Turkmenistan, the Kuwait that never was
Turkmenistan is best known today for its eccentric dictator and a deep economic crisis that has resulted in shortages ofContinue Reading
Category: English
China and Tajikistan, an uneven relationship
Tajikistan has become China’s entry point into Central Asia. Not economically, but politically and militarily. Dushanbe has been doing aContinue Reading
In the fields of wheat: an authoritarian obsession
The Central Asian republics have been shaped by the personality of their leaders since their independence from the Soviet Union.Continue Reading
Samarkand University, the latest victim of Uzbekistan’s Timurid craze
Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan will soon celebrate its 600th anniversary despite not being even a century old. The higherContinue Reading
Prime Minister in Kyrgyzstan, a temporary job
On June 17 the Kyrgyz parliament confirmed Kubatbek Boronov as the country’s new prime minister. As a result, Boronov hasContinue Reading
Border disputes: old and new reactions
As recent border clashes in Central Asia have shown, the old-fashioned blame game is still being used by the partiesContinue Reading
What lies behind Dariga Nazarbayeva’s dismissal?
The removal on May 2 of Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev, by president Tokayev from her roles as senatorContinue Reading
Surnames and individual freedoms in Tajikistan
On April 29, the Tajik lower chamber, the Assembly of Representatives, passed a bill banning bans Russified family names andContinue Reading
Imposing the state language through fines in Uzbekistan
A draft bill in Uzbekistan that introduces fines for those civil servants not using Uzbek is the latest development involvingContinue Reading
Tajik and Turkmen migrant workers susceptible to ISIS
Coronavirus has introduced mass instability worldwide and can have especially dangerous political effects in regimes that do not acknowledge theContinue Reading