The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Uzbekistan has completed its first international equity offering, as the state-backed National Investment Fund of Uzbekistan (UzNIF) began trading through a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Tashkent Stock Exchange. UzNIF raised $603.6 million by selling a 31% stake to international and domestic investors. The proceeds could...

Art and Culture

Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow

Central Asia is rarely presented on its own terms. It is more often viewed through exterior lenses like Russian imperial memory, Chinese reach, Silk Road romance, or great-power rivalry. The result is a region made to look secondary to the forces around it, even as its five countries carry deep...

Podcast

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

Education Reform

Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs

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

00:00 / 00:00

Sunkar Podcast

Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships

00:00 / 00:00

Opinions

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

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

Business & Economy

Trade and Logistics

Kazakhstan Proposes Kenyan Trade Hub to Access Eurasian Markets

Kazakhstan has proposed establishing a Kenyan trade and logistics hub on its territory to facilitate the export of Kenyan goods to Eurasian markets, as Astana seeks to position itself as a key transit link between Asia, Europe, and Africa. The initiative was announced by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan during the Kazakhstan-Kenya Business Forum, held as part of Kenya’s President William Ruto’s state visit to Astana. “We are committed to opening a Kenyan trade hub in Kazakhstan that will provide your businesses with direct access to the entire Eurasian region,” Tokayev told representatives of the Kenyan business community. Kazakhstan hopes...

Sanctions

Kyrgyzstan Orders 50 Companies to Cease Activity Over Sanctions Risks

Opinion: How AI Is Reshaping the Global Image of Nations

Foreign Trade

Kazakhstan’s Exports Rise Nearly 10% in First Quarter of 2026

IPO

Uzbekistan Conducts First Dual IPO in London and Tashkent

GSMA Summit

GSMA M360 Eurasia in Samarkand Highlights Push for Faster Digital Growth

Government officials, telecom executives, investors and startup founders gathered in Samarkand this week for GSMA M360 Eurasia 2026, an event focused on one of the region’s biggest questions: how to turn expanding connectivity into long-term economic growth. Held on May 20-21, the summit brought together policymakers and technology companies to discuss artificial intelligence, 5G deployment, digital public services, investment and startup ecosystems. New data released by the GSMA during the event suggests the mobile industry is becoming an increasingly important economic engine across Eurasia. According to the newly published Mobile Economy Eurasia 2026 report, mobile technologies and services generated $270...

Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)

EDB to Provide Tajikistan With $18.5 Million for Road Construction in Gorno-Badakhshan

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will finance the construction of a section of the Labidjar-Kalaikhumb highway in Tajikistan in a project aimed at improving transport connections with the country’s remote Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) and increasing access to mountainous areas. The financing agreement was signed by the EDB’s country director for Tajikistan, Vladimir Yakunin, and Tajik Finance Minister Fayziddin Kakhhorzoda. Under the agreement, the bank will provide Tajikistan with concessional financing totaling $18.5 million. Of that amount, $17 million will be issued as a loan, while an additional $1.5 million will be allocated as a targeted grant. The funds will...

Air Taxi

Air Taxi Service in Kazakhstan Unlikely to Launch Commercially Before 2029

An air taxi service being developed in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region is unlikely to begin full commercial operations before 2029, Almaty Region Governor Marat Sultangaziev said during test flights of the new transport system in Alatau, a newly established “city of the future” near Almaty. On May 19, Alatau hosted Central Asia’s first public launch of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, marking the debut of air taxi technology in the region. Developers say the electric air taxi is expected to help reduce traffic congestion, connect tourist destinations, and shorten travel times. The aircraft can reach speeds of up...

North-South Highway

Kyrgyzstan to Temporarily Open Alternative North-South Highway from June to November

Kyrgyzstan’s alternative North-South highway will be open to traffic from June to November 2026, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced. Preparatory work for the seasonal opening is currently underway, including the implementation of additional safety measures. The long-anticipated 433-kilometer highway is a strategic transport corridor linking Balykchy in the Issyk-Kul Region with Jalal-Abad in southern Kyrgyzstan. Approximately 200 kilometers of the route pass through areas where no roads previously existed. Key engineering achievements along the route include Kyrgyzstan’s longest tunnel, located at the Kok-Art mountain pass, and two major overpass bridges. Once operational, the highway is expected to...

Local Politics

National Identity

Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative

A major international symposium dedicated to the Golden Horde opened this week in Kazakhstan’s capital, underscoring the country’s growing effort to redefine its historical narrative and national identity through the legacy of the Great Steppe. The symposium, held under the patronage of UNESCO and titled “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture and Identity,” brought together more than 300 scholars, including 120 foreign researchers from over 20 countries. The event reflects Kazakhstan’s effort to align its national narrative with a growing body of scholarship that treats nomadic societies not as a “backward” alternative to sedentary...

