Governments in Central Asia have not made any public comment, so far, on the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, at a time when relations between Central Asian countries and the administration of President Donald Trump are growing closer. The operation on Saturday involved more than 150 American aircraft and extracted Maduro […]
Read MoreBy Sadokat Jalolova Kazakhstan-based venture capital firm MOST Ventures has acquired a stake in Uzbekistan’s Bito, marking a significant cross-border investment in Central Asia’s growing tech ecosystem. The deal, completed in Tashkent on December 25 as part of a Bridge funding round, values the B2B software company at $10 million, a milestone that reflects rising […]
Read MoreThe upcoming anniversary of the events that started on 2 January 2022 in Kazakhstan invites a measured reflection rather than simple retrospection. The protests and subsequent violence marked a decisive turning point in the country’s recent history, exposing deep structural challenges and forcing a reassessment of the relationship between state and society. More than merely […]
Read MoreBy Bruce Pannier Along a short strip of the Tajik-Afghan border, there has been a lot of activity in recent months, including the most serious incidents of cross-border violence in decades. Most of this activity has involved Tajikistan’s Shamsiddin Shohin district, a sparsely inhabited area where the population ekes out a living farming and herding […]
Read MoreBy Sadokat Jalolova Russia has closed its criminal investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft near Aktau, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Baku, according to Azerbaijani news outlet Minval Politika. Citing Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, the outlet reported that a letter from Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative […]
Read MoreBy Sadokat Jalolova Electricity generation at Uzbekistan’s hydropower plants has declined significantly due to water shortages, Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov told lawmakers during a recent session of the Legislative Chamber of the country’s parliament, the Oliy Majlis, according to reports in Uzbek media. Mirzamahmudov said water inflows to major hydropower facilities had fallen by 35%, […]
Read MoreBy Sadokat Jalolova Mounting insecurity along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border is increasingly threatening Chinese interests and heightening Beijing’s concerns about regional stability, Al Jazeera has reported, citing recent incidents and official statements from Dushanbe. According to the report, the Tajik authorities have recorded multiple armed infiltrations from Afghan territory in recent months, resulting in more than […]
Read MoreBy Anton Chipegin The Kyrgyz government has reported strong economic performance in 2025, highlighting robust GDP growth and strengthened public finances. At a year-end meeting, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev announced that all state objectives had been met despite challenging conditions. According to Kasymaliev, gross domestic product is expected to grow by […]
Read MoreBy Andrei Matveev As Kazakhstan prepares for tax reforms set to take effect in 2026, a new wave of panic has surfaced in the national discourse, one suggesting that small businesses are facing a stark choice: shut down or relocate to neighboring countries promising more favorable tax environments. This narrative has gained traction twice in […]
Read MoreBy 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 […]
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