Latest Articles about Uzbekistan
China’s ‘Soft Power’ in Central Asia Both More and Less than It Appears
From one perspective, China has enormous “soft power” in Central Asia, the ability, as Joseph Nye defined it (Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power, New York, 1990), “to persuade others to do what it wants without force or coercion.” It can and... MORE
A Year in Review: Uzbekistan Pursues Liberalization at Home, Neighborly Relations Abroad
When Uzbekistanis elected Shavkat Mirziyoyev as their president on December 4, 2016, they entered 2017 with a healthy dose of skepticism that real change would follow. Indeed, during his first public address as the interim head of state, Mirziyoyev, previous president Islam Karimov’s prime minister... MORE
A Year in Review: More Problems, More Reforms, More Cooperation for Central Asia in 2017
Central Asia in 2017 recalls Charles Dickens’ observation in A Tale of Two Cities: it was truly the best of times, if far from perfect, and the worst of times, if far from disastrous. And depending on whether one focuses on the problems the five... MORE
The Dynamics Driving Uzbekistan’s Warming Relationship With Afghanistan
Uzbekistan’s leadership has been increasingly focused on its southern neighbor Afghanistan since Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in late 2016 (see EDM, June 27). As President Mirziyoyev attested on December 5, he and his Afghan counterpart met five times already in the past year (Kun.uz,... MORE
New Railway Route from China to Europe Through Russia: Bluff or Tactical Ploy?
In the plenary session of the XIV Forum of Interregional Cooperation of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, held on November 9, the presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev, announced plans for a new railway route from China to Europe via the... MORE
Controversial Railway Project Consolidates China’s Foothold in Central Asia
On November 5, a cargo train from Kokshetau, North Kazakhstan, carrying 30 containers of wheat, arrived in the Turkish harbor city of Mersin, on the Mediterranean coast. What made this event so notable was that this was the first train from Kazakhstan to use the... MORE
Russia Tacitly Entices Uzbekistan With Benefits of EEU, CSTO Membership
Since President Shavkat Mirziyaev’s state visit to Moscow in April 2017, bilateral relations between his country of Uzbekistan and Russia have been steadily expanding. And the frequency of subsequent bilateral exchanges suggests that this trend will most likely continue with the full support of both... MORE
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan Undertake Resolving Their Water Disputes
Transboundary water sharing is one of the most contentious issues dividing Central Asian countries. And as Uzbekistan continues to actively pursue better relations with its neighbors (see EDM, May 24, June 27, September 12, 18), discussions over water usage are moving to the top of... MORE
Will the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway Become Uzbekistan’s New Connection to Europe?
On September 27, the head of Azerbaijani Railways Company, Javid Gurbanov, along with his Georgian and Turkish counterparts, Mamuka Bakhtadze and Ahmad Arslan, respectively, attended the first test run by a passenger train along a section of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway, from the Georgian capital... MORE
Closer Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan Ties Not Enough to Resolve Broader Regional Woes
The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, paid an official visit to Uzbekistan in mid-September, highlighting improving relations between Central Asia’s two largest states. There, he met with his Uzbekistani counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyaev, for the sixth time since the latter took office last December, following the... MORE