![](/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/region-central-asia.jpg)
Latest Articles about Central Asia
![](/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Nursultan_Nazarbayev_-_EDM_January_11__2013.jpg)
President Nazarbayev Announces Ambitious National Goals in Coming Decades
In his State of the Nation address to the parliament on December 14, 2012, President Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined a new strategy for Kazakhstan’s development through 2050. The document, developed by the government with the help of national and foreign experts, seeks to establish “the vector... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Khorgos_port_checkpoint_-_EDM_January_10__2013.jpg)
China’s Latest Piece of the New Silk Road
While the concept of a “New Silk Road” of trade, transport and telecommunications connections across Eurasia was formally endorsed by the US State Department, it is Beijing and Chinese companies that have taken the lead in realizing the immense infrastructure projects that will tie the... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Flipped_car_Ferghana_Valley_clashes_-_EDM_January_9__2013.jpg)
Fresh Border Incident Could Provoke New Inter-Ethnic Clashes in the Ferghana Valley
Residents of Uzbekistan’s enclave of Sokh located within Batken province (southern Kyrgyzstan) attacked Kyrgyz border guards and took, according to different sources, between 30 and 40 citizens of Kyrgyzstan hostage in a series of events that began on January 5. Border guards from Kyrgyzstan were... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Kyrgyzstan_local_elections_-_EDM_January_7__2013.jpg)
Local Elections in Kyrgyzstan Strengthen the President, While Past Rivals Fade
Local elections in many of Kyrgyzstan’s major towns have strengthened the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), which is led by the country’s president, Almazbek Atambayev. Atambayev’s party will now hold a plurality of council seats in the capital Bishkek, where the mayor’s office is... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Supporters_of_Nazarov_following_an_attempt_on_his_life__Fergana_News_.jpg)
A Portrait of Uzbekistan’s Dissident Cleric In Exile: Obidhon Nazarov
In late August, a series of drone strikes in Northern Waziristan were reported to have killed a number of jihadist leaders. Most media attention focused on the possible demise of Badruddin Haqqani, son of the fabled mujahideen leader, with conflicting reports about whether he had... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Francois_Hollande__L__and_Nursultan_Nazarbayev_-_EDM_December_14__2012.jpg)
Presidential Summit Drives Kazakhstani-French Relations Forward
During his recent visit to France on November 21–23, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with his counterpart Francois Hollande for the first time since Hollande became French president in May 2012. The successful encounter showed that Hollande wants to continue the high level of cooperation... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/CIS_Summit_in_Ashgabat__December_5_-_EDM_December_13__2012.jpg)
What Is Behind Aliyev’s Boycott of the CIS Summit?
On December 5, Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat hosted a summit of heads of state of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. The presidents of Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan did not attend this forum, however. Instead of President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Arthur Rasizade represented Baku... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/President_Tsakhia_Elbegdorj_of_Mongolia_-_EDM_December_12__2012.jpg)
The Mongolian Democratic Party Wins in Local Elections
On November 21, Mongolia held local elections for the Citizens’ Representative Khurals [councils] of the provinces and the capital city. The voting resulted in a victory for the Mongolian Democratic Party (DP), which already holds a majority in the State Ikh Khural—the national parliament—and controls... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Choe_Tae_Bok_and_Tsakhia_Elbegdorj_-_EDM_December_11__2012.jpg)
Mongolia Nurtures Relations with North Korea As It Hopes for Official Future Role in Six-Party Talks
Mongolia grabbed the headlines on November 15–16 by the announcement that Japan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) were engaging in direct senior-level talks in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar about the issue of North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals. The presence of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Nurlan_Nigmatulin_-_EDM_December_10__2012.jpg)
Central Asia Prepares for Post-2014 Afghanistan
On December 4, Kazakhstan’s parliament and the Kazakhstan Institute of Strategic Studies held a joint conference on the future of Central Asia–Afghanistan relations. This conference was attended by representatives of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, including diplomats, researchers and political experts, as well as the deputy... MORE