The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Kazakhstan will receive the maximum 8% country weight in JPMorgan’s new index for frontier market government bonds, creating an opportunity to attract new foreign buyers of tenge-denominated debt. JPMorgan plans to launch the GBI-EM Edge by the end of September. The maximum weight for any single country is capped at...

Film Festival

Women, Cinema and Changing Kazakhstan at QYZQARAS 2026

From August 20 to 30, Almaty hosted the third edition of QYZQARAS, an independent international film festival dedicated to women directors’ voices and the female gaze in cinema. Held this year at the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, the festival presented 21 feature films, including five notable works from Central...

Central Asia-South Korea summit 2026

South Korea and Uzbekistan Sign 13 Agreements as Seoul Deepens Cooperation Across Central Asia

Uzbekistan and South Korea signed 13 cooperation documents during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Seoul on September 14, covering areas including critical minerals, artificial intelligence, rail transport and defense. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will host the first summit with all five Central Asian states on September 16. The...

Secularism

Kazakhstan Hijab Debate Exposes Divide Over Secularism

Women’s Employment

Why Uzbekistan Is Losing Women Engineers

A young graduate of an energy college in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya Region spent two years working with Acwa, one of the country’s largest foreign energy companies. When the company offered her a permanent job in Tashkent, her parents were reluctant to let her move to the capital. Company representatives invited the...

CSTO

For the CSTO, Afghanistan Might Be the Last Credible Threat

Martial Moves, Peculiar Procurement, and the Sixth Nomad Games

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Dastan
Short Stories from the Region

Dastan: Sobir Ruziev, Soviet Fencer Who Elevated Uzbek Sport

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Opinions

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.

Opinion: Beyond Multivectorism – What Kyrgyzstan’s UN Security Council Win Really Shows

Zamirbek Minbaev

Business & Economy

Economic Growth

Kazakhstan Ranks 38th in IMD World Competitiveness Ranking

Kazakhstan ranked 38th among 70 economies in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. With an index score of 65.4, Kazakhstan ranked ahead of Spain, Portugal, Poland, India, and Italy. Singapore took first place, followed by Hong Kong and Switzerland. The annual ranking assesses economies across four main areas — economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure. IMD combines statistical data with a survey of senior executives. Hard data account for two-thirds of the ranking and covered 172 criteria in 2026, while responses from around 6,900 executives were used for another 92 criteria. IMD’s methodology explains that the indicators are...

Bonds Investments

Kazakhstan to Receive Maximum Weight in New JPMorgan Bond Index

Gold Mining

AzerGold Eyes Gold Mining Projects in Kyrgyzstan

Central Asia-South Korea summit 2026

South Korea and Uzbekistan Sign 13 Agreements as Seoul Deepens Cooperation Across Central Asia

Women’s Employment

Why Uzbekistan Is Losing Women Engineers

TCA Interviews

Kyrgyzstan’s High-Wire Act: Sanctions, Compliance, and National Interest

On September 2, the day after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, The Times of Central Asia spoke with Bakyt Sydykov, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Economy and Commerce and Special Presidential Representative for Sanctions Policy. He outlined the government’s approach to sanctions compliance and protecting Kyrgyz businesses. Sanctions exposure can affect Kyrgyz banks and businesses, as well as their international partners. U.S. secondary sanctions and EU and UK measures affecting foreign entities operate through different legal mechanisms. Some portions of the text have been edited for clarity. TCA: The sanctions against Russia adopted by the U.S.,...

State Asset Sales

Uzbekistan Privatization: Unsold State Assets Relisted With $85 Opening Bids

Uzbekistan has begun putting previously unsold state assets back on the market, with opening bids starting at 1 million Uzbek soums, or about $85. The first lots include stakes in small companies, a district laboratory, vacant buildings, and a former mineral fertilizer warehouse. That figure is the opening bid in an electronic auction, not a valuation of the property. The final price will be determined by bidding. The new rules took effect on September 8 and cover 84 previously unsold assets. They are part of a new privatization package approved by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on August 28. The government also...

