The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister, Olexandr Mishchenko, discussed prospects for trade and economic cooperation, including the possible resumption of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, during a meeting on April 2 with Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the National Economy. In comments to The Times...

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

Oil and Gas

Major Hydrocarbon Field Discovered in Kazakhstan

Freedom in the World

Central Asia Pushes Back on “Not Free” Label as Debate Over Rankings Grows

According to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 report, all five countries in Central Asia are classified as “Not Free.” Nevertheless, governments in the region are increasingly questioning the impartiality of such assessments. At the same time, some regional experts point to ongoing political and economic reforms as signs...

Food Security

Iran Conflict Drives Food Price Pressures Across Central Asia

The war around Iran is beginning to push up food price risks in Central Asia as disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz raise fertilizer and fuel costs, while Tehran’s halt to some food exports adds pressure in regional markets. The impact is not manifesting as shortages, but as...

Aviation Industry

Iran War Redraws Air Routes, Boosting Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are emerging as potential beneficiaries of disruptions in the global aviation fuel market as tensions around Iran force airlines to reroute flights and rethink transit hubs. The escalation of tensions in the Middle East, including heightened risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has led to...

Arrests, Agreements and the Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict

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Sunkar Podcast

Central Asia and the Troubled Southern Route

00:00 / 00:00

Opinions

Opinion: Islamic State Khorasan Province and the Strategic Risks for Central Asia

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: Mirziyoyev in Washington – New Deals Expected Amidst Peace Diplomacy

Javier M. Piedra

Opinion – The “Board of Peace” and Afghan Diplomacy: A View from Kabul

Dr. Bismillah Mangal

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum – Strategic Reset or Institutional Consolidation?

Raza Syed

Opinion: Afghanistan and Central Asia – Security Without Illusions

Aidar Borangaziyev

Opinion: The New Silk Road to the Sea – Connecting Central Asia to Karachi and Gwadar

Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo & Engineer Arshad H. Abbasi

Breaking into Project Vault: A U.S. Role for Central Asia’s Strategic Minerals

Dr. Eric Rudenshiold

Opinion: Tokayev’s National Kurultai Address: A Moral Message, Not a Political One

Javier M. Piedra

Opinion: Central Asia–Japan Summit Signals Shift in Eurasian Geoeconomics — and Russia’s Waning Role

Anvar Nazirov

Opinion: Iranian Unrest Creates Opening for U.S., Partners in Central Asia

Nilaya Magidish

Opinion: Prospects for Central Asia’s Access to Persian Gulf Infrastructure

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Is Uzbekistan Importing a Future Crisis?

William Cui

Business & Economy

Household spending

Food Spending Remains High in Kazakhstan Households

A high share of household spending on food remains a key indicator of living standards in Kazakhstan, according to analysts at Finprom.kz. By the end of 2025, average annual spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages reached $1,292 per person, up 13.9% year-on-year and nearly six times higher than in 2010. At the same time, the structure of spending has remained largely unchanged. In 2025, food accounted for 47.8% of total expenditures, only slightly below the pre-pandemic level of 50.4%. As a share of income, food expenditures rose to 42.5%, compared to 40.7% a year earlier, suggesting that income growth is...

gold trading

Digital Gold Trading Launches on Kyrgyz Stock Exchange

Bilateral Trade

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister: Astana and Kyiv Seeking to Restore Trade

Nuclear Power Plant

Kyrgyzstan Weighs Nuclear Power as Rosatom Talks Advance

Smart Electricity

Kyrgyzstan to Install 300,000 Smart Electricity Meters Purchased from China

Energy Sector

Kyrgyzstan Plans Central Asia’s First Live-Line Energy Training Center

Kyrgyzstan plans to establish a competence center for live-line working technologies, with the aim of developing it into a regional hub for training highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The center will focus on maintaining power grids and electrical equipment without de-energizing high-voltage lines. The National Electric Network of Kyrgyzstan has signed a cooperation agreement with Grid Company of Tatarstan (Russia) to develop and introduce live-line working technologies, including the creation of a specialized training center. The agreement was signed during the Energoprom-2026 international electric power forum in Kazan and was attended by Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev and...

