Latest Articles about Uzbekistan

Nazarbayev Labors to Mend Fences with Tashkent

On March 17, Kazakhstan’s President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, arrived in Tashkent to discuss bilateral relations with his Uzbek counterpart and regional rival. Although the visit was prompted by an official invitation from President, Islam Karimov, he received a saliently reserved welcome in Tashkent. Karimov failed to... MORE

The Strategic Implications of the Turkmenistan-China Pipeline Project

On December 14, 2009, China and Turkmenistan formally opened the longest natural gas pipeline, which runs from Turkmenistan through Central Asia to China. This pipeline, financed by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)—China's largest oil and gas producer and supplier—is the first gas pipeline connecting China... MORE

Tashkent Prioritizes its Strategic Role in Afghanistan’s Future

Uzbekistan’s state railroad company Ozbekiston Temir Yollari has won the Afghan government’s tender to build rail infrastructure linking the northern Afghan border town of Hairatan with Mazar-e Sharif, supported by a credit line extended by the Asian Development Bank. In late November, the Uzbek government... MORE

Uzbekistan Damages Regional Electricity Network

Uzbekistan recently officially announced that it will quit the Central Asia power system. Tashkent’s decision affects all countries in the region, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan suffering the most. The recent policy shift reflects the predicaments of Soviet period planning of energy supplies in the Central... MORE

Uzbekistan Challenges Regional Electricity Supplies Network

Kyrgyzstan’s growing list of troubles has recently been further complicated by yet another predicament. Tashkent has announced that Uzbekistan is likely to leave the Central Asian power supply cascade in the coming months. According to Tashkent’s official interpretation, Uzbekistan can now provide its population with... MORE

Russia’s Vision in Crisis for CSTO Military Forces

On June 14, after the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Moscow formally created its new Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hailed this achievement as a "step toward creating a military force to be reckoned with, truly capable of responding... MORE

Uzbekistan Quietly Stalling on CSTO Collective forces

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev clarified that Armenia signed without conditions, but it was Uzbekistan that registered multiple objections and reservations at the Collective Security Treaty Organization's (CSTO) summit in Moscow on June 14 (EDM, June 15). The seven heads of state were scheduled to approve... MORE

Karimov Accuses Kyrgyzstan of Harboring Terrorists

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov has blamed neighboring Kyrgyzstan for harboring the criminals that carried out shootings in Kharshi-Khanabad on May 26. The Kyrgyz government denied the allegations and increased security at checkpoints on its border with Uzbekistan. The recent disagreement reflects growing tensions between the... MORE