Education

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Foreign Teachers to Ease Education Staff Shortage

Animal Rights

Kazakhstan Renews Debate Over Stray Animals After Parliament Approves Euthanasia Amendments

Mandatory Contributions

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

Parental Responsibility

Turkmenistan Introduces New Fines for Parents Over Children’s Misconduct

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...

Afghan Refugees

Tajikistan Officially Confirms Deportation of Afghan Refugees

Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security (GKNB) has publicly commented for the first time on the deportation of Afghan citizens from the country, citing alleged violations of national law and crimes that the authorities said had sparked public outrage. The statement followed an appeal by Afghan citizen Muhammad Hakim Tursun, who criticized the deportation of his compatriots. In its response, published through the state news agency Khovar, the security service claimed that some Afghan citizens living in Tajikistan had “grossly violated the requirements of the law” despite being provided with conditions for residence, work, and education. To justify the deportations,...

Elections

Kazakhstan Rules Out Fines for Not Voting in Elections

Kazakhstan does not plan to introduce compulsory voting or impose fines on citizens who fail to participate in elections and referendums, Central Election Commission (CEC) Secretary Shavkat Utemisov said. Speaking on the sidelines of a joint session of parliament, Utemisov acknowledged that declining voter participation, particularly among young people, remains a challenge in Kazakhstan. He said, however, that the country does not intend to adopt practices used in some states where voting is mandatory. Utemisov added that some countries have lowered the voting age, citing Belgium, while others impose penalties, including fines, on citizens who fail to appear at polling...

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...

International Affairs

Border Disputes

UN General Assembly Adopts Kyrgyzstan-Led Resolution on Border Disputes

On May 20, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a Kyrgyzstan-backed resolution titled “Peaceful Settlement of Border Disputes,” Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry announced. More than 40 countries co-sponsored the document. The resolution was presented by Kyrgyzstan jointly with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. According to the ministry, the main purpose of the resolution is to share with the international community the historic achievement of the three Central Asian countries in resolving border disputes through peaceful means, including dialogue and negotiations, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. The resolution proposes what Kyrgyz officials described as a simple and universal...

UN Security Council

Japarov Calls for Support of Kyrgyzstan’s Bid for UN Security Council Seat

Iran

Kazakhstan Signals Nuclear Diplomacy Role as Iran Uranium Dispute Intensifies

TRACECA

Kazakhstan’s TRACECA Chairmanship Pushes Transit Corridor Expansion

Organization of Turkic States

Turkic States Focus on AI and Trade at Kazakhstan Summit

Russian Influence

Russian Official Says West Is Seeking to Reduce Moscow’s Influence in Central Asia

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has accused Western countries of attempting to weaken Russia’s position in Central Asia by expanding their economic and strategic influence across the region, according to an interview published by the Russian newspaper Izvestia. Galuzin said the United States and the European Union are seeking greater control over key transport corridors and natural resources in Central Asia, presenting their engagement as efforts to diversify economies and strengthen regional resilience. However, he argued that such initiatives are driven by broader geopolitical objectives. “We note the desire of the United States and the European Union to take...

Middle Powers

Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor?

Against the backdrop of growing global fragmentation and the weakening of universal international institutions, the role of so-called middle powers is increasing. These are states able to influence regional agendas without possessing great-power status. In this changing system, Central Asia is gradually moving beyond its long-standing image as a geopolitical periphery and is beginning to act more like a region with shared interests. For decades, the region was viewed mainly as a space where the interests of external powers, including Russia, China, the U.S., and others, intersected. Today, that paradigm is beginning to shift. Central Asia is showing greater signs...

Organization of Turkic States (OTS)

OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity

Last Friday, the Kazakh city of Turkistan, officially promoted as the “spiritual capital” of the Turkic world, hosted an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The official theme was artificial intelligence and digital development, but the meeting also highlighted older questions about the OTS’s political identity, its relationship with Russia, and Ankara’s influence within the Turkic world. Because the gathering was informal, much of what took place remained behind closed doors. Yet public statements, official readouts, and subsequent commentary offered clues about the tensions and competing agendas within the organization. The summit brought together the presidents of...

Iran

Kazakhstan Sends Humanitarian Aid to Iran

Kazakhstan has dispatched 30 railway wagons of humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Iran, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced on May 16. The shipment – which included staple food supplies such as canned meat, sugar, flour, as well as medicines – is intended to support the Iranian population and help meet essential social needs. A diplomatic handover ceremony to mark the occasion was arranged at Serakhs railway station, on Turkmenistan's border with Iran. Those present included Ontalap Onalbayev, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Iran; representatives of the Iranian Red Crescent Society; and the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s representative office in its northwestern...

