Amidst Peace Diplomacy

Javier M. Piedra

Opinion – The “Board of Peace” and Afghan Diplomacy: A View from Kabul

Dr. Bismillah Mangal

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum – Strategic Reset or Institutional Consolidation?

Raza Syed

Business & Economy

Chinese Investment

Tajikistan’s Rahmon Seeks Deeper Economic Ties During China Visit

More than 700 companies with Chinese capital are operating in Tajikistan, and about 12.5% of the nearly $7 billion in foreign investment that entered the Central Asian country’s economy last year came from China, according to Tajikistan’s presidency. Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon shared the data after arriving in Beijing on Monday to push for even closer economic ties with China, which surpassed Russia last year to become Tajikistan’s largest trading partner. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Rahmon was making the May 11-14 trip at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, who will then host U.S. President Donald Trump from May...

Startups

Uzbekistan Startups Win Two Honors at Global Startup Awards

U.S.-Turkmenistan Relations

Washington Meets Ashgabat as Turkmen-American Business Cooperation Association Debuts

Asian Development Bank

ADB Annual Meeting in Samarkand Unveils Major Energy, Climate, and Development Initiatives

U.S.-Turkmenistan Relations

Business Leaders from Turkmenistan Talk Trade on U.S. Tour

Oil Price

Kazakhstan Sees No Major Risks From UAE Exit From OPEC+

Kazakhstan does not expect major economic turbulence following the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC and the OPEC+ agreement, despite the country’s continued dependence on global oil prices, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said. The UAE announced that it would leave OPEC on May 1, citing disagreements over existing production quotas. Abu Dhabi plans to increase oil output amid concerns over possible supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz and the risk of shortages on the global market. The departure of one of the world’s largest oil producers has fueled concerns about a potential drop...

Foreign Workers

Kazakhstan Plans New Measures to Attract Highly Skilled Foreign Workers

Kazakhstan is preparing to introduce new mechanisms to attract highly qualified foreign specialists as part of a broader effort to increase the country’s openness to talent, investors, and entrepreneurs. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has drafted amendments to the country’s migration legislation following a presidential decree aimed at modernizing migration policy and addressing labor shortages. The proposed legislation introduces a targeted recruitment system for in-demand foreign specialists based on the current needs of the domestic labor market. A key element of the reform is the creation of a government-approved list of priority professions. The list is expected to...

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Uzbekistan Airports Signs Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal Tied to $6 Billion Biofuel Project

Uzbekistan Airports and Allied Biofuels FE LLC have signed a memorandum of understanding on the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and electro-synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) in Uzbekistan. The agreement outlines plans for cooperation on the supply of cleaner aviation fuel beginning in 2030. The move is part of Uzbekistan’s broader effort to position itself as a regional hub for sustainable aviation and low-carbon transport infrastructure. Under the memorandum, the two sides will work together to develop supply chains and infrastructure for SAF and e-SAF, which are intended to help reduce aviation emissions. Allied Biofuels is developing what it...

Digital Services Tax

Uzbekistan Collects $5 Million From Foreign Digital Companies in First Quarter

Foreign technology and digital service companies paid 65.7 billion Uzbek som ($5.1 million) in taxes in Uzbekistan during the first quarter of 2026, according to the country’s State Tax Committee. The figure represents an 81% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when foreign digital firms paid 36.2 billion som ($2.98 million) in taxes. The total value of electronic services provided by foreign companies in Uzbekistan also rose sharply, from 306.6 billion som ($25.2 million) in the first three months of 2025 to 552 billion som ($45.4 million) this year. The State Tax Committee said 89 foreign companies providing...

Local Politics

Mandatory Contributions

Healthcare Workers in Turkmenistan Reportedly Forced to Pay Mandatory Fees to Public Association

Turkmenistan does not allow independent public associations, and officially registered groups are reportedly funded through mandatory contributions collected from citizens, according to Chronicles of Turkmenistan. The publication says healthcare workers and students at medical institutions were required to pay annual membership fees to support the public association Ýaş Tebigatçy (Young Naturalist) Civil Society Organization. According to the report, the organization’s chairperson, Leyli Shymadova, appealed earlier this year to then-health minister Myrat Mammedov for assistance. Mammedov retired in February 2026. “Shymadova asked the minister to issue instructions requiring all employees of the ministry’s institutions and students of medical educational establishments to...