Digital Economy

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 Brings Startups and Investors to Tashkent

Tashkent will host ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 from September 22 to 25, bringing together startup founders, investors, technology companies, and industry experts from Uzbekistan and abroad. The four-day event will be held at CAEx, the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan exhibition center. Its startup and investment programme will focus on technology entrepreneurship, venture capital, and the international expansion of Uzbek companies. The Times of Central Asia is a media partner of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 and will cover key developments and discussions taking place during the event. The startup and investment programme will begin on September 22 with the Startup &...

Mining Investment

Indian Gold Mining Project in Kyrgyzstan Reaches Production Stage

An Indian-backed gold project has moved into the production stage at the high-altitude Solton-Sary deposit in Kyrgyzstan, nearly five years after its developer signed an agreement with the state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn company. Deccan Gold Mines says it is the first Indian investment in Kyrgyzstan’s gold mining sector to reach this stage. On September 12, a gold processing plant began test operations at the Altyn-Tor section of the Solton-Sary deposit in the Naryn Region. The project is being developed by Avelum Partner, in which India’s Deccan Gold Mines holds a controlling stake, together with Kyrgyzaltyn. The two sides have been working together since...

Local Politics

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

Migration Policy

Kazakhstan Prepares QazETA Entry Authorization for Visa-Free Travelers

GKNB

Maksat Asanaliyev Approved as Kyrgyzstan Security Service Chief

Akorda

Erlan Karin’s Appointment Links Reform and National Identity

Secularism

Kazakhstan Hijab Debate Exposes Divide Over Secularism

Kazakhstan’s long-running controversy over hijabs in schools has collided with a wider public argument about religion, exposing sharp differences among prominent public figures and institutions over the boundaries of the country’s secular model. The latest religious controversy in Kazakhstan’s social media space was triggered by two statements made within the span of a week. On September 3, well-known Kazakhstani film and entertainment producer and former television host Bayan Alaguzova wrote on Threads that she was “tired of religion and its propaganda.” “I’ll say this right away,” she added. “There’s no need to frighten me with hell – it doesn’t exist...

Education

Kazakhstan Tests AI After Finding 700 Errors in School Textbooks

Kazakhstan is testing artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an overhaul of school textbooks after the Education Ministry identified around 700 errors in existing educational materials. A pilot digital textbook platform is already being used in 40 schools while the authorities consider how AI could improve future editions. One of the more striking errors is in an 11th-grade history textbook, which still refers to the capital as Nur-Sultan, even though the name Astana was restored in September 2022. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova confirmed on September 8 that the textbook, last updated in 2024, will be reissued next year. Suleimenova referred...

Government Appointments

New Kazakhstan Government Retains Core Economic Team

Kazakhstan completed the formation of its first government under the country’s new unicameral parliament on September 3. Olzhas Bektenov remains prime minister and the core economic team will stay in place, but there were changes at the foreign, culture and information, ecology, and emergency situations ministries. The government resigned on August 28 following the election of the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament, which replaced the Senate and Mazhilis. Ministers continued serving in an acting capacity while the new cabinet was formed. On August 31, the Kurultai approved Bektenov’s candidacy for prime minister. He received 137 votes, with seven lawmakers abstaining...

Government appointments

Mukhtar Tleuberdi Returns as Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Mukhtar Tleuberdi as foreign minister on September 2. One of Kazakhstan’s most experienced diplomats is returning to a post he previously held from 2019 to 2023. For the past three years, Tleuberdi has represented Kazakhstan in Austria and at international organizations in Vienna. Tleuberdi replaces Yermek Kosherbayev, who had headed the Foreign Ministry since September 2025. The change comes as a new administration takes shape following the election of the Kurultai. Kosherbayev spent less than a year in the post, but his tenure coincided with an intensification of Kazakhstan’s relationship with the United States. In...

International Affairs

C5+South Korea

What Could Come Next in Kazakhstan-South Korea Relations

The first Central Asia-Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul on September 16 will elevate South Korea’s multilateral cooperation with the five countries of the region to heads-of-state level. The Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum has existed since 2007 but until now has remained primarily a ministerial mechanism. Seoul is now seeking to establish a sustainable multilateral framework at the leaders’ level. The summit’s agenda is broad, with a focus on innovation, prosperity, and connectivity. One of its main outcomes is expected to be the Seoul Declaration, setting out a medium- and long-term vision for cooperation in supply chains, emerging industries, and...

