This weekly section provides an overview of key political, economic, and social developments across the five Central Asian states. It highlights the region’s most relevant policy trends, international engagements, and sectoral updates in areas such as energy, digital development, environment, and finance. The section is compiled and edited by Maryam Agharabi, Coordinator of the China & Central Asia Studies Center. For enquiries, you may contact maryam.agharabi[a]kimep.kz.
Disclaimer: All media digests are compiled strictly for academic and research purposes by the China & Central Asia Studies Center at KIMEP University. The views, facts, and opinions expressed in these summaries belong entirely to the original credited media outlets and do not reflect the official stance of the university or its researchers.
This past week, while Nowruz was being celebrated throughout Central Asia, the results of the Majlis elections in Kazakhstan were published, a few earthquakes shook the region, especially Tajikistan on March 23rd, an extradited former FSB officer was sentenced in Russia, and Human Rights Watch urged Belarus not to give out an opposition figure to Tajik authorities.
This past week, former Kyrgyz President Atambayev was released from prison and flew to Spain, while the Nazarbayev family's life-long immunity was revoked, a Moscow-led think tank attempted to rank Russia's neighboring countries in terms of friendliness, and the CSTO chief staff announced that the upcoming military exercises will be held in Kyrgyzstan. Elsewhere, the EIB's declarations shed light on its Central Asian strategy, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the immediate release of an Uzbek blogger.
This past week, the Silk Road Briefing explored the prospects for Railway Transit in Kazakhstan, while women from different cities of Central Asia took to the street to observe March 8th. Eurasianet detailed the vaccination campaign against HPV in Kyrgyzstan that started in 2017, and the date and content of Uzbekistan's next referendum are now known, as participants of the Karakalpakstan's unrest face up to 12 years in prison.
This past week, a Kazakh company cut iron exports to Russian steel manufacturers, Tajikistan proposed a network of roads and rails to create a transit hub in the country, Uzbekistan restarted gas exports to China, maintaining that it is still going to phase them out by 2025, and an analytical piece on Russia-China relations highlighted points of partnership and rivalry between the two great powers.
This past week, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in bilateral meetings with Kazakh and Uzbek officials, as well as C5+1 meetings gathering representatives from all Central Asian states. Meanwhile, Russia tried to secure Turkmenistan's cooperation in gas exportation, and another hundred million dollars were allocated to the light rail transit system in Astana, while in Uzbekistan, teenagers and pop stars got scolded for “immoral behavior”.
This past week, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's specialists held an anti-terror summit in New Delhi, India, to discuss the worsening situation in Afghanistan, while Kyrgyz gold miners went on strike in a Chinese-owned mine, demanding better wages, Kazakhstan granted a license for production of Turkish drones, and a number of militants and a security officer were killed in a Tajik border province after the militants attacked a government convoy.
This past week, Kyrgyz President Japarov divided the country's public opinion with a controversial meeting; more assaults were reported against Kazakh journalists ahead of the upcoming elections, while government officials vowed not to repeat the recent gas shortages, a helpful analysis of Uzbekistan's potentials and efforts toward a green economy was published; and very little change was seen at the UN General Assembly, a year into the war in Ukraine.
This past week, the President of Kazakhstan visited Turkey to discuss bilateral trade, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan made plans for manufacturing coordination and supply chain management along their shared trade route to Europe, activists in Kazakhstan were jailed for an ‘unsanctioned’ rally demanding the release of political prisoners, and an activist group in Kazakhstan announces the launch of a political party that seeks to aid Kazakhs in Xinjiang.