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Tajik-Afghan Border

CSTO Says Tajik-Afghan Border Security Remains “Complicated”

A top official of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an alliance of some post-Soviet states,says its main challenge in Central Asia continues to be the threat emanating from militants in Afghanistan’s northern border region. Viktor Vasilyev, chairman of the alliance’s Permanent Council, said this week that member countries plan to increase efforts to counter militants who, according to Tajik and Chinese authorities, have attacked Chinese-backed businessinterests and staged other sporadic cross-borderincidents affecting Tajikistan. Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban have expressed regret for the attacks but security remains fragile in the remote, rugged border region. “Despite Russia's and several Central Asian countries' efforts to establish contacts with the current authorities in Kabul, the security situation remains complicated," Vasilyev said at a forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. He described the problem as the CSTO’s “main concern” in the region, according to Russian state news agency Tass. "We plan to increase our joint efforts here, including to neutralize the militants and extremist groups that continue to accumulate on Afghanistan's northern borders," Tass quoted Vasilyev as saying. He described the shelling of Tajikistan's territory by militants in Afghanistan as a “particular concern." The Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, has previously provided equipment and engaged in joint military exercises aimed at strengthening Tajikistan’s forces on the 1,200-kilometer border with Afghanistan. Member countries are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia. However, Armenia has suspended its participation in the alliance, reflecting its dissatisfaction with what it says was CSTO inaction during past military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Additionally, Armenia is pursuing closer ties with Europe and the United States. At the St. Petersburg forum this week, Vasilyev said top leaders of the security alliance will discuss Armenia’s status in the group. Vasilyev, a longtime Russian Foreign Ministry official, took over the rotating position of chairman at the CSTO in January and will stay in the post until the end of 2026.

EU-Turkmenistan Relations

EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue Presses Ashgabat on Rights

The European Union used its latest human rights dialogue with Turkmenistan to press Ashgabat on the gap between outward engagement and domestic control. The 18th annual EU-Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue was held in Ashgabat on June 22. It came during a period of slightly more visible contact between Turkmenistan and the outside world, including a rare visit by a Reuters reporting team earlier this year. Reuters said its journalists were able to travel unescorted and report freely, an unusual development in a country long known for strict visa controls and heavily managed media access. Whether that points to a genuine opening remains unclear. Turkmenistan has also spoken of simplifying its visa regime, joining the World Trade Organization, and diversifying its heavily state-led economy. The human rights picture remains highly restrictive. Rights groups continue to rank Turkmenistan among the world’s most closed states for journalists, civil society, and political dissent. The country placed 173rd out of 180 in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The Turkmen delegation at the dialogue was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mehri Byashimova. The EU delegation was headed by Dietmar Krissler, head of the Central Asia Division at the European External Action Service. Brussels’ public account of the meeting focused on areas where it wants Turkmenistan to go further. The EU called for stronger anti-discrimination measures, tougher action against sexual and gender-based violence, the criminalization of domestic violence, and the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relations between adults. The bloc welcomed Turkmenistan’s cooperation with the International Labour Organization on eliminating forced and child labor. That issue has long been central to outside criticism of Turkmenistan, particularly in the cotton sector. Earlier this year, the EU and ILO launched a project aimed at strengthening action against forced and child labor in the country. The dialogue also reached some of Turkmenistan’s most sensitive rights issues. The EU raised concern over human rights defenders, including reports of transnational repression, and handed the Turkmen delegation a list of individual cases. Prison conditions were another focus. The EU cited reports of torture and ill-treatment, and urged Turkmenistan to work more closely with civil society on enforced disappearances. Rights groups have repeatedly called on Brussels to tie closer relations with Ashgabat to measurable progress on such cases. The EU praised Turkmenistan’s efforts to reduce statelessness, while also calling on the authorities to ensure equal access to consular services for all Turkmen citizens living abroad. Turkmen overseas have reported difficulties renewing passports and obtaining basic consular support, leaving some in precarious legal positions. The EU also called for unrestricted internet access and a safer environment for civil society organizations. The meeting reflects the tension in the EU’s current approach to Turkmenistan. Brussels is engaging Ashgabat more actively, as it is with the rest of Central Asia, but continues to keep human rights on the formal agenda. For Turkmenistan, even limited external access and more regular dialogue can be presented as movement. For the EU and rights groups, the test is whether that access leads...