Migration

Nearly 100,000 Uzbeks Return From Russia as Labor Migration Slows

Women in Media

Central Asian Women Journalists Set Regional Priorities Through 2029

BRICS

Tokayev Meets U.S. Envoy Sergio Gor on Sidelines of BRICS Summit

Artificial Intelligence

Kazakhstan Prepares for China Investment Forum While Pursuing U.S. AI Ties

C5+South Korea

Kazakhstan Courts South Korean Investment During Tokayev’s Seoul Visit

Kazakhstan is using President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Seoul to press for deeper South Korean involvement in its critical-minerals sector, seeking to extend a relationship already built around cars, energy, and infrastructure into mining and processing. On September 15, Tokayev is holding talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, with a packed agenda that includes trade, energy, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence. The two sides are expected to exchange 13 bilateral memorandums of understanding following the meeting. Ahead of the visit, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency that artificial intelligence and critical minerals...

Central Asia-South Korea summit 2026

South Korea and ADB Expand Central Asia Critical Minerals Push

Two days before South Korea hosts its first summit with all five Central Asian countries on September 16, Seoul held a series of talks with the Asian Development Bank over how Korean technology and financing could be used in critical-mineral projects in the region. On September 14, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met ADB President Masato Kanda in Seoul, where they agreed to work more closely on critical-mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence, and energy. Kanda later held separate talks with South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol. More specifically, the two discussed combining ADB financing with the technology and expertise...

CSTO

For the CSTO, Afghanistan Might Be the Last Credible Threat

The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization is conducting its “Rubezh (Frontier) 2026” military exercises from September 12-19. Those exercises are designed with Afghanistan in mind, a country that the CSTO has been talking about frequently in 2026, and also one where militant groups pose a shared threat to its members. And even the Taliban are no longer viewed as the threat they once were. Frontier 2026 The Frontier 2026 exercises are taking place at the Koktal training ground in southeastern Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Province. The CSTO’s Rapid Deployment Force is practicing to repel cross-border incursions in mountain and desert terrain. The...

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Space Days Kazakhstan Highlights Push Beyond Baikonur

Kazakhstan is home to Baikonur, the cosmodrome from which the Space Age began, but the country has spent three decades trying to turn that Soviet inheritance into a space sector of its own. At Space Days Kazakhstan, held on September 7–9 in Astana and Baikonur, Kazakhstan presented new satellite projects and plans for international cooperation. A day later, talks with China were announced on a separate five-satellite network for Central Asia. By 2030, Astana plans to assemble an international constellation of nine Earth-observation satellites, six of them Kazakh. The country is also upgrading its national satellite communications system, developing new...

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 covers world leaders arriving in Bishkek for the SCO summit, one Central Asian state proposing new martial-law amendments that could concentrate...

Architectural Heritage

Ashgabat’s Postwar Architecture Is Disappearing One Building at a Time

Cinema

Kazakhstani Director Darkhan Tulegenov: “We Have Long Been Part of the Global Film Industry”

World Nomad Games

Kazakhstan Tops World Nomad Games Amid Conflicting Medal Counts

Cultural Heritage

The Art of the Witty Reply: How Uzbek Askiya Works

Elena Rybakina

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina Wins US Open Ahead of World No. 1 Debut

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina has won the US Open women’s singles title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in New York to claim the third Grand Slam championship of her career. Rybakina entered the final having already secured the world No. 1 ranking following her quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen. She will officially take the top position when the new WTA rankings are published on Monday, becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach No. 1 in singles. The US Open title adds to her Wimbledon championship in 2022 and Australian Open victory earlier this year. She has now won three...

Education

New OECD Assessment Reveals Central Asia’s Student Performance

International student assessments help governments identify where students are succeeding, where they are falling behind and how learning outcomes are changing over time. The Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, tests how well 15-year-olds can apply what they have learned in science, mathematics and reading to real-world problems. Run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the assessment is intended to identify weaknesses and track whether learning improves over time. The results released on September 8 show improvement in some areas, declines in others and significant gaps in the regional data. PISA 2025 placed particular emphasis on...