Household Income

Kazakhstan Targets Growth in Real Household Income

The government of Kazakhstan plans to increase real household income by 2–3% by 2029, according to the Ministry of National Economy. The program includes measures to stimulate employment, raise wages, support entrepreneurship, and create sustainable jobs. Key priorities include increasing wages for public utility workers, civil servants, and agricultural workers; expanding the share of wages in GDP; creating jobs in the manufacturing sector; supporting export-oriented enterprises; and reducing the financial burden on households. The ministry said 2026 will be a pivotal year for establishing sustainable income growth. A joint plan by the government, the National Bank, and the Agency for...

trade

Afghanistan Aims to Increase Trade with Central Asia to $10 Billion

Afghanistan aims to increase trade with Central Asian countries to $10 billion over the next three to four years, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a meeting in Kabul. According to Muttaqi, Afghanistan’s trade turnover with countries in the region reached approximately $2.7 billion in 2025, marking a significant increase compared to previous years. The statement was made during a consultative dialogue involving representatives from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, focused on regional cooperation, trade, and the development of transit routes. Muttaqi said Afghanistan intends to leverage its geoeconomic position to connect Central Asia with markets in South...

Oil and Gas

Major Hydrocarbon Field Discovered in Kazakhstan

A major hydrocarbon field has been discovered in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Region, with reserves potentially comparable to those of the Kashagan oil field, the country’s largest oil source, according to Kurmangazy Iskaziyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of KazMunayGas. The site is located on the Zhylyoi Platform near the Caspian Sea coast. Its onshore location could significantly reduce development costs, although the deposits are believed to lie at considerable depths. Kashagan has long stood as the symbol of both Kazakhstan’s oil wealth and the technical difficulty of extracting it. The offshore field cemented the country’s position as a major...

Local Politics

Justice

Kazakh Lawmaker Proposes Tougher Penalties for Poaching

Kazakh Senator Andrei Lukin has called for tougher penalties for poaching amid a rise in violations, including illegal fish exports and document forgery. In a parliamentary inquiry, he urged a review of existing sanctions, greater transparency in industry subsidies through digital platforms, and stronger independence for relevant scientific organizations. Current legislation provides for fines of up to $27,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years. However, Lukin argued that these measures are insufficient. According to his data, 84,000 tons of fish were seized from illegal trade between 2022 and 2025. At the same time, stocks of commercially important species...

Power Struggle

Kyrgyzstan Moves Toward Power Consolidation Ahead of 2027 Election

Rahmon in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Launch 10 Joint Projects During Rahmon’s State Visit

Power Struggle

Kyrgyzstan Braces for Showdown Between President Japarov and Former Security Chief Tashiyev

Road Safety

Kazakhstan Senator Proposes Restoring State Oversight of Driving Schools

Kyrgyz-Tajik Border

Kyrgyzstan Develops Territories Received from Tajikistan

The Kyrgyz authorities have adopted a resolution that transfers into state ownership land and real estate received from Tajikistan under the agreement on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border. According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, the State Agency for State Property Management must register the transferred assets on its balance sheet, after which they will be handed over to local administrations in the Batken and Leylek districts of Batken region. District authorities are expected to distribute the property among citizens who lost their homes and assets as a result of the border agreement, as well...

Freight Industry

Kazakhstan Proposes Creating a Digital Platform Within the EAEU to Coordinate Freight

Kazakhstan has proposed the creation of a unified digital platform for coordinating cargo flows within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented the proposal at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Shymkent. The proposal involves developing an integrated system based on AI that will improve the efficiency of logistics processes across the union. Currently, the EAEU comprises five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Moldova, Uzbekistan, Cuba, and Iran hold observer status. According to Bektenov, the creation of a unified AI-based platform will reduce cargo delivery times and lower business costs. “In order to...

