Eurasianet

While clumsy on COVID-19, Turkmenistan is being more sure-footed, or consistent at least, on the Afghanistan front. Plus, unsustainable agriculture. Our weekly briefing.

The government signals it is taking COVID a bit more seriously, without admitting the virus is running rampant. And Ashgabat gets down to business with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

That Central Asia's presidents seemed to enjoy themselves together was itself a breakthrough. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The country already leads in vaccination rates in the South Caucasus. Many expect the new rules to drive a black market for fake vaccination passports.

China has delivered 300,000 doses of vaccine, but will the public want them?

The government appears to be taking active measures to cover up the new outbreak.

Authorities have not made any attempt to explain the abnormally high number of deaths last year.

Dushanbe is desperate to resume flights to Russian cities.

The coronavirus inoculation program is the first in the Caucasus and Central Asia, starting out with Chinese vaccines but incorporating Russian and Western ones at later stages.

Spraying chlorine, new infrastructure on the Afghan border, and claims of a naturally occurring COVID vaccine. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan bulletin.

Uzbekistan, Tajikistan are taking triumphalist stances on coronavirus.

The COVID-19 vaccination experiences of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia show that if you’re a small and poor country, you need to rely on powerful friends.

Food prices have jumped this year and there are few jobs, but out-of-work migrants can’t get to where they are desperately needed.

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

A longtime gray cardinal is in trouble after violating social-distancing laws. But breaking rules is what bigwigs do in Azerbaijan.