Eurasianet

Letters from Washington, cybersecurity cooperation with China, and negotiating with a bankrupt Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Kazakhstan is moving through the production cycle, powered by Chinese demand.

Salaries were always horribly low but living costs have soared since the pandemic began.

Kazakh exporters say China is pushing them aside, interested in a transit corridor but not a supplier.

Government agencies and Kazakh-Chinese companies are using the pandemic to shield themselves from scrutiny.

That sets them apart from Afghanistan’s other post-Soviet neighbor, Tajikistan.

In our weekly briefing: doing business with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Plus, it’s reprimand season.

Two new papers find that Georgia and Azerbaijan would gain more from improving trade with their neighbors than pursing a place on the Belt and Road.

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.

Bunin has also been banned from entering Uzbekistan.

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.

Iran and Georgia considered as alternatives.

Central Asia’s largest nations are using unique coronavirus vaccines that haven’t been carefully studied. Do they have a choice?

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

Tajik officials no longer speak about the militants with complete disdain.