Tourism

Turkmenistan Promotes Tourism Abroad — While Keeping Its Borders Closed

Turkmen authorities are preparing to host an international tourism forum, once again emphasizing the sector’s potential. However, the reality appears less optimistic. The number of foreign visitors remains extremely low, while a strict visa regime continues to deter not only tourists but also business travellers. The Turkmen Travel international forum and exhibition is scheduled to take place in Ashgabat from April 14 to 16. Preparations are reportedly being carried out at a high level. Deputy Prime Minister for Culture, Bahar Seydova, briefed officials on the event, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has instructed organizers to present the country’s tourism potential in...

Kazakhstan Constitution

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reform and the Logic of Modernization

As The Times of Central Asia has noted throughout its special coverage, Kazakhstan’s new constitutional model is presented as modernization, not a rupture with the existing system. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described the project as a response to a rapidly changing global landscape, arguing that the country’s basic law must be recalibrated to make governance more coherent, effective, accountable, and sustainable. That framing has included streamlining parliament, restoring the vice presidency, and redistributing authority across institutions as part of what Tokayev called a “complete reboot” of government, not a revolutionary break with existing institutions. Voters endorsed that vision in the...

International Affairs

Iran

The Iran War Is Repricing Central Asia’s Connectivity

Europe’s aviation regulator has extended its current conflict-zone bulletin for the Middle East and Persian Gulf through April 10 and continues to advise operators to avoid Iranian and adjacent airspace at all altitudes. Reuters reported soon after that the squeeze on normal flight paths was pushing more traffic into narrower routes, notably over Azerbaijan and Central Asia. The Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, has not returned to normal commercial use. A limited number of exempted vessels have crossed, but passage remains selective, politicized, and uncertain rather than routine. The question, consequently, is no longer only whether Central Asia has alternatives to...

Freedom in the World

Central Asia Pushes Back on “Not Free” Label as Debate Over Rankings Grows

Oil Imports

Georgia May Replace Russian Oil with Imports from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

Security

Global Terrorism Index: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan Show Zero Risk of Terrorism

Drone Crash

Repeated Drone Incidents Expose Airspace Risks on Russia–Central Asia Frontier

Organization of Turkic States

Meeting of the Organization of Turkic States Held in Baku

On April 2, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with participants of a meeting of the heads of government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Baku, outlining key areas of cooperation. Among those attending were Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Nokerguly Atagulyev, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Unal Ustel, and OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev. Opening the meeting, Aliyev stressed the importance of dialogue. “This meeting of the heads of government...

India

India–Central Asia: Connectivity, Security, and Sustainable Partnerships in a Multipolar World

A widening conflict in West Asia is forcing India and Central Asia to reassess trade routes, diplomacy, and regional security, with key projects such as Iran’s Chabahar port now facing growing uncertainty. These risks framed discussions in New Delhi on March 25–26, where experts gathered under the banner of “India–Central Asia: Connectivity, Security, and Sustainable Partnerships in a Multipolar World,” with The Times of Central Asia in attendance. The conference unfolded against the backdrop of two active Eurasian wars—the Russo-Ukrainian and the Israel/U.S.-Iran conflict. Central Asian and Indian participants agreed that the West Asian crisis is widening, putting not only...

Trade

Uzbekistan and Russia Focus on Trade and Transit at Termez Meeting

Uzbekistan and Russia used a conference in Termez on March 30–31 to highlight the breadth of their relationship, from trade and industrial projects to transport links and regional planning. The meeting was organized by Uzbekistan’s Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies and Russia’s Kremlin-linked policy forum, the Valdai Discussion Club. Participants included Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Bobur Usmanov, ISRS director Eldor Aripov, Russian Ambassador Alexei Yerkhov, and other Uzbek and Russian officials, analysts, and business representatives. The meeting comes at a time of shifting regional dynamics, as Central Asian states recalibrate ties with Russia...

