Central Asia News Bulletin
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, Central Asian media paid attention to the state visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan and his wife to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan joining the first high-level forum of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) coordinated by the US and EU, the latest developments in the project on the protection of the North Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, latest news from the energy industry in Central Asia, as well as updates on clean energy transition in the region, agreement on the simplification of transport and logistics between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the launch of 16 joint agreements between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on various fronts, the launch of Huawei's commercial high-tech solutions in Dushanbe, and Samsung's assistance in the digitization of Kazakhstan's armed forces.
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This past week, regional media focused on several significant events including the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Shusha, the regional economic outlook report released by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), the free trade agreement between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aimed at increasing bilateral trade to $10 billion, an attempted coup in Kyrgyzstan, developments in the energy industry in the different countries of the region, efforts by Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to revitalize the TAPI Gas Pipeline project, and the widespread unseasonal floodings across Central Asia.
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The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held on July 3rd and 4th at the Palace of Independence in Kazakhstan's capital. This summit marked the first time the SCO convened in the "SCO+" format, enabling participating countries and international organizations to engage in more extensive multilateral exchanges and cooperation. This expanded the opportunities and mechanisms for collaboration between SCO member states and other countries and international institutions. The summit in Astana resulted in the adoption of 25 documents, including the "Astana Declaration," the initiative "On World Solidarity for Justice, Peace, Harmony, and Development," the "SCO Development Strategy 2035," the "2025-2027 Action Plan for Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism," the "2024-2029 Anti-Drug Strategy," and the "SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030." This summit also marked Iran's first formal participation as a full member state and the ascension of Belarus to member status.
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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a major political, economic, and security alliance established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Today, the SCO comprises nine member states, three observer states, and fourteen dialogue partners. The organization focuses on cooperation among member states in various areas, including regional security, economic development, and cultural exchange.
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This past week, the media paid attention to the 4th meeting of the Energy Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and their approval of a joint Strategy for the Development of Energy Cooperation, Uzbekistan and Russia implementing several joint projects in the energy sector valued at approximately $22 billion, Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament passing the bill for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway unanimously, Russia’s exporting coal to India via the NSTC for the first time, and the upcoming CSTO exercises in Kazakhstan.
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This past week, the media paid attention to the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) held on May 2-3 in Uzbekistan's capital city, the collective ban on the export of sugar from the Eurasian Economic Union, the announcement of the launch of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in October, Almaty's hosting of Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia for peace talks, the aftermath of the spring floods in Kazakhstan, and the catastrophic floods in the northern and western regions of Afghanistan.
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This past week, the media paid attention to Tokayev’s address to the nation following major flooding incidents in West Kazakhstan and the announcement of a state of emergency in the region, Kazakhstan’s announcement that it will curtail oil “overproduction” in the country to support OPEC+ nations, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s leaders’ summit where it was announced that both countries will cooperate on joint development initiatives, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan’s signing of bilateral investment and ministry-level cooperation agreements, and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees seeking $620 million from UN member states to aid Afghanistani migrants displaced in Pakistan and Iran.
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This past week, the media paid attention to Kazakhstan’s deployment of 140 peacekeepers in the Golan Heights to monitor the disarmament process and to manage a buffer zone between Syria and Israel, a Kazakhstani government business delegation’s meeting in Germany to discuss investment opportunities in Kazakhstan including the announcement of twenty-two new development projects, a meeting between Uzbekistani and Taliban representatives in Kabul to open up the country to investment from Uzbekistan and create favorable trade relations, and the meeting between working groups from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to further resolve the border dispute between the two countries across a 10.76-kilometer stretch of land.
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- KSA’s investments in Kazakhstan’s Energy Sector; Azerbaijan - Kazakhstan to modernize Caspian Sea logistics; USAID’s $17.7 million investments in Uzbekistan; China’s new logistics and manufacturing projects in Kyrgyzstan. /11.03.2024
- IDB announces series of development projects in Kazakhstan; Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan step up bilateral relations; Japan to invest in Kyrgyzstan’s irrigation projects; U.S. and Taliban accuse each other of violating the Doha Agreement. /04.03.2024
- Kazakhstan announces new renewable energy projects; The World Bank to finance Digital Acceleration in Kazakhstan; China to supply electric ambulances to Uzbekistan; Following Air Astana IPO, Qazaq Air eyes Int'l investors. /26.02.2024
- Kazakhstan & Qatar ink a series of Agreements; Germany, EBRD acquire stakes in Kazakhstani mines & airlines; Uzbekistan boosts environmental protection; Kyrgyzstan’s President responds to Secretary Blinken; UN hosts Afghanistan meeting in Doha./19.02.2024