Parental Responsibility

Turkmenistan Introduces New Fines for Parents Over Children’s Misconduct

Kamchybek Tashiyev

Tashiyev Charged as Kyrgyzstan’s Elite Rift Deepens

Victory Day

Turkmenistan to Pay WWII Veterans Around $10, Far Below Regional Levels

Emergency Response

Tajikistan to Gain Access to Emergency Financing Under New World Bank Project

Armed Forces

Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan

Speaking at a traditional ceremony ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day, celebrated in Kazakhstan on May 7, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the country must reform its armed forces within the next two years. “Our country must be prepared to prevent various challenges and respond to any threats. Therefore, we need to strengthen our defense potential and continue, above all, the technological modernization of the Armed Forces. This is a requirement of today’s unstable and turbulent times. In this regard, it is first necessary to carry out deep reforms in our Armed Forces and militarized structures. This is a strategically...

Education

School Digitalization in Turkmenistan Increases Workload for Teachers

The rollout of electronic gradebooks in Turkmenistan, intended to streamline teachers’ work, has had the opposite effect, with educators reporting increased workloads, technical issues, and tighter oversight. As part of a broader push toward digitalization, authorities have required school staff to use the eMekdep system to record grades, manage lesson plans, and generate analytics. According to its developers, the platform enables work “anytime, anywhere” and is designed to reduce paperwork. Teachers, however, say the reality is far less efficient. Electronic journals can only be filled out with a stable internet connection, which remains unreliable even in the capital. “If two...

Power Struggle

Japarov, Tashiyev, and the Kompromat War

Kyrgyzstan has seen three revolutions since 2005. It has been a politically active country since becoming independent in late 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. But since the current President Sadyr Japarov came to power after the 2020 revolution, he and his long-time friend and security chief, Kamchybek Tashiyev, have stifled expressions of public discontent. For the last five years, Kyrgyzstan’s political scene has been uncharacteristically quiet. But events since Japarov sacked Tashiyev on February 10 have raised speculation that a fierce political battle between the two powerful men now looms ahead for the country. Japarov has already fired the...

Agriculture

Uzbekistan to Restrict Foreign Access to Farmland as Land Reforms Advance

Uzbekistan plans to stop offering agricultural land lease rights to foreign investors through auctions as part of a broader effort to improve land use efficiency, according to the presidential press service. The measures were presented during a government briefing on land reform, where officials outlined changes to the current system. Over the past five years, Uzbekistan has shifted to an auction-based model for land allocation, removing the authority of local governors to distribute plots directly. During this period, more than 616,000 hectares of land were allocated through auctions, generating 1.4 trillion UZS ($115,940) in state revenue. Officials said the reforms...

International Affairs

Oil Price

Kazakhstan Sees No Major Risks From UAE Exit From OPEC+

Trade

Tokayev Expects Kazakhstan-Russia Trade to Exceed $30 Billion

Geopolitics

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

Victory Day

No Tanks on Red Square as Moscow’s Victory Day Pull Fades in Central Asia

Afghanistan

Opinion: Hormuz Crisis Pushes Afghanistan Aid Routes Toward Central Asia

Strategic Partnership

Britain Expands Central Asia Ties as Kazakhstan Ratifies Strategic Partnership Deal

Last week, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership and cooperation agreement with the United Kingdom. With that move, Central Asia’s largest economy added Britain to its growing list of strategic partners, reinforcing Astana’s long-standing multi-vector foreign policy. For London, meanwhile, the agreement marked another milestone in what some analysts have framed as a renewed contest for influence in Central Asia, an area where Britain has sought to strengthen its position over the past five years. Kazakhstan already counts Russia, China, the United States, several European Union states including Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, as...

Hantavirus

Kazakhstan Assesses Risk of Hantavirus Spread After Cruise Ship Outbreak

Kazakhstan’s public health authorities say the risk of imported hantavirus infections remains due to international travel but insist the country’s epidemiological surveillance system is prepared to detect and respond to potential cases. The statement followed an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde. According to media reports, three people died and eight confirmed infections were recorded among the ship’s 150 passengers. Kazakhstan’s National Center for Public Health said the Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV) strain responsible for the outbreak is not circulating in Kazakhstan. “Hantavirus infections remain under constant epidemiological control. Kazakhstan...

