Central Asia | Eurasianet

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the US interest in cooperation with Central Asian countries. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

US shows interest in bolstering ties with Central Asian states

Washington interested in widening access to region’s mineral wealth.

Feb 26, 2025

A lab professional is examining equipment donated by the United States in 2021 to help Kazakhstan combat COVID-19. (Photo: U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Kazakhstan)

Russian media regurgitating conspiracy theory about US biological warfare experiments in Kazakhstan

Prospect of normalizing relations with United States does not deter disinformation campaign.

Feb 25, 2025

The Trans-Alai mountain range on the frontier between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. (Photo: twiga269 EVEREST via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan put border troubles behind them

Opening way for commerce.

Feb 24, 2025

An unidentified drone discovered in West Kazakhstan. (Eye witness photo via mgorod.kz)

Who flew a reconnaissance drone into Kazakhstan?

Is Moscow making more mischief?

Feb 21, 2025

U.S.-sponsored aid being unloaded in Tajikistan in 2020. (Sayora Khalimova, USAID/Central Asia)

State Department keeping foreign assistance on hold

Plaintiffs want top government officials held in contempt.

Feb 20, 2025

A rendering of the Jebel airport currently under construction. (Photo: gov.tm)

Turkmenistan making moves to integrate into Middle Corridor trade routes

Ashgabat wants to join the party.

Feb 19, 2025

Children from the Center of Children’s Protection act in a performance on bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. (Photo: UN Women Europe and Central Asia)

Child marriage remains a “persistent challenge” in Eurasia – report

About 20 percent of marriages in Kyrgyzstan commence with a criminal act.

Feb 18, 2025

Roughly 40 percent of economic activity in the construction sector occurs in the shadows. (Photo: gov.uz)

Uzbekistan: Shadow economy responsible for generating over one-third of GDP

Officials use indirect methods to look at the unobservable.

Feb 18, 2025

Azerbaijani medical professionals participate in a training conducted by WHO specialists with the support of USAID in 2023. (Photo: WHO, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO)

Federal judge orders State Department to renew funding for assistance programs

Compliance deadline looms.

Feb 17, 2025

Sherali Kabir (center). (Photo: Tajikistan’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies)

Tajikistan aspires to be an AI development hub

Magical thinking from a parallel universe.

Feb 13, 2025

Football team’s travel woes suggest deeper economic problems in Turkmenistan

Berdymukhamedov’s pet project feels squeeze.

Feb 12, 2025

Law enforcement officers speak with a citizen during an event in Kazakhstan in 2024 aimed at “improving citizens’ legal awareness and reducing corruption.” Kazakhstan is one of the few countries in Eurasia that have made notable improvements in combatting corruption in recent years. (Photo: gov.kz)

Armenia, Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan showing progress in fighting graft – watchdog survey

Widespread persistent corruption threatens effective climate action.

Feb 12, 2025

US Energy Department offers fresh figures on Caspian Basin energy reserves & production

A comprehensive overview of the regional energy sector.

Feb 11, 2025

A US government-funded training seminar for journalists in Eastern Europe in 2024. The recent funding freeze will have a massive negative impact on mass media organizations and professionals throughout the world, RSF report asserts. (Photo: USAGM)

Media advocacy group highlights damage done by State Department-USAID funding freeze

Exiled Russian independent outlets in especially tough spot.

Feb 10, 2025

(Photo: NOVA24.uz/Diana Mindubayeva, shorturl.at/wcH6U)

Uzbekistan: The poverty rate continues to plunge

But are the impoverished being undercounted?

Feb 6, 2025

The exodus from rural areas to cities is prevalent across the country. (Photo: gov.kz)

Kazakhstan: Village-to-city migration reaches record high in 2024

Almost two-thirds of Kazakhs now live in urban areas.

Feb 6, 2025

Kazakh officials at the scene of the Azeri plane crash in Aktau on December 25. Kazakhstan released a preliminary report on the incident on February 4. (Photo: gov.kz)

Kazakh preliminary report on jet crash backs Azerbaijani assertions of accidental Russian shoot-down

Report stops short of assigning blame or identifying source of objects that disabled the plane.

Feb 5, 2025

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev (second, left) and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin meet in Moscow on January 31. (Photo: gov.kg)

Kyrgyzstan resists Russian pressure to give sanctions-busting firms lenient treatment

Kyrgyz bank is latest entity to join US sanctions list.

Feb 4, 2025

A bill proposed by a pro-government political party would enable convicted criminals to shave time off their prison sentences by reading books. (Photo: ombudsman.uz)

Uzbekistan: Where reforms can put on Janus face

Officials mull measure to create prison population of lectiophiles.

Feb 4, 2025

Food prices kept inching up in Caucasus and Central Asia in 2024 – World Bank report

Inflation fueling changes in dietary patterns.

Feb 3, 2025

Many cars on Russia’s roads are believed to have been smuggled via Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. (Photo: gov.ru)

Georgia and Kyrgyzstan suspected of being auto suppliers for Russia, trade data indicates

Giving used-car salesmen a bad name.

Brawley Benson Jan 31, 2025

Today’s issue of The Neutral Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: Taking megalomania to new heights

Printed matter with images of country’s rulers cannot be crumpled.

Jan 31, 2025

A nuclear facility in Russia. There is widespread public concern that Russia’s nuclear agency, Rosatom, will get the construction contracts for nuclear plants in Kazakhstan, despite worries about Rosatom’s spotty record of adherence to safety standards. (Photo: gov.ru)

Kazakhstan intent on going full-on nuclear

Astana wants to build a cluster of nuclear power plants.

Jan 30, 2025

The Khorgos Gateway dry port on the Chinese-Kazakh border. Trade with Kazakhstan accounted for nearly half of China’s turnover with Central Asian states in 2024. (Photo: gov.kz)

China enhances position as Central Asia’s economic overlord

Trade balance heavily favors Beijing.

Jan 29, 2025

A new solar farm next to the natural gas- and fuel oil-fired Syrdarya Thermal Power Plant. (Photo: gov.uz)

Uzbekistan: Going green in a big way

Solar panels galore.