World Nomad Games

World Nomad Games Face Growing Pains as Crowds Swell

On many levels, the sixth World Nomad Games were a success. Large crowds filled venues in Bishkek and around Issyk-Kul, with organizers saying more than 200,000 people had visited Kyrchyn Gorge by September 3. The opening ceremony alone drew swathes of spectators, and the Games brought traditional sports before an international audience on a scale far beyond their first edition in 2014. However, when the skies opened in the Kyrchyn Gorge, the crowds, journalists and athletes alike found themselves stranded. Long queues waited impatiently for buses that had stopped coming. The mountain setting that made this part of the festival...

Elena Rybakina

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina To Become World No. 1

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has secured the No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career after defeating Zheng Qinwen of China in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Rybakina, 27, is the first man or woman from Kazakhstan to ascend to the top of the rankings, according to the WTA. She overtakes Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and will officially become the new No. 1 in singles when the updated rankings are released after the U.S. Open on September 14, the WTA said. Moscow-born Rybakina said she dreamed of becoming the world’s top-ranked player since she was a...

Justice

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

Psychology

Psychologists in Kyrgyzstan Face New Regulation Push

Kamchybek Tashiyev

Kyrgyz Prosecutors Seek Nine-Year Prison Terms for Tashiyev and Seven Others

Islam and National Identity

Dombra Dispute and Niqab Bans Fuel Religious Debate in Central Asia

Opinion

Opinion: How Europe Balances Conditions and Interests in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has enjoyed preferential access to the EU market under GSP+ since 2021. The program removes tariffs on thousands of products for countries that commit to implementing international conventions on human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and governance. Uzbekistan is one of two Central Asian countries, alongside Kyrgyzstan, participating in GSP+. Tajikistan receives the less generous standard GSP preferences, while Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are outside the scheme because they are classified as upper-middle-income economies. Uzbekistan makes extensive use of the program. In 2024, its preference utilization rate, the share of eligible exports entering the EU duty-free, was 92.2%. EU imports...

Illegal Migration

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

Uzbekistan wants to introduce a separate criminal offense for organizers of illegal migration, carrying penalties of up to 15 years in prison. The proposal comes at a time when large numbers of Uzbeks continue to work abroad, with Russia still the largest destination, even as conditions for migrant workers there become increasingly restrictive and risky. The draft amendments are open for public discussion until September 8. They would create a new criminal offense for organizing or assisting illegal migration for financial gain, including arranging unlawful border crossings or transit through Uzbekistan. Penalties would start at three to five years in prison...

Bloggers’ Rights

Uzbekistan’s New Bloggers’ Council Has No Confirmed Leader

Uzbekistan’s Union of Journalists says it plans to help bloggers when officials refuse to provide information or when they face pressure over their work. The proposal follows several prosecutions of bloggers known for reporting on alleged local corruption or criticizing public officials. The initiative immediately encountered a leadership problem: one day after the Creative Council of Bloggers was announced, the blogger expected to lead it said he had declined the position. The Union of Journalists announced the council on August 7, saying the decision reflected the growing role of bloggers in Uzbekistan. According to the union, bloggers increasingly compete with...

Cybersecurity

Kazakhstan Examines Data Leak Claim Involving 15 Million People

A database allegedly containing the personal information of 15 million people in Kazakhstan has appeared on the dark web. The seller is asking 0.5 bitcoin, about $32,000, for a dataset containing tens of millions of records. The seller claims the information was obtained after hacking the government’s eGov portal. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has not confirmed that account. Specialists are examining samples of the database and trying to determine where the data came from. The sale was reported by the Russian Telegram channel Mash. According to the channel, the file is about 2.7 GB and contains...

Environment

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...

Glaciers

Tajikistan Glacier Mudflows Warning Issued as Climate Risks Grow

Methane Emissions

Turkmenistan Methane Emissions Under Scrutiny After 192 UN Alerts

Opinion

Can Uzbekistan’s Green Transition Offset Its Gas Decline?

