On 3rd of January, protests over gas prices escalated into riots and looting in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Russia, China, and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) called for order and stability, Russia and Belarus sent troops into Almaty in response to the Kazakhstani government’s call for aid, while elsewhere Chinese aid to Afghanistan continued, and China announced the opening of a new consulate in Iran to facilitate the expansion of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).

Russia and China rejecting the proposed "Summit for Democracy" led by the United States made it to the regional news headlines this week, while one of the most significant events in the region was the parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan on November 28. Also, the forum "Republic of Korea - Central Asia" was held in Dushanbe. In addition, energy security of the region was also in the news, as during the Second Eurasian Congress Tajikistan was offered to return to the Central Asian energy ring in order to establish an exchange of electricity. With regards to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan made it clear that they will have no room for Afghan refugees in their respective countries.

Afghanistan continued to receive humanitarian aid during this week from the Red Crescent & Red Cross, China, as well as Russia. Uzbekistan is said to begin the construction of the trans-Afghan railway in the spring of 2022, and India continues to be involved in the affairs of the region as the third meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Central Asia-India Dialogue was held in New Delhi. Another state involved in the affairs of the region is Russia, affecting the future of Central Asia through its tense and bitter relations with NATO.

This week, amid the rising numbers of COVID-19 infection cases, the largest vaccine warehouse in Central Asia was opened in Tashkent. Following the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States and the publication of a map of Turkic people by the organization last week, Russia had to remind Turkey that the roots of Turkic people are not in Turkey, but in Russia. Elsewhere, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for the lifting of unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and Chinese companies started to study the possibilities of lithium mining in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was also on the agenda at the meeting between the foreign ministers of Central Asia and the European Union, and the EU and UNDP launched a regional platform for Sustainable Development Goals in Central Asia.

This week, the first freight train to Kazakhstan left Guangzhou, officially opening a rail route from South China to Central Asia. China continues to be active in Afghanistan, donating the funds for building a mosque and sending the second batch of winter supplies to Kabul. In turn, the Taliban-led Government of Afghanistan thanked China for all recent donations. Also this week, votes were counted for the elections in Kyrgyzstan and representatives of six parties got into the parliament. Finally, ties with India were not neglected and the Central Asian leaders were invited to India on Republic Day.

This week, the Organization of Turkic States was officially established to replace the Turkic Council, creating a new stage for collaboration between the Turkic states, including the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan (observer). Elsewhere, Russia donated 200 thousand doses of Sputnik Light vaccine to Kyrgyzstan, and the Glasgow Climate Change Conference concluded on November 12, where the Central Asian States issued a single regional statement. Afghanistan was a bit away from the limelight this week, but the threats of terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking remain to be a matter of concern in the region, due to which the Central Asian countries continue to carry out military exercises in the Southern Strategic Direction. As for China's presence in the region, the Sino-Kazakh joint venture is announced to have begun production of nuclear fuel.

The situation in Afghanistan remained on the agenda of many states this week. First, China delivered the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines and syringes as part of the emergency humanitarian assistance provided by the PRC government to Afghanistan. In Tashkent, the practical aspects of the construction of the Trans-Afghan corridor were discussed, and the EU will intensify cooperation with the countries of Central Asia against the backdrop of the situation in Afghanistan. Moreover, the 10th phase of the EU border management program in Central Asia officially began this week. Also, women’s rights issues, the protection of which was discussed by the ombudsmen of the countries of Central Asia, did not go unnoticed.

_{Picture: Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan, Nov. 10 /Source: Reuters}

This week, the Afghanistan issue remained an important agenda in the region, with India and Pakistan each pushing for their own diplomatic talks format, and the United States trying to deploy new military bases in Central Asia after the withdrawal of troops, and to balance against the rapidly growing influence of Russia and China in the region. Some believe that in the aftermath of the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan, the influence of the United States is decreasing in the region, and Russia is filling some of that power vacuum, around which Moscow pursues a verified and profitable policy. At the same time, the situation in Afghanistan has prompted Russia to increase cooperation with China, as opposed to the United States in the region, while the same events have led China to adopt a new border law in order to prevent the inflow of extremism from Afghanistan. The European Union is also taking steps to become more actively involved in the region— the EU – Central Asia Economic Forum made it to the headlines this week, with the EU’s Global Gateway project, designed to counterbalance China’s Belt and Road Initiative and offer an alternative choice to the developing world.