Life & Culture

Myths

Kazakhstan’s Haunted Steppe: Myths, Cold War Ruins, and Unexplained Phenomena

Kazakhstan’s vast steppes, deserts, mountains, and abandoned Soviet sites have produced a mythology of their own. Some stories are folklore. Others grew from real geography, ecological disaster, nuclear testing, secretive institutions, and the long shadow of the Cold War. That mix helps explain why tales of lost islands, strange stones, atomic ghosts, and unidentified flying objects still circulate across the country. The most interesting stories are not necessarily the ones that prove anything paranormal. They are the ones that show how history and landscape can turn into legend. You Will Go But Never Return One of Kazakhstan’s best-known mysterious places...

Art and Culture

Japanese Spring Festival Celebrates Central Asia Through Manga

Art and Culture

Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow

TCA Interviews

Screenwriter Yefrat Sharipov on AI and the Future of Kazakhstani Cinema

Demographics

Kazakhstan’s Demographic Shift Puts Labor Market Under Strain

World Table Tennis Championships

Astana to Host 2027 World Table Tennis Championships

The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Astana 2027 will take place in Kazakhstan’s capital from May 22 to May 30, 2027, becoming the first world table tennis championship ever held in Central Asia. The tournament was officially presented at the ADD Table Tennis Center Astana. According to Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev, the country will host seven international Olympic sports tournaments in 2027, with the World Table Tennis Championships expected to become one of the year’s largest sporting events. Representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to participate. The main venue will be Barys...

TCA Interviews

“Between Worlds”: Filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova on Migration and Identity

Kazakhstani filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova belongs to a new generation of directors whose careers have unfolded across countries and cultures. Before establishing herself as an auteur filmmaker, the London Film School graduate worked on international productions filmed in Kazakhstan, South Africa, Guatemala, Malaysia, and the United States. Her short film History of Civilization won the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival; several years later, her debut feature Becoming also premiered there. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Alshanova discusses migration, identity, the Western film industry, the creative vulnerability of young directors, and what it means to make...

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, 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 be covering the highly successful OTS summit in Turkistan, alongside Putin's notably bad day at the...

Space Exploration

Uzbekistan Plans to Send First National Cosmonaut Into Space by 2028

Uzbekistan plans to send its first national cosmonaut into orbit by October 2028, according to officials from the country’s space agency, as Tashkent expands its ambitions in the field of space exploration. Uzbekcosmos Deputy Director Muhiddin Ibrohimov said the mission is expected to last about 14 days and is currently under discussion with the three countries capable of conducting human spaceflights: the United States, Russia, and China. According to Ibrohimov, all three countries have expressed their readiness to cooperate with Uzbekistan on the project. He said the future Uzbek cosmonaut is expected to return from space with the results of...

Justice

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

Forced Labor

Forced Labor in Turkmenistan the Target of New EU-ILO Project

U.S. Scholar Wins Copyright Case in Uzbekistan Over Unauthorized Distribution of Bygone Days Translation

Religious Freedom

Uzbekistan National Deported From Russia Over Public Prayer

Forced Labor

Turkmen State Employees Forced Back Into Cotton Harvest Campaign

The authorities in Turkmenistan have again mobilized public-sector employees for the annual cotton harvest, forcing teachers, doctors, municipal workers, and other state employees either to work in the fields or pay for replacement laborers from their own salaries. The renewed campaign comes as international brands continue to face growing risks that what activists describe as “toxic” Turkmen cotton may still be entering global supply chains. According to Dialectic, the authorities have abandoned even the limited relaxations introduced in some regions during previous harvest seasons. Cotton remains one of Turkmenistan’s key export commodities. Each year, the state sets a harvest target...

Administrative Detention

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

A Russian citizen has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention in Almaty after publishing a video criticizing bureaucratic procedures in Kazakhstan and using offensive language, according to Kazakhstan’s news agency KazTAG and the Almaty police department. The woman had traveled to Almaty to obtain a bank card and later posted a video on social media describing her frustration with queues, paperwork, and banking procedures. In the recording, she said she felt “like an Uzbek in Russia,” a remark that drew criticism online, particularly among users in Kazakhstan who viewed the statement as offensive. The video quickly circulated on...

Jeffrey Epstein

Woman From Uzbekistan Says Jeffrey Epstein Abused Her for Years

A woman from Uzbekistan has publicly accused the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her over several years after she was recruited as a teenager with promises of a modeling career in the United States. According to the BBC, the woman, identified only as Roza, spoke publicly for the first time during a field hearing organized by Democratic members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee in West Palm Beach, Florida, a location lawmakers said was chosen because it was where Epstein’s crimes first became known. According to Roza’s testimony, she met French modeling agent Jean-Luc...

