Uzbekistan woos investors as dispute with Western firm goes to arbitration The government is trying to lure investors as it moves to revitalize a sluggish privatization drive. Joanna Lillis Mar 28, 2023
Kazakhstan poised to intensify vetting of re-exports to Russia Kazakh traders have been helping fill Russian demand for high-tech consumer goods and other items hard to obtain under Western sanctions. Joanna Lillis Mar 22, 2023
Kazakhstan bullish on oil exports despite fallout of war Pipelines to Russia carried 94 percent of Kazakh oil exports last year. Joanna Lillis Mar 9, 2023
Kazakhstan splurges to get Astana light rail back on track Though years behind schedule and stinking of corruption, the government wants to proceed with the Chinese-linked project. Joanna Lillis Feb 28, 2023
Fueling energy woes, Uzbekistan sees drop in gas output Production is falling as demand increases, forcing Uzbekistan to look to Russia for energy supplies. Joanna Lillis Feb 22, 2023
Kazakhstan seeks return of Nazarbayev-linked bank from London It appears to be yet another salvo against the disgraced former president. Joanna Lillis Feb 16, 2023
Uzbekistan resumes operations on Afghanistan railroad after dispute Afghanistan receives about half its imports on a single track from Uzbekistan. Joanna Lillis Feb 15, 2023
Sanctioned Russian buys into Kazakh airport in border region The firm hopes to create a regional aviation hub just over the Kazakh border. Joanna Lillis Feb 13, 2023
Kazakhstan: Smuggling still rife on border with China Customs officials are part of the problem. Joanna Lillis Feb 10, 2023
Uzbekistan: Storied rave to skip Karakalpakstan after violence Organizers say the move to Bukhara is not political, but Tashkent is keeping a close eye on Karakalpakstan after unrest last summer. Joanna Lillis Feb 7, 2023
Kazakhstan studies domesticating endangered saiga antelopes Farmers complain that rebounding populations are encroaching on their pastures. Joanna Lillis Feb 1, 2023
Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev relatives mull reducing share in major bank While any sale may have been long planned, the family may be under pressure to reduce its presence in Kazakhstan’s financial sector. Joanna Lillis Jan 30, 2023
Russia forges ahead with gas ambitions in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Moscow is driving forward its energy ambitions in Central Asia as it seeks new markets for gas that Europe now shuns. Joanna Lillis Jan 25, 2023
As Uzbekistan freezes, is it exporting valuable gas to China – or not? This latest winter energy crisis is undermining public confidence in the administration of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Joanna Lillis Jan 24, 2023
Kazakhstan: New migration rules to hit Russians fleeing the draft The changes make living long-term in Kazakhstan unviable for tens of thousands of Russian citizens who have fled the war. Joanna Lillis Jan 17, 2023
Uzbekistan: Courtroom dramas play out in trial over Karakalpakstan violence For all the government's boasts of transparency, critics of the trial say rigorous scrutiny has been sorely lacking. Joanna Lillis Jan 13, 2023
Kazakhstan slaps crypto miners with higher energy bills Miners flocked to Kazakhstan from China in 2021 after Beijing banned operations there. Joanna Lillis Jan 12, 2023
Uzbekistan kickstarts banking privatization with sale of ailing lender The bank is a minnow, but its sale allows Tashkent finally to start slashing state ownership of banking sector assets. Joanna Lillis Jan 9, 2023
Not lovin’ it: Russia’s war forces McDonald’s out of Kazakhstan McDonald’s exit offers the Kazakh beef industry food for thought. Joanna Lillis Jan 5, 2023
Russia’s war brings runaway inflation to Kazakhstan Inflation has continued to rise despite six interest rate hikes over the last year. Joanna Lillis Jan 5, 2023
Central Asia’s government-ordered internet blackouts costing millions Kazakhstan saw some of the priciest damage in the world. Joanna Lillis Jan 4, 2023
Kazakhstan moves uranium exports through Middle Corridor Sanctions are propelling a shift away from transit across Russia. Joanna Lillis Jan 3, 2023
Uzbekistan: 19 children dead from Indian-made cough syrup Uzbekistan is the second-largest market for Indian pharmaceuticals in the former Soviet Union. Joanna Lillis Jan 2, 2023
Kazakhstan finally floats state oil firm, revives privatization drive The “People’s IPO” program was conceived over a decade ago to create a class of retail investors in Kazakhstan. Joanna Lillis Dec 20, 2022
Uzbekistan: First private commercial airline to take off The state is ending its monopoly on the aviation sector by certifying a press-shy private carrier. Joanna Lillis Nov 28, 2022