By Stephen M. Bland For much of the post-Soviet era, Central Asia occupied a peripheral place in global affairs. It mattered to its immediate neighbors, but rarely shaped wider debates. In 2025, that changed in visible ways. The region became harder to ignore, largely not because of ideology or alignments, but because of assets that […]
Read MoreBy Stephen M. Bland Kyrgyzstan says it is close to ending a near two-decade ban that has kept its airlines off European routes, after President Sadyr Japarov said the country has reached a “critical point” in efforts to leave the European Union’s air safety blacklist. The comments come as Kyrgyz officials push for international recognition […]
Read MoreUzbekistan exported goods worth $1.3 billion to Afghanistan between January and November this year, making Afghanistan the country’s third-largest export destination, data from Uzbekistan’s national statistics committee showed. Russia remained Uzbekistan’s top export market during the period, importing about $4 billion worth of goods, followed by China with $1.9 billion, the committee said. Uzbekistan’s total […]
Read MoreRIYADH: Saudi utility giant ACWA Power has signed a public-private partnership agreement valued at SR1.5 billion ($400 million) to develop Azerbaijan’s first large-scale Caspian Sea water reverse osmosis desalination plant. In a Tadawul statement, ACWA Power said the agreement was signed with the government of Azerbaijan, represented by the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency as […]
Read MoreChina on Saturday passed revisions to a key piece of legislation aimed at strengthening Beijing’s ability to wage trade war, curb outbound shipments from strategic minerals to sex dolls, and further open its $19 trillion economy. The latest revision to the Foreign Trade Law, approved by China’s top legislative body, will take effect on 1 […]
Read MoreBy Finbarr Bermingham in Brussels Late last year, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her second term in office, a giant purple banner was draped over the side of the EU executive arm’s headquarters, declaring: “United for our Future, 2024-2029.” While unity among the EU’s 27 member states has always been elusive, […]
Read MoreNEW DELHI: India signed a free trade agreement with Oman on Thursday, marking its second such deal with a Gulf Cooperation Council country and expanding its economic presence in the region. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Qais bin Mohammed Al-Yousef, ‘s minister of commerce, during Prime Minister […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow Japan will host the leaders of five Central Asian countries in Tokyo this week, a meeting analysts say is meant to show that “Japan is back” as an active player in a region where global powers are competing for influence, minerals and transport routes. The summit with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and […]
Read MoreChina on Thursday split off a Belgium-sized island with an economy comparable to a mid-ranked country from the mainland for customs processing, part of a bid to join a major trans-Pacific trade deal and establish a new Hong Kong-style commercial hub. Officials hope that turning the southern province of Hainan into a duty-free zone will […]
Read MoreBy Jevans Nyabiage Just days after Chinese ambassador Yang Renhuo met Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo to donate airport security inspection equipment, the West African nation was hit by a military coup that ousted Embalo. The November 26 coup marked yet another military takeover along Africa’s “coup belt”, adding Guinea-Bissau to nations like Mali, Burkina […]
Read More