Pension

Tajikistan Pension Payments Suspended For 14,000 People Over Biometric Identification Rules

Authorities in Tajikistan have temporarily suspended pension payments to more than 14,000 people who failed to complete mandatory biometric identification procedures, according to the country’s Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions. The agency said that 14,022 pensioners did not complete the required re-registration process, resulting in the temporary suspension of transfers to their bank cards. Officials did not specify exactly when the payments were blocked. The pension re-registration campaign began in Tajikistan in the second half of November 2025 and was scheduled to conclude by the end of March this year. To complete the process, pensioners are required to appear...

Environment

Water

Turkmenistan Has World’s Highest Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita

Turkmenistan has recorded the world’s highest annual freshwater withdrawal per capita, a ranking that points to the heavy strain placed on water resources by irrigated agriculture, particularly cotton production, according to international data based on statistics from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank. The country’s position at the top of the ranking is driven not by household consumption, but by the massive use of water in agriculture, particularly in the cotton sector. The ranking is therefore less a measure of individual water use than an indicator of structural dependence on irrigation in an extremely arid...

Glacier Melt

Pamir Glaciers Rapidly Melting Even Above 5,000 Meters, Tajik Scientists Warn

World Bank

Launch of Kyrgyzstan Carbon Finance Initiative with World Bank Support

Toktogul Reservoir

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Agree on Toktogul Water Releases

Electric Vehicles

Kazakhstan to Introduce Green License Plates for Electric Vehicles

Water Crisis

Tajikistan and UN to Host Water Crisis Conference in Dushanbe

Tajikistan and the United Nations will co-host the 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development " 2018-2028 next week, as Central Asia and other regions face increasing water scarcity because of climate change, higher consumption, and other factors. Delegates to the May 25-28 water conference in Dushanbe include government officials, scientists, executives from financial institutions and civil society members from around the world. The goal of creating “sustainable” water resources is especially critical in Central Asia, where there is growing concern that shortages could threaten public health and stir tension between upstream and...

Water Consumption

Central Asian Countries Rank Among World’s Highest Water Consumers

Several Central Asian countries rank among the world’s highest consumers of water per person, according to data compiled by the Worldometer portal. The figures, based on statistics from UN agencies including UNESCO and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), place Turkmenistan first globally, with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan also in the top ten. The figures highlight a long-standing regional challenge: heavy dependence on water-intensive agriculture combined with aging irrigation systems that lose substantial amounts of water before it reaches fields. Turkmenistan leads the global ranking with daily water consumption of 15,445 liters per person. Uzbekistan ranks fourth worldwide at...

Irrigation

Kazakhstan Sets Irrigation Limits for Southern Regions and Reduces Water-Intensive Crops

Kazakhstan has introduced limits on irrigation water use in its southern regions and is reducing the cultivation of water-intensive crops as authorities seek to prevent shortages during the 2026 growing season. At a government meeting on May 12, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said reservoirs in the country’s southern regions had accumulated 26.2 billion cubic meters of water, 500 million cubic meters more than during the same period last year. Agriculture in Kazakhstan’s arid southern regions depends heavily on water collected during the spring snowmelt period, as well as water flowing from upstream Kyrgyzstan. To avoid irrigation...

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...

Kyrgyzstan Orders 50 Companies to Cease Activity Over Sanctions Risks

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

Sergey Akhmetov

Timur Serikuly

Matthew Davies

Timur Serikuly

Charles McLean

Ken Moriyasu

Aidar Borangaziyev

Ilyas Kanybek

Tsoberg Nadezhda and Marzhan Rakhymberdina

Anel Askar

Ken Moriyasu

Javier M. Piedra

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Proposes Kenyan Trade Hub to Access Eurasian Markets

GSMA M360 Eurasia in Samarkand Highlights Push for Faster Digital Growth

EDB to Provide Tajikistan With $18.5 Million for Road Construction in Gorno-Badakhshan

Air Taxi Service in Kazakhstan Unlikely to Launch Commercially Before 2029

Kyrgyzstan to Temporarily Open Alternative North-South Highway from June to November

Local Politics

Local Politics

Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative

Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs

Tajikistan Officially Confirms Deportation of Afghan Refugees

Kazakhstan Rules Out Fines for Not Voting in Elections

Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan

International Affairs

International Affairs

UN General Assembly Adopts Kyrgyzstan-Led Resolution on Border Disputes

Russian Official Says West Is Seeking to Reduce Moscow’s Influence in Central Asia

Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor?

OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity

Kazakhstan Sends Humanitarian Aid to Iran

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

Kazakhstan’s Haunted Steppe: Myths, Cold War Ruins, and Unexplained Phenomena

Astana to Host 2027 World Table Tennis Championships

“Between Worlds”: Filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova on Migration and Identity

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

Uzbekistan Plans to Send First National Cosmonaut Into Space by 2028

Justice

Justice

American Professor and Longtime Central Asia Researcher Denied Entry to Kyrgyzstan