EAEU

EAEU Trade Frictions Deepen Despite Shymkent Integration Push

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) met in Shymkent on March 26-27 with a long agenda and a familiar promise: deeper integration, smoother trade, and a more modern common market. Kazakhstan, which holds the bloc’s 2026 chairmanship, used the meeting to push artificial intelligence, digital logistics, industrial cooperation, and the removal of internal barriers. Twelve documents were signed, covering areas including industrial cooperation, transport, and digital integration. “Kazakhstan aims to become a fully-fledged digital country. We have built a modern ecosystem, including Astana Hub and the Alem.ai AI center, and are ready to share experience with EAEU partners on digital regulation...

Life & Culture

Chess

Big Names in Chess Praise Sindarov, Now Candidates Frontrunner

The chess world knew Javokhir Sindarov was dangerous heading into the FIDE Candidates Tournament this year, even though he was making his debut at the prestigious event and, at 20 years old, is the youngest of the eight elite contenders. But few people expected the Uzbekistani phenomenon to tear through the field in the first week of the event, racking up five wins and two draws so far in the 14-round tournament. Sindarov has six points out of a possible total of seven, and a 1.5 point lead over second-placed Fabiano Caruana of the United States. He is the strong...

Chess

Beyond the Magnus Selfie: Kazakhstan’s Alua Nurman Climbs the Chess Ranks

Sports

Khusanov Named Manchester City’s Player of the Month for March

World Nomad Games

Snow Leopard Designated as Official Mascot of World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan

Literature

Literary Competition Showcases Outstanding New Kazakh Novels

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

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 of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, we examine a series of significant developments across Central Asia, from the deepening fallout of Kyrgyzstan's political power struggle,...

Chess

Uzbekistan’s Sindarov Beats American Nakamura, Stays in Lead at FIDE Candidates

Playing with the black pieces, Javokhir Sindarov defeated Hikaru Nakamura at the FIDE Candidates Tournament on Friday and maintained his lead at the elite chess event underway on the shores of the Mediterranean. The 20-year-old Uzbekistani grandmaster has won four games after five rounds at the tournament near Paphos, Cyprus, in what some commentators have described as the best start seen at the tournament in many years. Sindarov now has 4.5 points, one point ahead of Fabiano Caruana in second place. The winner of the eight-player, 14-round tournament will challenge the current world champion, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, later this year....

Education

Kazakhstan to Launch Digital Schools Project

Kazakhstan will launch a pilot digital schools project, Qazaq Digital Mektebi, in September 2026, aimed at reducing disparities in educational quality between rural and urban schools. The initiative will target under-enrolled schools in seven regions, according to the Ministry of Education. The project provides for the use of AI technologies to support the teaching of natural sciences, mathematics, and humanities. The approach is intended to help students learn more independently while increasing engagement in the learning process. The pilot phase will be implemented in the North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Akmola, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, and East Kazakhstan regions. Authorities are currently...

Chess

Sindarov Ahead in Candidates, While Asaubayeva Shares Women’s Lead

Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan is leading after four rounds of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, the elite chess contest that will determine the challenger to the world champion. In the women’s competition, Bibisara Asaubayeva of Kazakhstan is tied for first place. Sindarov, winner of the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, played with the white pieces and defeated Fabiano Caruana on Wednesday for his third win of the candidates tournament at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos, Cyprus. Sindarov put early pressure on the American and built a sizeable advantage on the clock. The 20-year-old Uzbekistani player faces...

Justice

Cotton Industry

Uzbekistan’s Cotton Sector: Focus Shifts to Farmers as Dialogue Continues

The Times of Central Asia previously published an interview with Komoliddin Ikromov, head of the Agribusiness Association, addressing recent land disputes, legal processes, and ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector. In a separate conversation, Umida Niyazova, founder of the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, has offered an additional perspective, focusing on the conditions faced by cotton and wheat farmers. Her remarks come in the context of a recent joint report by the Uzbek Forum and Human Rights Watch examining structural issues in the agricultural system. While the report has drawn international attention, Niyazova emphasized that its primary focus differs from...

