Eight years after his death, Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov, is still symbolically present in the country. On January 30, Shavkat Mirziyoyev honoured the memory of his predecessor by laying a floral…
Category: Top Stories
ANALYSIS: Turkmenistan diversification of gas exports, from chimeras to pragmatism?
For years Turkmenistan has been unsuccessful in diversifying its natural gas exports, but that is slowly changing. In the last months, we have witnessed Ashgabat exploring new markets for its gas, reigniting…
ANALYSIS: Uzbekistan’s latest cabinet reshuffle
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reshuffled the Cabinet of Ministers at the end of 2022. A restructuring that saw a reduction of ministries and the emergence of new faces to lead them, while other…
Conscripts in Central Asia, a dangerous obligation
Soldiers in the Central Asian republics have to face worse dangers than enemy bullets or shells. Bullying, hazing, accidents, and psychological pressure are responsible for a large share of deaths and injuries…
Turkey and Central Asian military cooperation: more than just drones
From arms sales to joint military exercises and cooperation agreements, in the last few years Turkey has stepped up its security links with the Central Asian nations. This has opened new opportunities…
What is in a name? The (re)naming of cities in Central Asia
For centuries, London has been London, Paris has been Paris and Rome has been Rome. Despite revolutions, wars and upheavals, the names of those cities have remained the same after evolving naturally…
A majolica façade: Central Asia’s fabricated political parties
In the last weeks, the Uzbek people have gone to the polls to elect their representatives for the Oliy Majlis, the lower house of parliament. The nation was able to choose between…
Interview with Carlos Hernández, a Spanish journalist inside Turkmenistan
Carlos Hernández (Madrid, 1969) is an award-winning Spanish journalist with a wide international experience. Recently he has become one of the few foreign journalists that has been able to enter Turkmenistan incognito….
Graphomania among the Central Asian leaders
It is not uncommon for politicians to write books. Once they have left the reins of power, one can expect them to write their memoirs in which they justify their past deeds…