Eurasianet

Middle-class Afghans with the means to navigate Tajikistan’s bureaucracy see the country as a springboard to the West.

In recent years the Caucasus country has become a magnet for Iranian students, business owners, and dissidents. But now many report they’re not being allowed to enter.

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.

There has been a surge in the number of Pakistanis visiting for tourism.

Poor and rural families are not equipped to handle online school. Now they fear another academic year is going to start with schools still closed.

A few months ago, the thought of taking a Chinese COVID vaccine was unthinkable to Georgians. Now it’s the norm.

After some early success in fighting COVID, Georgia let down its guard. Then I did, too.

The death of a nurse, hasty European policy decisions and the Georgian church’s indifference all have contributed to a rocky rollout for the vaccination campaign.

More than 40 percent of Georgians say they don’t want to get the jab, which could complicate public health efforts when the vaccines finally arrive.

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.