Eurasianet

As the president celebrates, the economic crisis deepened by a coronavirus outbreak he has refused to acknowledge has left his people in a state of Dickensian misery.

Electricity exports; crowd control outside food shops; and despite denials, COVID strikes. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The mood in Baku is triumphal but it’s heavy and vengeful rather than joyous.

An unacknowledged second wave, secret police at funerals, and congratulations from the Taliban. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

5,000 people are taking part in the trials.

Unemployment, post-COVID hopes, and moving gas: This and more in our monthly briefing on the Eurasian Economic Union.

Bishkek is also angling for yet more room to ease its debt burden.

Only the best medicine for the leader. For everyone else, bread shortages.

Travel bans, dams and Russian fans. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Beijing does not appear disposed to give too much leeway.

Ecological conservation is a matter of pride in Turkmenistan. But a disconnect between rhetoric and reality is a hallmark of the Berdymukhamedov era.

5,000 volunteers have been mobilized for the phase-three trial.

In state media, Turkmenistan is a roaring success story. The data paint a more worrisome picture.

Acting President Japarov came to power on the crest of rallies, but will he know how to deal with them as leader?

A facile and naïve plan being discussed in Washington risks backfiring on Iran’s minority Christians.