Russia intends to further strengthen its military presence within Central Asia this year, beginning with deepening its commitment to its airbase in Kant, Kyrgyzstan. Essentially designed to enhance the anti-terrorist dimension of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), this will be accompanied by broad-ranging Russian... MORE

Kazakhstan's efforts to successfully reform its largely Soviet-legacy armed forces has taken small steps towards achieving some of its longer-term goals, though much remains to be tackled if its future development is to be rescued from decline. In July the Kazakhstani government finally gave approval... MORE

Elizabeth Jones, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs, has attempted to dispel speculation concerning how long U.S. military forces will remain deployed in Central Asia to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Responding to fears, particularly from Russian security circles, that the deployment may in... MORE

Anti-terrorist exercises are currently underway in Central Asia, witnessed by observers from non-CIS States including China, Iran, and Pakistan, within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). These annual exercises, rehearsing military operations against terrorists and insurgents, are designed to showcase the Collective... MORE

Two days before the July 30 bomb blasts in Tashkent, Astana hosted the security service chiefs of Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey in discussions on ways of fighting terrorism. Russia and Ukraine, demonstrating their growing concern with security issues, sent observers to the meeting. Most importantly,... MORE

Reliable sources in Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs are claiming that two of the three suicide bombers who committed detonated explosions in Tashkent on July 30 were Kazakhstani citizens of Uzbek descent. In a related development, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan has begun the trial... MORE

General John Abizaid, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), visited Kazakhstan on August 2 with the express purpose of discussing ways to strengthen military cooperation between the United States and Kazakhstan. He also discussed Kazakhstan's partnership with NATO and explored ways in which this... MORE

With elections to Majilis (lower chamber of parliament) just a few weeks away, calls for genuine democracy in Kazakhstan ring louder than ever before. On July 21 leaders of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, the pro-democratic party "Ak Zhol," and the Communist Party of Kazakhstan... MORE

At 5:00 pm on Friday, July 30, suicide bombers detonated explosives near the Embassies of the United States and Israel and in the vicinity of the building housing Uzbekistan's Prosecutor General's Office. The bombings claimed the lives of one local police officer and one employee... MORE

On July 29, fully owned subsidiaries of Gazprom and of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank signed agreements establishing a joint gas-trading company, RosUkrEnergoprom. With Gazprom and Raiffeisen each holding half the shares, RosUkrEnergoprom will act as the operating company for gas exports from Turkmenistan to Ukraine via... MORE