prisoner transfer

Russia Ready to Transfer Over 3,000 Uzbek Prisoners

Crocus City Hall

Appeals Filed Against Life Sentences in Crocus City Hall Attack Case

Police

Tajik Police to Patrol Dushanbe on Electric Scooters

FLEX Exchange Program

Uzbek FLEX Finalist Returns Home After Alleged Harassment by Host Father in Indiana

animal welfare

Uzbekistan Drafts New Law to Strengthen Animal Protection

Lawmakers in Uzbekistan are preparing a draft law aimed at strengthening protections for animals and addressing animal cruelty more systematically, according to the Ecological Party’s faction in the Legislative Chamber. Despite a reported decline in incidents in recent years, cases of animal cruelty continue to be reported, often without a clear motive and sometimes for entertainment, the party said. Deputies argue that existing measures, although recently tightened, remain insufficient to fully address the problem. On March 25, Uzbekistan adopted amendments increasing penalties for animal cruelty. Under the revised rules, offenders may face fines ranging from 15 to 25 times the...

Kashagan

Kazakhstan–Kashagan Dispute Heads to International Arbitration

Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Justice, Daniel Vaisov, announced that the country’s claims over the removal of sulfur storage limits at the Kashagan field, operated by North Caspian Operating Company N.V. (NCOC), will be heard under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes framework, which is headquartered in Washington. NCOC includes Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, CNPC, Inpex, and KazMunayGas. In March 2023, an inspection of the Kashagan consortium by Kazakhstan’s environmental authorities identified violations of environmental legislation, including the excessive storage of sulfur volumes exceeding permitted limits. The resulting claim was valued at around $5 billion, according to the authorities....

Internet Regulation

Kazakhstan Plans to Introduce Social Media Monitoring

Kazakhstan plans to introduce a system for monitoring the information space in order to identify illegal online content. This was reported by the country’s Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA). The agency has drafted rules on monitoring the information space aimed at detecting unlawful content, including on the internet, and enabling subsequent measures to restrict access to it. The draft document has been published on the Open Regulatory Acts portal. According to the proposal, monitoring would cover information published in open sources, including websites, social networks, messaging platforms, mass media outlets, and other information and communication channels. The Financial Monitoring Agency would...

Justice

Mirziyoyev: Violence Against Women and Children Will Not Be Tolerated in Uzbekistan

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced tougher measures against violence toward women and children, and unveiled new economic and education programs aimed at expanding opportunities for women across Uzbekistan. Speaking on March 6 at a ceremony in Tashkent marking International Women’s Day, the president referred to a decree he signed on March 3 that strengthens the country’s response to domestic violence. According to remarks reported by Uzbek media and the presidential press service, the decree introduces a stricter system for addressing harassment and violence against women and minors. Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan has adopted the creation of an uncompromising environment against violence...

Environment

Air Quality

Air Quality Report Shows Central Asia’s Air Getting Rapidly Worse

Tajikistan ranked as the world’s third most polluted country in 2025, according to the latest World Air Quality Report by IQAir. The report analyzed PM2.5 concentrations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries and territories. PM2.5, fine particulate matter measured in micrograms per cubic meter, is widely used as a key indicator of air pollution. The five most polluted countries in 2025 were Pakistan (67.3 µg/m³), Bangladesh (66.1 µg/m³), Tajikistan (57.3 µg/m³), Chad (53.6 µg/m³), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (50.2 µg/m³). Only 13 countries and territories met the World Health Organization annual PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³, including...

Mountains

Kyrgyzstan Elected First Vice-Chair of UN Mountain Partnership

Climate Change

Melting Glaciers Becoming an Increasing Threat to Central Asia’s Resources

Water

Kazakhstan Launches Water Spring Clean-Up Campaign

Desertification

Environmental Pressures Affect Up to 80% of Irrigated Land in Turkmenistan

Qosh Tepa Canal

Afghanistan Advances Qosh Tepa Canal While Urging Regional Water Cooperation

Uzbekistan just hosted the Tashkent Water Week forum, and the speaker many wanted to hear from was the representative from Afghanistan. Central Asia and Afghanistan are being hit hard by climate change. This region has endured several droughts already this decade, and indications are that this year will bring drought again. Hanging over the forum was Afghanistan’s plan to complete the Qosh-Tepa Canal in 2028, which will draw water from a river that Central Asian countries also use and further complicate the regional water situation. [caption id="attachment_18865" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Qosh Tepa Canal, artist's rendition; image: TCA, Aleksandr Potolitsyn[/caption] Our Fair...

