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, the Presidents of Iran and Turkmenistan met to discuss increasing bilateral trade and cooperation, Kazakhstan's President signed a law that, according to critics, is likely to be used against dissidents, Russia-led CSTO announced that it will hold military drills in Kazakhstan in October, and Freedom of the Press was reported to have been declining in 2022 in Central Asian countries.
This past week, Kazakhstan denied that it might help Russia circumvent sanctions, but confirmed it will continue normal trade activities, A new study was published exploring Kyrgyz young elites’ opinions on China, the Taliban banned opium poppy cultivation, and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan agreed to boost bilateral trade.
This week, the Kazakh Parliament approved nuclear non-proliferation agreement with China, China stated it opposes foreign interference in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan agreed on a strategic partnership in Trade and Industry, and the Afghan government approved the development of the Chinatown Industrial Park project in Kabul.
This week, many Central Asian migrant workers in Russia lost their jobs as the Russian economy suffers under sanctions, leaving families at home short of cash, the Taliban is said to be working on the preservation and restoration of the Buddha statues that sit on top of a massive copper ore deposit, and a Kazakhstani radio presenter is reportedly under probe for calling on Putin to “take care” of “Nazis” in Kazakhstan on air.
This week, a labor strike against a Chinese company occurred in Kazakhstan, demanding better pay, an article was published examining China's growing academic assertiveness, Kazakh parliament passed a law that would curb internet freedoms and could shut down social media platforms, and local Russian and Kazakh officials held talks about building a port on Irtysh river, which could provide access to China.
This week, the Kazakh president Tokayev pledged to limit his power in a “gradual” manner, a promise not likely to be kept according to experts, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, son of former president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, was inaugurated as president of Turkmenistan, and Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to increase oil exports to China.
This week, Afghanistan security agents made the first arrests of opium smugglers since last week’s ban on trade and cultivation of poppy seeds, Two new papers were published pointing to the troubling water patterns in Central Asia, Four activists were detained for a pro-Ukraine protest in Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan sign an agreement to cooperate in logistics projects along the Trans-Caspian trade route.
Two more affiliates of Kazakh ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev, a nephew and a business tycoon, were arrested this past week. Meanwhile, Russia officially suspended exports of grains such as wheat and buckwheat and sugar to “help protect the domestic market”, and Afghanistan resumed talks with China to mine copper as the humanitarian disaster growingly hits the country.