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Twelve Days to Go: What Armenia's Election Is Actually About
June 7 is framed as a geopolitical choice between Russia and Europe — but the campaign reveals a messier domestic reality
Caught in the Net: Central Asia's Sanctions Week
Kyrgyzstan shuts down 50 companies, Kazakhstan sues Rosatom, Georgia's elites move assets offshore — three stories, one pressure front
Between Beijing and Washington: What the Trump–Xi Summit Means for Central Asia
As two superpowers negotiate in Beijing, the region that sits between them is watching — and quietly calculating its next move
Tajikistan and China Sign New Agreements — What Dushanbe Is Getting, and What It Is Giving Up
The latest round of bilateral deals deepens an already significant dependency. The question is whether Tajikistan had a better option.
Kazakhstan and China’s Snow Valley Agree to Build $100-200 Million Potato Processing Complex
Kazakhstan's Pavlodar regional administration has signed a memorandum of cooperation with China's Snow Valley Agricultural Group Co. Ltd. This agreement facilitates a major potato processing investment project, estimated at between $100 mil
Tajikistan to Gain Access to Emergency Financing Under New World Bank Project
The World Bank Group has approved a Contingent Emergency Response Project (CERP) for Tajikistan. This provides Dushanbe with a financial instrument designed to enable the rapid reallocation of resources during crises and emergencies, bolste
Exploring China’s growing role in Central Asia
China's engagement with Central Asia has deepened considerably over the past two decades, manifesting in substantial economic, political, and infrastructure investments. This sustained interest has transformed China into an increasingly piv
Hormuz Crisis Has Supercharged The Middle Corridor Trade Route
The prevailing instability surrounding access to the Strait of Hormuz, stemming from persistent tensions between the United States and Iran, is compelling a significant re-evaluation of Eurasian trade routes. This environment of heightened
The marble mirage: Ashgabat’s record-breaking facade contradicts Turkmenistan’s reality
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, presents an arresting spectacle: a city almost entirely clad in gleaming white marble, a record-holder for its sheer density of Italian stone. This monochromatic landscape, blinding under the Central Asian
The 'Decommunization' Of Dushanbe
Dushanbe is undergoing a relentless demolition and development drive, vividly documented in before-and-after images. Many locals now struggle to recognise their own capital, testament to the profound and rapid changes fundamentally challeng
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Trade in 2025: Partners and Trends
Kazakhstan’s foreign trade in 2025 demonstrated continued expansion in overall turnover, yet underlying shifts in export revenues and import growth presented a more complex picture for the Central Asian nation. While trade remained a crucia
Kazakhstan has a new constitution. What’s next?
Kazakhstan recently endorsed a new Constitution in a nationwide referendum, with the government framing this as the culmination of a "transformation of the state" and the advent of a "New Kazakhstan." This formal shift, approved overwhelmin
Kazakhstan's Mineral Wealth Draws Western Investment — But on Whose Terms?
As the EU and US compete with China for access to rare earths, Astana is playing all sides with growing confidence — a sign of a country that has learned to monetize its geography.
Tajikistan’s Debt to China: A New Dependency?
Half of Tajikistan’s external debt is now owed to a single creditor in Beijing. New loan terms reveal a quietly tightening grip.
The SCO Paradox: Security Without Trust
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation just held its largest summit ever. The agreed agenda, like always, is the agenda no member actually believes in.