Discussion about who might become the next president of Kazakhstan after the long-serving incumbent, Nursultan Nazarbayev, leaves the political scene has been a favorite pastime for years for anyone with a professional interest in the country. Last week, these conversations were fueled by media reports... MORE

On July 14, Tajik authorities released Urunboy Usmonov, a local correspondent for the BBC’s Uzbek service, who spent one month in pre-trial detention on suspicion of belonging to a banned Islamic group. It appears that the unusual publicity and widespread international criticism generated by Usmonov’s... MORE

The Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev traveled to Moscow in a sudden rush to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss energy-giant Gazprom’s gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan. Atambayev’s July 20 visit to Russia was unplanned, as he reacted to severe gas shortages in... MORE

As international efforts to restore the ancient Silk Road gather momentum, Kazakhstan has intensified construction of major transportation arteries across its territory. Astana views the development of transport corridors together with economic diversification as key tools for strengthening its national sovereignty. Moreover, boosting transport and... MORE

On July 7 powerful explosions in Abadan shook Turkmenistan’s political landscape. Following clear attempts to cover up the incident, a few days later the Turkmen regime had to admit that the incident had caused “some casualties.” Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demoted several government ministers, threatening... MORE

In June, two alleged leaders of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) were arrested in Tajikistan. On June 8, police detained a 46 year-old resident of Bobojon Ghafurov district in Tajikistan’s northern Sughd province. The detainee, whose name has not been disclosed, purportedly served as head of the banned... MORE

New Delhi’s presence has suddenly expanded in Kyrgyzstan following Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony visit to Bishkek on July 4-5 to meet with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Abibilla Kudayberdiyev, to discuss bilateral cooperation on security issues. It was agreed that by the end of July, Indian... MORE

Only two decades ago this would probably have been unimaginable, but today China’s car exports are targeting consumers in the industrialized and emerging countries worldwide. This dramatic car export expansion has also been clear in the adjacent Central Asian region. As China evolves its manufacturing... MORE

The strategic partnership signed between Kazakhstan and China on July 4, 2005 has now taken a significant step toward further expansion, based on political, economic, security and cultural ties. President Hu Jintau and his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev agreed to the details of an “all-round”... MORE