Desertification

UN Desertification Forum Highlights Central Asian Land Degradation

Central Asia Water Cooperation

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

Central Asia is entering a period of growing water stress, as climate change makes supplies less predictable while demand continues to rise. Populations are growing, economies require new energy and industrial capacity, glaciers are shrinking, and agriculture continues to consume most of the available water. The region’s two main rivers – the Amu Darya and Syr Darya – cross national borders, making it impossible for any one country to solve the problem on its own. After decades of disputes, Central Asian states are increasingly trying to manage water jointly. In 2026, that cooperation has produced further practical steps, from plans...

Cotton

Uzbekistan Cotton: Mirziyoyev Decries ‘Slaves to Cotton’ Past

For decades now, anyone driving through Uzbekistan, especially through agricultural areas, would likely at some point along the road have encountered a hill with rocks arranged near the top to spell out “Paxta – Bizning Oq Oltinimiz.” It translates from Uzbek as “Cotton is our white gold” and it was a mantra in Uzbekistan going back to the days of the Soviet Union. However, Uzbekistan’s current president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, does not share this view of cotton’s value to his people and was recently cited as saying the crop turned many people in Uzbekistan into “slaves of cotton.” A Black History...

Semipalatinsk Test Site

Tokayev Calls for Nuclear Talks 35 Years After Semipalatinsk Closure

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for negotiations among nuclear powers and urged faster action to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, designed to prohibit all nuclear test explosions, into force as Kazakhstan marked the 35th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site on August 29. The date also marks the International Day against Nuclear Tests, established by the UN General Assembly at Kazakhstan’s initiative in 2009. “Our country’s position as one of the leaders of the global anti-nuclear movement remains unchanged. We call for negotiations among nuclear powers, the earliest possible entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban...

Aral Sea

Aral Sea Restoration Could Prevent 605 Million Tons of CO2 Emissions

The drying of the Aral Sea has created another environmental problem: according to a study, exposed lakebed sediments released about 748 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere between 1960 and 2022. Organic carbon remains stored in the sediments, and restoring part of the water cover could prevent the release of another 605 million tons of CO2. This gives efforts to restore the Aral Sea region a new climate dimension. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers led by scientists from Spain’s Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), was published in Science on July 16. The findings...

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

Latest

Features

Features

Martial Moves, Peculiar Procurement, and the Sixth Nomad Games

Latest

Dastan: Sobir Ruziev, Soviet Fencer Who Elevated Uzbek Sport

Martial Moves, Peculiar Procurement, and the Sixth Nomad Games

Dastan: Sobir Ruziev, Soviet Fencer Who Elevated Uzbek Sport

Opinions

Opinions

Issatay Minuarov

Timur Serikuly

Javier M. Piedra

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

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Ranks 38th in IMD World Competitiveness Ranking

Kyrgyzstan’s High-Wire Act: Sanctions, Compliance, and National Interest

Uzbekistan Privatization: Unsold State Assets Relisted With $85 Opening Bids

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 Brings Startups and Investors to Tashkent

Indian Gold Mining Project in Kyrgyzstan Reaches Production Stage

Local Politics

Local Politics

Kazakhstan Education Reform Puts 12th Grade Under Review

Kazakhstan Hijab Debate Exposes Divide Over Secularism

Kazakhstan Tests AI After Finding 700 Errors in School Textbooks

New Kazakhstan Government Retains Core Economic Team

Mukhtar Tleuberdi Returns as Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister

International Affairs

International Affairs

What Could Come Next in Kazakhstan-South Korea Relations

Kazakhstan Courts South Korean Investment During Tokayev’s Seoul Visit

South Korea and ADB Expand Central Asia Critical Minerals Push

For the CSTO, Afghanistan Might Be the Last Credible Threat

Space Days Kazakhstan Highlights Push Beyond Baikonur

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

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

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina Wins US Open Ahead of World No. 1 Debut

New OECD Assessment Reveals Central Asia’s Student Performance

World Nomad Games Face Growing Pains as Crowds Swell

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina To Become World No. 1

Justice

Justice

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