Anti-Corruption

Uzbekistan Creates Corruption Convicts Registry in Anti-Graft Overhaul

Uzbekistan has adopted sweeping amendments to its anti-corruption legislation, creating an electronic registry of people convicted of corruption offenses, expanding criminal liability, and imposing new restrictions on those found guilty. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law on June 22 as part of the government’s broader campaign to strengthen accountability and reduce corruption across the public sector. Officials say the reforms are intended to reinforce what the law describes as an “intolerant attitude toward corruption” throughout society. One of the most significant changes is the creation of an electronic register of individuals convicted of corruption-related crimes. The Ministry of Internal Affairs must enter a person’s details into the registry within three working days after a guilty verdict becomes legally binding. Their information will remain there for the duration of their criminal record. Those listed in the registry will face a series of restrictions. They will be barred from entering the civil service, receiving state awards, standing for elected office or certain appointed positions, serving on public advisory councils, and holding senior posts in state-owned enterprises or public educational institutions. Companies in which a convicted individual owns more than 50% of the shares will also be prohibited from participating in public procurement and public-private partnership projects. The amendments also expand criminal liability for corruption-related offenses. Harsher penalties now apply to crimes committed through abuse of official position, by organized groups, or using information technologies and computer systems. The law introduces tougher punishment for officials who deliberately fail to act for personal gain and strengthens penalties for procurement-related violations. Beyond criminal sanctions, the legislation requires state bodies and organizations to identify positions with a high risk of corruption, regularly assess corruption risks, and develop measures to reduce them. The Anti-Corruption Agency, working together with the Ministry of Justice, will oversee the methodology used for these assessments and maintain a nationwide corruption risk map based on crime statistics, enforcement practices, public opinion surveys, and other official data. The reforms also seek to encourage whistleblowing. Employees who report corruption within their own government institution cannot face disciplinary action for two years without prior notification to the Anti-Corruption Agency. The law also guarantees state incentives for whistleblowers, including one-time financial rewards, certificates of appreciation, commemorative gifts, or other forms of recognition permitted by law. In addition, employees responsible for compliance and internal anti-corruption controls in state institutions will receive enhanced legal protections, including special procedures governing searches, questioning, detention, and criminal investigations involving them. In May 2026, The Times of Central Asia reported that the government had introduced mandatory anti-corruption reviews for major investment projects worth at least $50 million. Under those rules, large public investments must undergo corruption risk assessments before moving forward, as authorities seek to strengthen oversight of public spending and major development initiatives.

Kazakhstan-China Economic Cooperation

Kazakhstan and China Aim to Double Bilateral Trade to $100 Billion

Kazakhstan and China plan to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion in the coming years, nearly doubling the expected volume for 2026, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said. According to Kazakhstan’s government press service, Zhumangarin held talks with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi. The talks focused on expanding strategic partnership, joint investment projects, transport and logistics infrastructure, and broader trade cooperation. Kazakhstan said bilateral trade reached a record $48.7 billion in 2025. In the first five months of 2026, trade volume totaled $22 billion, up 27% compared with the same period a year earlier. Officials expect trade to exceed $50 billion by the end of this year, with more than half of total turnover linked to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which remains the key hub of economic interaction between the two countries. “Our main task is to achieve $100 billion in mutual trade in the near future. To do this, we need to accelerate the approval of the Kazakhstan-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Program and Roadmap for 2027-2030,” Zhumangarin said. China has invested around $30 billion in Kazakhstan since independence, making it one of the country’s largest foreign investors, he added. Kazakhstan has invited Chinese businesses to expand participation in high value-added projects, including deep agricultural processing, full-cycle metallurgical production, agrochemicals, and drone manufacturing. Zhumangarin also praised the technological level of the China-Eurasia Expo and called on Chinese manufacturers and investors to localize production in Kazakhstan. Agricultural trade was another priority in the talks. Bilateral trade in agricultural products has already reached $2 billion, while China has approved imports of 34 categories of Kazakhstan's agricultural goods. Another nine categories, including chilled meat, are still under review. Zhumangarin said around 85% of all overland freight traffic between China and Europe currently passes through Kazakhstan. Following the completion of the new Bakhty-Ayagoz rail crossing, the combined capacity of border checkpoints between the two countries is expected to reach 100 million tons annually. China also confirmed its readiness to jointly implement the construction of the new railway crossing, which officials say will improve the resilience and security of international transport routes. Ding said Beijing was interested in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, energy, and navigation technologies, and encouraged Kazakhstani companies to use the China-Eurasia Expo as a platform to expand their presence in the Chinese market. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, China now accounts for nearly a quarter of Kazakhstan’s total foreign trade turnover. However, the growth of Chinese imports continues to outpace the increase in Kazakhstani exports.

