It is hardly a secret that Russia has been unhappy with the U.S. military presence in Central Asia, which was established in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Kremlin’s favored instrument for attempting to dislodge the Pentagon’s presence has been the Shanghai Cooperation... MORE

On Monday, March 24, Kyrgyzstan officially celebrated the third anniversary of the Tulip Revolution. While the day is officially commemorated as a national holiday, for the majority of the public it merely marks the change of political regimes, from one corrupt leader – former president... MORE

Although the international community has condemned Beijing’s crackdown against rioters in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the Russian government was among the first to show its active support for the Chinese authorities. The riots began March 10, and the subsequent crackdown has caused dozens of civilian... MORE

On March 10-11, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov visited Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous country, where he was greeted by Uzbek President Islam Karimov. The visit was intended to further develop ties between the two countries, Karimov commented. In response, Berdimukhamedov hailed Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan’s "constructive... MORE

After losing in Kyrgyzstan’s December 2007 parliamentary elections, 50 leaders from 18 political opposition parties formed an alternative, shadow parliament. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s political party, Ak Zhol, which is amply represented in the actual parliament, claims the alternative structure is illegitimate. But growing public support... MORE

More than two years after being forced to evacuate its facility at Karshi-Khanabad (K-2), the U.S. Air Force once again has access to Uzbek air assets, as Tashkent has agreed to allow U.S. military aircraft to use aerial facilities at Termez on a “case by... MORE

Robert Simmons, the NATO secretary-general's special representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, told a news conference in Moscow on March 5 that the Alliance welcomed Uzbekistan's willingness to provide its military base at “Khanabad” for use by some NATO states. The confusion over... MORE

On March 3 Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov announced his decision to endorse the country’s second military doctrine. The revised doctrine will take into account Turkmenistan’s declared neutrality in order to enhance the country’s ability to resist potential threats to its domestic stability. The Turkmen president... MORE

On the morning of February 12, a MiG-29 fighter jet from the Kazakh Air Force crashed while landing at a military airfield in Almaty region. Just seconds before the plane hit the ground, crew members ejected from the cockpit, but because of the low altitude,... MORE