Middle Corridor

Opinion: A New Southern Gate – How the EU-Armenia Summit Unlocks a Critical Branch for the Middle Corridor

For the first time in its history, the European Union held a full summit with Armenia. The meeting, which took place in Yerevan on 4–5 May 2026, was not merely a diplomatic milestone for Armenia. It also sent a signal to governments thousands of kilometers away in Central Asia that the trade route linking Asia to Europe through the South Caucasus is becoming more real, and more politically backed, than ever before. The centerpiece of the summit saw the signing of a “Connectivity Partnership” between Brussels and Yerevan. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, described Armenia as "uniquely...

Dostuk International Trade and Economic Park

Trade and Economic Park Planned at Border of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

On May 6, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov visited the Dostuk Stele (Friendship) in the country’s southwestern Batken region, erected at the junction point of the state borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where he reviewed the concept and master plan for the proposed Dostuk International Trade and Economic Park. During a summit in the northern Tajik city of Khujand on March 31, 2025, Presidents Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan signed a historic agreement on the junction point of the three countries’ state borders. The leaders also took part in a remote inauguration...

Life & Culture

TCA Interviews

Identity and a New National Canon: Interview with Kazakhstan Historian Zhaxylyk Sabitov

Interest in Kazakhstan’s history is increasingly moving beyond academic circles. For many people, it has become a way to understand the country’s modern identity as well as its past. The Times of Central Asia spoke with historian Zhaxylyk Sabitov, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ulus of Jochi, about why many chapters of Kazakhstan’s history remain insufficiently studied. The Ulus of Jochi, also known as the Golden Horde, was one of the largest medieval states in Eurasia and is closely tied to debates over Kazakhstan’s statehood and historical memory. The interview also explored which topics resonate most...

UFO Files

Pentagon UFO Files Include 1994 Tajik Air Report Over Kazakhstan

Victory Day

Opinion: What May 9 Means to a Generation Without War Memories

Shoqan Walikhanov

Shoqan Walikhanov: Kazakh Scholar Recognized in the West

Podcast

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

History

How Koreans Were Deported to Central Asia: Myths and Reality

The 1937 deportation from the Soviet Far East was the greatest tragedy in the history of Soviet Koreans, Koryo-saram, the self-designation of ethnic Koreans living across the former Soviet Union. It became the first case in Soviet history in which an entire ethnic group was forcibly relocated solely on the basis of ethnicity. Later, Soviet Germans, Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Ingush, Kalmyks, Poles, Kurds, and many other peoples would endure similar repression. For decades, this history remained largely suppressed, giving rise to numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding the deportation. Yet it is inaccurate to claim that Koreans first appeared in Kazakhstan...

Aging Population

Kazakhstan’s Population Is Aging Rapidly as Demographic Pressures Mount

Kazakhstan’s population is aging rapidly, with the number of elderly citizens growing significantly faster than the child population as birth rates continue to decline. According to a study by analysts at Energyprom.kz, the country’s aging index has been steadily rising. In 2021, Kazakhstan had 26.7 elderly people for every 100 children under the age of 15. By 2025, that figure had increased to 32.9. The data suggests Kazakhstan is gradually entering a demographic phase in which the proportion of elderly citizens is growing much faster than the younger population. The trend is particularly pronounced in urban areas, where the aging...

Ice Hockey

Kazakhstan Returns to National Ice Hockey Team World Championship Top Division

Kazakhstan’s men’s national ice hockey team has secured an immediate return to the top division of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship after winning the 2026 Division I, Group A tournament in Sosnowiec, Poland. Under the championship format, the two lowest-ranked teams in the top division are relegated each year, while the top two teams from Division I, Group A earn promotion. Kazakhstan and France were relegated from the elite division in 2025 and returned this May to compete for promotion back to the top tier. The Division I tournament, which began on May 2, featured Kazakhstan, France, Poland, Ukraine,...

Archaeology

Remains of Buddhist Temple Unearthed in Ancient Silk Road City in Kyrgyzstan

The remains of what is believed to be a Buddhist temple dating to the 7th and 8th centuries have been discovered at the medieval Ak-Beshim archaeological site, the ruins of the ancient Silk Road city of Suyab in northern Kyrgyzstan, according to the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Located seven kilometers southwest of Tokmok, Suyab was a major Silk Road city between the 5th and 8th centuries. It was the capital of the Western Turkic Khaganate and an important center for Sogdian merchants on the Chang’an-Tian Shan route, now part of a UNESCO...