Investment Project Implementation

Uzbekistan Pushes to Turn $43 Billion in Investment Deals into Economic Growth

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has instructed officials to accelerate the implementation of investment agreements signed during the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum, stressing that every deal must deliver tangible economic results rather than remain on paper. Speaking at a government meeting on June 25, Mirziyoyev said the forum resulted in 177 agreements worth $43 billion with foreign partners. He added that each agreement should be transformed into concrete projects that create jobs and generate higher added value. “Every agreement must become a project, a workplace, and a source of high added value,” the president said. Officials were ordered to prepare decisions addressing 120 proposals submitted by foreign investors during the forum. Mirziyoyev also called on ministers and regional governors to rethink their approach to investment, placing greater emphasis on quality and efficiency. According to the president, half of all investment attracted to Uzbekistan over the past five years has gone to just four regions, but economic returns differ sharply. In Fergana, he said, every UZS 1 million invested generates an additional UZS 273,000 ($22.78) in gross regional product. In Samarkand, the figure is UZS 262,000. In Bukhara, it is UZS 117,000 ($9.76), roughly half the return in stronger-performing regions. The meeting also focused on the growing demand for construction materials driven by Uzbekistan’s ambitious development plans. Earlier this year, the government adopted a long-term housing program aiming to double the number of new homes built annually to 280,000 by 2040 and increase the number of “New Uzbekistan” residential districts from 61 to 120. In addition, Uzbekistan is commissioning 20 to 25 million square meters of commercial buildings every year, creating annual demand for at least $10 billion worth of construction materials. During the investment forum, the government also presented $27 billion in new infrastructure projects to international investors. These include a nuclear power plant in Jizzakh, a fourth copper processing plant in Tashkent Region, New Tashkent Airport with an annual capacity of 20 million passengers, a 55,000-seat stadium in New Tashkent, and a 282-kilometer highway linking Tashkent and Samarkand. Mirziyoyev said these large-scale projects require construction materials that meet strict international standards and instructed officials to establish a new system linking domestic manufacturers with major investment projects. The president also ordered the government to prepare proposals ensuring equal conditions for imported and locally produced construction materials. While foreign investors have requested value-added tax exemptions for imported materials used in major projects, domestic manufacturers argue that the same incentives should apply to local products, saying they are ready to compete on quality and standards. The meeting also addressed financial difficulties in the construction materials sector. According to officials, 457 companies have accumulated 3.5 trillion soums ($292,101,250) in overdue loans because their products remain too expensive or fail to meet current market demand. To help revive the sector, Mirziyoyev ordered officials to develop recovery plans for each company and allocate $50 million to modernize production facilities, reduce manufacturing costs, and support the production of more competitive goods.

Fuel Shortages

Russia’s Fuel Crisis Tests Kazakhstan’s Energy Resilience

Kazakhstan is being pulled into a new energy paradox. As Russia's fuel crisis deepens, the country is being discussed as a potential gasoline supplier to its largest neighbor. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is tightening controls at home, building reserves around refinery maintenance, and weighing fuel imports from China to protect its own market. On June 24, Reuters reported that Russia was in talks with Kazakhstan to import about 50,000 metric tons of AI-92 gasoline, citing four industry sources. The discussions followed refinery outages and unscheduled repairs in Russia after Ukrainian drone attacks, which had led to shutdowns at several large refineries in central Russia and cut Russian gasoline output by roughly 25% year-on-year by late June. The news was striking because Russia is normally a major exporter of petroleum products. The need to consider gasoline imports, including seaborne imports and emergency market-stabilization measures, underlines the scale of disruption in Russia's refining system. Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov said Astana had not received an official request from Moscow, but the question remains politically and economically sensitive for Kazakhstan: can it afford to send fuel abroad if its own margin of safety is narrowing? Officially, the domestic picture remains stable. Kazakhstan's government said on June 20 that national stocks of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel exceeded 1 million tons, enough to cover current demand. It said supplies were being prioritized for filling stations, agricultural producers, and domestic airlines, and that no shortage of fuels and lubricants had been observed. Yet those assurances sit alongside a more fragile structural reality. Kazakhstan's refining system depends heavily on three large refineries: Atyrau in the west, Pavlodar in the north, and Shymkent in the south. Last year, it was reported that, after modernization, the three plants had a combined annual output of about 17 million metric tons. Such a system can function efficiently when all units are operating normally, but it leaves limited room for simultaneous shocks. One of those shocks is already present. The Atyrau Oil Refinery began scheduled preventive maintenance on June 26 under a timetable approved by the Ministry of Energy. KazMunayGas said the work includes inspections of 20 reactors, 213 storage tanks, 32 columns, and 231 heat exchangers, as well as replacement of more than 335 tons of catalysts. The refinery entered maintenance with 38,000 tons of gasoline, 31,300 tons of diesel, and 6,800 tons of jet fuel. KazMunayGas said national stocks of AI-92 gasoline and diesel covered 34 and 32 days of demand, respectively, and that the phased restart of processing units was scheduled to begin on July 10. Those figures show resilience, but not abundance. Summer brings higher consumption from agriculture, passenger travel, freight, and aviation. For the government, managing this period means monitoring refinery output, shipments, inventories, and preventing fuel from leaving the country through unauthorized channels. After a June 20 meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov ordered tighter border controls; the government said vehicles are restricted from crossing the state border by road more than once per day as part of...