Kyrgyzstan: The rise and fall of a sex webcam magnate Daniel Azhiyev came to prominence during the COVID-19 crisis, when his philanthropy made him something of a minor folk hero. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Oct 27, 2023
Tajikistan pleads poverty, spends money on unneeded luxuries A panhandling president is unaccountable to his Western benefactors. Apr 26, 2023
Uzbekistan woos investors as dispute with Western firm goes to arbitration The government is trying to lure investors as it moves to revitalize a sluggish privatization drive. Joanna Lillis Mar 28, 2023
As China ends zero Covid, will Kazakh shuttle traders return to the border? Kazakhstan was caught off guard by Beijing’s decision to relax coronavirus controls at a trade hub on the border. Jan 13, 2023
Birth and marriage rates increase in Nagorno-Karabakh The increases have reversed a demographic decline that the territory has seen since the pandemic and war with Azerbaijan. Lilit Shahverdyan Jul 25, 2022
Uzbekistan’s new constitution: More for Mirziyoyev, less for Karakalpakstan A draft constitution is causing anger in the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, whose rights have been diminished by the changes. Jul 1, 2022
Kyrgyzstan: Authorities bristle at Black Death research Officials suspect a newly published paper on the 14th century plague is a plot to kill the country's tourism industry. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 17, 2022
Kyrgyzstan National Bank predicts 20% decline in remittances The drop is far greater than what the country saw at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 10, 2022
Can a Kazakh consulate in China’s Xi’an help smooth bilateral trade? Kazakh firms see an opportunity, but are tempering their enthusiasm for now. Daniyar Moldabekov Jun 10, 2022
Turkmenistan: Where the streets have neigh name Out-of-touch elites, poor planning, and some signs of progress in regional trade. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin May 31, 2022
Kyrgyzstan’s donkeys-to-China trade courts controversy, corruption Religious mores, politics and the coronavirus have cast a shadow over one of the few Kyrgyz products China buys. Aigerim Turgunbaeva, Chris Rickleton May 30, 2022
Amid sanctions, Kazakh firm stops supplying Russian steelworks Kazakh companies are treading carefully doing business with Russia. Joanna Lillis May 18, 2022
“I avenged my father”: A saga of crime and bloodshed in the highlands of Kyrgyzstan The criminal underworld reaches across generations. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 16, 2022
Two years on, Azerbaijan’s land borders remain closed While the country continues easing other COVID-19 restrictions, why has it not begun to allow travelers to cross the border by land? Heydar Isayev Apr 29, 2022
Turkmenistan: No COVID, no worries In our weekly briefing: Restrictions easing, COVID denialism persists, foreign suitors come visiting in hope of business, and the latest annual horse jamboree. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Apr 26, 2022