Air Quality

Uzbekistan Launches “Clean Air” Project to Cut Pollution by 2030

Uzbekistan has approved a nationwide environmental initiative aimed at improving air quality and reducing pollution over the next five years, according to a presidential decree published on March 25. The decree outlines the implementation of the “Clean Air” national project for 2026-2030. The program sets a target of reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere by 10.5% and strengthening environmental monitoring across key industrial sectors. Under the plan, enterprises classified as having a significant environmental impact will be required to install automatic monitoring systems, as well as dust and gas purification equipment. The initiative also aims to reduce the number of...

Conservation

“Great News” for the Striped Hyena at Brazil Meeting, Conservation Group Says

Countries attending a U.N.-backed migratory species conference in Brazil have agreed to increased protections for the striped hyena, whose vast range includes parts of Central Asia, according to an international conservation group. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had submitted the proposal to upgrade protections for the species during a meeting of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in Campo Grande this week. “The Committee agreed by consensus to the proposal to include the striped hyena in Appendices I and II,” and the approval will become official at a plenary meeting on Sunday, said Susan Lieberman, vice president for international policy...

Environment

Kyrgyz Retailers Prepare for Gradual Phase-Out of Plastic

Pressure is increasing on businesses in Kyrgyzstan to reduce their use of plastic. However, judging by the government’s latest initiatives, the transition to new environmental standards is expected to be gradual and shaped by compromise. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision has announced the launch of the “Green Entrepreneur” platform, through which companies willing to phase out plastic can obtain official recognition. The initiative comes alongside preparations for large-scale restrictions on the use of plastic bags, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. Although a full ban has not yet been introduced, several major retailers have...

Kyrgyzstan Weighs Nuclear Power as Rosatom Talks Advance

Latest

Features

Features

Arrests, Agreements and the Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict

Latest

Sunkar Podcast

Arrests, Agreements and the Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict

Sunkar Podcast

Opinions

Opinions

Aidar Borangaziyev

Javier M. Piedra

Dr. Bismillah Mangal

Raza Syed

Aidar Borangaziyev

Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo & Engineer Arshad H. Abbasi

Dr. Eric Rudenshiold

Javier M. Piedra

Anvar Nazirov

Nilaya Magidish

Timur Serikuly

William Cui

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Food Spending Remains High in Kazakhstan Households

Kyrgyzstan Plans Central Asia’s First Live-Line Energy Training Center

Kazakhstan Targets Growth in Real Household Income

Afghanistan Aims to Increase Trade with Central Asia to $10 Billion

Major Hydrocarbon Field Discovered in Kazakhstan

Local Politics

Local Politics

Kazakh Lawmaker Proposes Tougher Penalties for Poaching

Kyrgyzstan Develops Territories Received from Tajikistan

Kazakhstan Proposes Creating a Digital Platform Within the EAEU to Coordinate Freight

Turkmenistan Promotes Tourism Abroad — While Keeping Its Borders Closed

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reform and the Logic of Modernization

International Affairs

International Affairs

The Iran War Is Repricing Central Asia’s Connectivity

Meeting of the Organization of Turkic States Held in Baku

India–Central Asia: Connectivity, Security, and Sustainable Partnerships in a Multipolar World

Uzbekistan and Russia Focus on Trade and Transit at Termez Meeting

EAEU Trade Frictions Deepen Despite Shymkent Integration Push

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

Big Names in Chess Praise Sindarov, Now Candidates Frontrunner

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

Uzbekistan’s Sindarov Beats American Nakamura, Stays in Lead at FIDE Candidates

Kazakhstan to Launch Digital Schools Project

Sindarov Ahead in Candidates, While Asaubayeva Shares Women’s Lead

Justice

Justice

Uzbekistan’s Cotton Sector: Focus Shifts to Farmers as Dialogue Continues