Economy | Eurasianet

Relations are slowly thawing between Tajikistan and Taliban-led Afghanistan. The Tajikistan-Afghanistan bridge across the Panj River is seen from the Afghan side in Sherkhan Bandar on Jan. 26, 2012. (BRF Blake/Creative Commons)

Tajik-Taliban relations slowly warm, but both sides hedge their bets

Economics drive improvement of bilateral ties.

Alexander Thompson May 14, 2025

Building renovation works in Moscow. Tajikistan supplies a significant share of workers involved in Russia’s construction sector. (Photo: gov.ru)

Restrictions, discrimination do not significantly stem Tajik migration flow to Russia

Remittances keep Tajikistan afloat.

May 13, 2025

A blowout and subsequent fire at a well in western Kazakhstan caused one of the world’s worst methane leaks ever recorded. (Photo: gov.kz)

Eurasia is a significant source of methane emissions – report

Russia and Turkmenistan are the primary offenders.

May 13, 2025

A camp of refugees deported from Pakistan to Afghanistan in November 2023. The looming shortages created by the fall-off in foreign aid could once again force them to flee Afghanistan. (Photo: UN Women/Sayed Habib Bidell, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, n9.cl/4o8gf)

Afghanistan: Grappling with fall-out of dwindling foreign aid

Almost all US assistance terminated.

May 12, 2025

Russian and de-facto Abkhaz officials in Sukhumi welcome the first direct flight from Moscow. (Photo: de-facto Abkhaz authorities)

Kremlin brings Abkhazia back into fold

Resumption of Moscow-Sukhumi flights after 32 years draws complaints from Tbilisi.

Irakli Machaidze May 12, 2025

Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands after an agreement exchange ceremony in Paris on May 5. (Photo: gov.tm)

Turkmen leader touts trade and investment during French trip

Offering confirmation that Ashgabat is ready to do business with Western firms.

May 8, 2025

Looking at ramifications of China’s shifting energy usage patterns on Central Asia

Renewables are up, fossil fuels down.

May 6, 2025

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (right) presents a souvenir physical Binance coin to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov during an event in Kyrgyzstan on May 4. (Photo: president.kg)

CZ visits KGZ to talk BTC and BNB

Bishkek takes step to introduce blockchain technology on national level.

May 5, 2025

An entrepreneur presents her goods at a small-business fair in Tbilisi. The World Bank lists Georgia among the comparatively more dynamic economies in the Caucasus and Central Asia, but also points to deficiencies, such as that Georgia has about the same number of businesses per capita as does Finland, but the number of employees at firms in Georgia is about two-thirds as those in Finland. (Photo: gov.ge)

World Bank offers prescription to address business ills in Caucasus & Central Asia

Lots of firms, too few employees.

May 5, 2025

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (center) speaks with the top officials of a visiting Russian delegation at the Innoprom trade fair in Tashkent on April 28. (Photo: president.uz)

Great-power jostling in Central Asia centering on Uzbekistan

Will Trump travel to Tashkent?

May 2, 2025

Central Asia’s wealth of critical minerals and rare earths has sparked great-power competition over access. (Photo: gov.kz)

After Samarkand summit, Europe’s quest for Central Asian resources meets reality

Playing long game for rare earths.

Alexander Thompson May 1, 2025

Gold mine no cash cow for Kyrgyz government

Revenue sags as gold price soars.

Apr 30, 2025

Kaja Kallas, EU’s top foreign policy official, shakes hands with her Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku on April 25. (Photo: mfa.gov.az)

EU and Azerbaijan appear to cement energy partnership

Officials coy, but state-controlled media herald end of ‘crisis in relations.’

Apr 28, 2025

Adylbek Kasymaliev (second left) meets with American entrepreneurs during a roundtable gathering sponsored by the Kyrgyz-American Business Council. (Photo: gov.kg)

Kyrgyz PM gets polite brush off by US business executives

But he secures IMF and World Bank development agreements.

Apr 25, 2025

Economic growth rates for both the South Caucasus and Central Asia are expected to dip slightly over the next two years. (Photo: gov.kz)

World Bank predicting economic slowdown for Caucasus & Central Asia

Bank raises red flag about surge in household borrowing.

Apr 25, 2025

Russian and Chinese tourists discovering Central Asia

Sanctions and less stringent visa rules spurring visits.

Apr 24, 2025

Armenia wants to replace its aging Metsamor nuclear facility. The U.S. appears interested in helping build a replacement, but Russia’s Rosatom, which operates Metsamor, is unlikely to surrender such a lucrative business opportunity without a fight. (Photo: hetq.am)

America angling for power deal in Armenia

Race appears to be on to build Armenia’s next nuclear plant.

Apr 23, 2025

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko signaled that the Kremlin’s patience with Pashinyan’s government is wearing thin. (Photo: mid.ru)

Russia tells Armenia to make geopolitical choice

A tweak too far by Yerevan?

Apr 22, 2025

From 2017 to 2024, more than a million Georgians have traveled to the Schengen Area without needing a visa. Any tightening of the existing travel rules would be sure to cause a spike in dissatisfaction with the Georgian Dream government. (Photo: gov.ge)

Georgian government preparing for EU move to suspend visa-free travel

Georgian Dream downplays consequences.

Irakli Machaidze Apr 22, 2025

Uzbekistan has set ambitious climate targets, including a plan to generate at least 40 percent of the country’s electricity needs via renewable sources by 2030, but further progress will require liberalization, deregulation and privatization, which may prove challenging. (Photo: gov.uz)

Uzbekistan: Reform drive will soon face critical hump – expert

Russian gas dependency poses significant obstacle.

Apr 18, 2025

The Kazakh government intends to send a delegation to Washington to hold talks on a variety of trade issues, including tariffs and, likely, critical minerals. (Photo: gov.kz)

Kazakhstan plans to send delegation to United States for trade talks

Tariffs and critical minerals likely on agenda.

Apr 18, 2025

Recently published data raises doubts about whether Azerbaijan can meet its commitment of exporting 20 bcm of gas annually to the EU by 2027. (Photo: BP)

Azerbaijan’s energy relations with EU experiencing bout of uncertainty

Game of high-stakes poker over natural gas supplies.

Apr 17, 2025

The Farab Uzbek-Turkmen border crossing. Turkmenistan has long been known for its insularity, but it has made attempts of late to shed its long-standing image as a hermit kingdom. (Photo: Popo le Chien via Wikipedia)

Turkmenistan to introduce simplified procedures for obtaining visas

New rules seen as part of wider opening to trade opportunities.

Apr 16, 2025

China spikes Gazprom gas export plan in Central Asia

Russian energy company keeps gushing red ink.