Justice

Visa Corruption

Former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Arrested in Rome Over Visa Scheme Allegations

Former Italian ambassador to Uzbekistan Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini di Sant’Agnese has been arrested in Rome on accusations of corruption and facilitating illegal migration, according to the Italian newspaper la Repubblica. Italian prosecutors allege that the former diplomat and his associate, Tatiana Tarakanova, operated a scheme involving the issuance of Schengen visas from the Italian embassy in Tashkent. Tarakanova, a 53-year-old Russian-born Italian citizen living in Bulgaria, had reportedly worked with Papadia during his earlier diplomatic service at the Italian consulate in Moscow. According to the report, Papadia assumed control of the embassy’s visa office shortly after taking charge of...

Syria

Syrian Security Forces Detain Uzbek Fighters During Operation in Idlib

Industrial Accident

Two Killed in Explosion at Industrial Plant in Eastern Kazakhstan

Stalking

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Introduce Criminal Liability for Stalking

Press Freedom

Turkmenistan Ranks 173rd in Global Press Freedom Index

Student Driving Ban

Dushanbe Students Face Expulsion for Driving Private Vehicles to University

Seven students in Dushanbe face possible expulsion for up to three years after police conducted raids targeting university students who arrived for classes in private vehicles. The inspections were announced by the city’s Interior Ministry department, which said officers from the department for the prevention of youth-related offenses conducted raids near universities in the capital and recorded seven cases of students arriving on campus in their own cars. “Under current legal regulations and an order issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, students are strictly prohibited from arriving at classes in private vehicles,” the...

Pharmaceutical Business

Uzbek Agency Finds Systemic Failures in Dok-1 Max Case

Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency has identified serious systemic shortcomings in the pharmaceutical sector following an analysis of court materials related to the Dok-1 Max case, according to a report reviewed by Gazeta.uz. The agency’s findings point to weaknesses in the processes for registering, certifying, and licensing medicines, where insufficient transparency and limited digitalization allowed a high degree of human discretion. This, in turn, created conditions for corruption risks to emerge. The case has already led to criminal convictions. On February 26, 2024, a Tashkent court sentenced several individuals to prison terms ranging from three to 20 years. Court documents indicate that...

Jeffrey Epstein

Epstein “Mosque” on Private Island Linked to Tiles from Uzbekistan

A report by The New York Times has revealed new details about how financier Jeffrey Epstein sourced materials from several countries, including Uzbekistan, for a controversial building he described as a “mosque” on his private Caribbean island. According to the newspaper, Epstein pursued Islamic architectural elements for years for a personal project on Little Saint James. Among the materials he sought were tiles from Uzbekistan, which he intended to use in the structure’s interior. In a 2011 email cited in the report, Epstein contacted an associate in Uzbekistan requesting “authentic tiles,” noting that “it will be for the inside walls,...

Warsaw Convention

Kazakhstan Looks Abroad in Push to Recover Illegal Assets

Kazakhstan has taken a first step toward joining the Warsaw Convention, a Council of Europe treaty that would make it easier for prosecutors to follow suspected criminal assets across borders. The move remains tentative, however. The draft ratification law appeared on the Open NPA portal on April 23 with public discussion scheduled until May 20, but was removed to an archive two days later after the developer withdrew it for a “press release correction.” For now, the measure remains procedural. Its purpose is more concrete: to give prosecutors a stronger route into foreign jurisdictions where disputed wealth may sit behind...

Environment

Toktogul Reservoir

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Agree on Toktogul Water Releases

Energy and water ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral protocol in Tashkent on May 7 establishing agreed water release volumes and schedules from the Toktogul Reservoir for the next two months. The Toktogul Reservoir plays a central role in maintaining water and energy stability across Central Asia. The Toktogul Hydropower Plant, located on the Naryn River, the main tributary of the Syr Darya, is Kyrgyzstan’s largest power station and supplies around 40% of the country’s electricity. The reservoir serves a dual purpose: generating electricity for Kyrgyzstan while regulating water flows essential for downstream agriculture in Kazakhstan and...

Electric Vehicles

Kazakhstan to Introduce Green License Plates for Electric Vehicles

Regional Ecological Summit

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

Climate Change

Uzbekistan and China to Develop Early Warning Systems for Dust Storms

Regional Ecological Summit

Central Asia Seeks Solutions to Water Scarcity Amid Climate Risks

Kapchagay Reservoir

Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir Reaches 98% Capacity

Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir in the Almaty Region is now 98% full, holding 18.04 billion cubic meters of water, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. The reservoir collects water from the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China, and regulates water flow into Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan’s largest lake. During the most recent non-growing season, approximately 4 billion cubic meters of water were released from the reservoir into Lake Balkhash. Officials say the near-full capacity of the reservoir will ensure sufficient irrigation supplies for agricultural land in the Akdala and Shengeldy rural districts of the Almaty Region. “We maintain...

