On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of State hosted the inaugural meeting of the Critical Minerals Dialogue (CMD) in the C5+1 format, chaired by Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez. The initiative to hold a dialogue on critical minerals was announced by the presidents of the United States, … 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 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
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 Central Asia is seldom a top priority for U.S. foreign policy. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States was one of the first countries to recognize the five newly independent states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. For most of the 21st century, however, Central Asia largely served as a … Read more
Advertisement As hip Chinese businessmen sip on beverages in Dushanbe, halfway to Murgab, at nearly 12,000 feet, in Tajikistan’s remote Pamir region where Afghanistan lays literally a stone’s throw away across the Panj river, rugged but equally confident Chinese foremen direct the operators of monster-looking excavators expanding the region’s unnerving narrow cliff-side roads. In this … Read more
Advertisement U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced legislation on September 7 to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan and grant the three Central Asian states permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status. If passed successfully, the U.S. Congress will have alleviated a notable point of irritation for the states … Read more
Advertisement In the last year, there’s been a steady stream of U.S. officials filtering through Central Asia. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu stopped in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in April, followed that same month by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg from the Treasury Department, and … Read more
Advertisement In January of this year, a curious sight appeared in Bucha, Ukraine. A large, round yurt – traditionally used by nomads in Central Asia – offered a heating center, internet access, and traditional Kazakh food and tea to Ukrainians suffering from brutally freezing temperatures and frequent power cuts as a result of Russian air … Read more