Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Central Asia has found itself in the diplomatic spotlight – a showy summit with China’s president in Xi’an, a historic summit with the U.S. president in New York, and a busy schedule of diplomatic visits to the region. But Central Asia’s geopolitical position lends itself … Read more
“Really? From here? You are so lucky…” The market seller’s maternal instincts seemed to overtake all intentions of haggling as she dropped several souvenirs into my hands and looked at me with amazement and pride. A Kazakhstan-born orphan, adopted to German and American parents, back here in Kazakhstan? She said now she knows fate exists. … Read more
Advertisement Following a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, Israel declared war on the group and began a brutal ground operation in Gaza that has left more than 7,500 dead – including many children – in three weeks. How have Central Asian governments reacted to the Israel-Palestine conflict? Four of the five Central Asian … Read more
Advertisement In the wake of last month’s meeting by U.S. President Joe Biden with the five leaders of Central Asia, under the flag of the C5+1, USAID Administrator Samantha Power headed to Samarkand this week for the first C5+1 Regional Connectivity Ministerial. Two headline items were the announcement of an additional $14.3 million in regional … Read more
Advertisement Amidst significant geopolitical shifts and Central Asia’s burgeoning economic and political potential, German interest in the region has significantly increased in recent years. Germany, along with the European Union, aims to divest from U.S. strategic hegemony to engage in a multipolar global contest with China and Russia. This recalibration is further informed by Germany’s … Read more
Advertisement On September 19, U.S. President Joe Biden met with the presidents of the five Central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – a major upgrade in the United States’ relationship with the region. Geopolitics (i.e. Russia and China), the specter of instability (the region has seen several incidents of mass violence … Read more
This Week in Asia: May 19, 2023 The Diplomat’s weekly video round-up of Asia news. A Case for Greater US Engagement in Central Asia By Hunter Stoll Russian and Chinese influence in the region will never go away. But the United States now has a rare and valuable window of opportunity. A Journey Through Central … Read more
From left: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, U.S. President Joe Biden, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan attend the C5+1 presidential summit in New York, U.S., Sep. 19, 2023. Credit: Official White House photo Advertisement U.S. President Joe Biden met … Read more
Advertisement On September 14-15, in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, the fifth consultative meeting of heads of state of Central Asia took place. Expectations about it were quite high, and rightly so. First, this was the first meeting between the Central Asian presidents after the deadly border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan a year ago, which … Read more
Advertisement The green transition poses a significant geopolitical and geoeconomic challenge, giving rise to various scenarios of competition and cooperation that are currently more crucial than ever before. One key challenge that has been highlighted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the importance of securing energy supplies. However, the green transition also holds immense potential … Read more