TCA Interviews

UNEP Interview: From Space, Central Asia’s Methane Challenge Comes Into Focus

Satellites are changing the way the world sees methane. What was once an invisible leak from a well, flare, pipeline, landfill, or coal mine can now be detected from space, traced to a specific site, and sent to governments and companies for action. A new analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory puts that system to the test. Its Methane Alert and Response System, known as MARS, uses 35 satellite instruments to identify major human-caused methane “super-emitters” and notify those responsible. UNEP says the system has already enabled 41 mitigation cases in 11 countries, covering sources...

kazakhstan wind power

China Energy Begins Construction of Major Wind Power Plant in Kazakhstan

Construction has begun on a 500 MW wind power plant in Kazakhstan, with the project being developed by a Kazakh–Chinese joint venture, Karaganda Wind Power LLP. The investment agreement was signed in April 2026, and construction of the facility in the Osakarov district was officially launched later last month, according to regional authorities. The project involves the development of a 500 MW wind farm, with total investment estimated at $645 million. Annual electricity generation is expected to reach around 1.6 billion kWh of green energy, with some earlier estimates placing the figure higher. Commissioning is scheduled for 2029, and the...

Water Scarcity

Opinion: As Water Runs Short, Uzbekistan Faces New Migration Pressure

In the 21st century, Uzbekistan is no longer just confronting an ecological crisis - it is on the verge of socio-political transformations driven by water. As agricultural lands are being degraded and river flows are decreasing, the country is now facing what experts describe as a “slow-onset disaster”: internal climate migration. The roots of this crisis go back to the tragedy of the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest lake, which has shrunk to roughly 10% of its original area since the 1960s largely due to Soviet-era irrigation projects. The human toll has been enormous: not only is agriculture in decline,...

Britain Expands Central Asia Ties as Kazakhstan Ratifies Strategic Partnership Deal

Latest

Features

Features

Bishkek’s Backlash, Russia’s New Red Lines, and a Caspian in Crisis

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

Bishkek’s Backlash, Russia’s New Red Lines, and a Caspian in Crisis

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ilyas Kanybek

Tsoberg Nadezhda and Marzhan Rakhymberdina

Anel Askar

Ken Moriyasu

Javier M. Piedra

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Javier M. Piedra

Dr. Bismillah Mangal

Raza Syed

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Tajikistan’s Rahmon Seeks Deeper Economic Ties During China Visit

Kazakhstan Sees No Major Risks From UAE Exit From OPEC+

Kazakhstan Plans New Measures to Attract Highly Skilled Foreign Workers

Uzbekistan Airports Signs Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal Tied to $6 Billion Biofuel Project

Uzbekistan Collects $5 Million From Foreign Digital Companies in First Quarter

Local Politics

Local Politics

Healthcare Workers in Turkmenistan Reportedly Forced to Pay Mandatory Fees to Public Association

Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan

School Digitalization in Turkmenistan Increases Workload for Teachers

Japarov, Tashiyev, and the Kompromat War

Uzbekistan to Restrict Foreign Access to Farmland as Land Reforms Advance

International Affairs

International Affairs

Kazakhstan Sees No Major Risks From UAE Exit From OPEC+

Britain Expands Central Asia Ties as Kazakhstan Ratifies Strategic Partnership Deal

Kazakhstan Assesses Risk of Hantavirus Spread After Cruise Ship Outbreak

Opinion: A New Southern Gate – How the EU-Armenia Summit Unlocks a Critical Branch for the Middle Corridor

Trade and Economic Park Planned at Border of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

Identity and a New National Canon: Interview with Kazakhstan Historian Zhaxylyk Sabitov

How Koreans Were Deported to Central Asia: Myths and Reality

Kazakhstan’s Population Is Aging Rapidly as Demographic Pressures Mount

Kazakhstan Returns to National Ice Hockey Team World Championship Top Division

Remains of Buddhist Temple Unearthed in Ancient Silk Road City in Kyrgyzstan

Justice

Justice

Former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Arrested in Rome Over Visa Scheme Allegations