Azerbaijani president calls into question negotiations with Armenia As diplomatic talks stall, Ilham Aliyev blames the negotiators for failing to push Armenia toward concessions. Joshua Kucera Jul 7, 2020
Armenian officials rule out new lockdown even as COVID worsens "Our strategy is to learn how to live alongside the virus." Ani Mejlumyan Jun 30, 2020
Abkhazia leader meets Putin hoping for Russian bailout As coronavirus cripples the territory’s tourism season and Russia has stopped sending aid, Abkhazia faces a 10 percent GDP decline this year. Joshua Kucera Jun 25, 2020
The modern-day struggle sessions of Central Asia The apology or recantation is uploaded to social media. Often, there is a pretense of the repentance being voluntary. But that is not always the case. Jun 25, 2020
Moscow’s delayed Victory Day in photos Most foreign leaders stayed away, but Putin’s Central Asian crew is a dependable lot. Jun 24, 2020
Tajikistan intensifies and broadens war on journalists A state TV program accuses reporters of working in league with would-be extremists. Jun 24, 2020
Pashinyan, Aliyev bow out of Moscow parade The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan cited the coronavirus for missing the big event, but the real reasons appear to be crises at home. Joshua Kucera Jun 24, 2020
Armenia moves again to remove old judges The new gambit has again led to charges that the government, in its attempt to depoliticize the justice system, is simply repoliticizing it. Ani Mejlumyan Jun 23, 2020
Armenia seeks security forces reorganization Behind the unexplained recent firings is a push to put the security services under greater civilian control. Ani Mejlumyan Jun 22, 2020
Armenian government moves against opposition figure Until recently, oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan had managed to stay in the government’s good graces. But then he started criticizing them more sharply, and now the authorities have unveiled several criminal cases against him. Ani Mejlumyan Jun 15, 2020
Tajikistan: COVID-19 outbreak offers cover for fresh assault on free press It’s open season on journalists in Tajikistan and officials aren’t shy about blaming the victims. Jun 12, 2020
Georgia offers Armenia help to fight COVID-19 The neighborly gesture comes after the two countries sparred over their respective responses to the pandemic. Giorgi Lomsadze Jun 11, 2020
Despite stimulus efforts, many Armenian workers fall through the cracks In several cases, the employers themselves have been the ones thwarting their workers from getting stimulus money. Ani Mejlumyan Jun 11, 2020
The mystery of Tajikistan’s “win” on COVID-19 Officials are poised to reopen the country only weeks after the crisis began. Jun 9, 2020
Armenia quickly adding hospital capacity for growing COVID-19 outbreak Some patients have died because of a lack of hospital capacity, but the country has added several hundred more beds. Ani Mejlumyan Jun 9, 2020