Uzbekistan is advancing a broad effort to strengthen its relationship with the United States through new economic, diplomatic, and technological initiatives. A presidential decree establishing the Uzbekistan–U.S. Business and Investment Council, alongside a major artificial intelligence partnership with NVIDIA, underscores the country’s strategy to draw investment and accelerate digital development....
As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a declaration in Moscow on November 12, 2025, elevating their countries’ relationship to what they have dubbed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance.” The document was signed at the Kremlin during Tokayev’s working visit to Russia at Putin’s invitation. Ahead...
At the invitation of President Trump, on November 5-6, the Presidents of the five Central Asia Republics arrived in Washington, D.C. to celebrate and sign deals on the 10th anniversary of C5+1. They were accompanied by cabinet ministers and business leaders. The Times of Central Asia presents a wide-ranging interview...
Askar Ospanov, a retired police major general in Kazakhstan, decided to become a serious swimmer relatively late in life, around the age of 60. Inspiration came when he was cheering from the sidelines at the 2018 Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, an annual event in which about 2,500 people swim 6.5...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev begins a state visit to Russia in Moscow today, accompanied by a carefully calibrated message of diplomatic continuity. Ahead of his arrival, Tokayev published an article in Rossiyskaya Gazeta affirming Kazakhstan’s “eternal friendship” with Russia, a phrase that has become standard in bilateral rhetoric. While much...
The number of people living beyond 100 continues to rise across Central Asia. Experts attribute the trend to better medical care, declining infant mortality rates, and overall improvements in living standards. However, the distribution of centenarians across the region remains uneven. Tajikistan: A Steady Increase According to the Social Insurance...
On a cold November morning at Al-Farabi University in Almaty, students gathered in a drafty lecture hall, many still wrapped in their coats. The setting was more reminiscent of a forgotten Soviet-era classroom than a venue for cutting-edge technology. But amid the peeling paint and rickety seats, some of the...