Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan douses the flames of “hell”
Crater fire in collapsed desert gas well raged for half a century. Adventurous tourists treasured site. Climate scientists hated it for its massive methane emissions.
Taliban: Making an investment pitch
A lot may have changed, but the Taliban can’t escape recent history.
Water will one day be more valuable than oil in Central Asia, warns Tajik analyst
Melting of glaciers in Tajikistan’s mountains a grave threat to region’s water security.
M360 GSMA Eurasia event spotlights rich promise of mobile tech, 5G and AI
Mobile technologies and services said to have generated 7.7%, or $220bn, of GDP across region last year.
Turkmen labour migrants turning elsewhere as Turkey is less welcoming
Uzbekistan and Belarus new, hot destinations.
China filling void left by USAID’s dismantling
Small and Beautiful marks next phase of Belt & Road Initiative.
Kazakhstan joins Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan in warning Taliban canal could hit water security
Knock-on effects could leave country facing crisis, Astana conference hears.
Eurasia a significant source of methane emissions – report
Russia and Turkmenistan are primary offenders.
Afghanistan: Grappling with fall-out of dwindling foreign aid
Almost all US assistance terminated.
EBRD cuts 2025 growth forecasts citing tariffs and global uncertainty
Development bank lowers forecasts for Emerging Europe, Central Asia and North Africa as slowdowns in Germany and China take their toll.
MOSCOW BLOG: A muted V-day parade on Red Square
I have just been watching the Victory Day parade on Red Square. A few observations.
Turkmen leader touts trade and investment during French trip
Offering confirmation that Ashgabat is ready to do business with Western firms.
Looking at ramifications of China’s shifting energy usage patterns on Central Asia
Renewables are up, fossil fuels down.
Post-war order teetering – rights watchdog
Eurasia “at forefront” of assault on individual freedoms.
After Samarkand summit, Europe’s quest for Central Asian resources meets reality
Playing long game for rare earths.
Caspian Sea may become next Aral, but who is to blame?
Some forecasting even indicates the decline of the body of water could pose a threat to the shipping section of the rapidly expanding Middle Corridor transit route.
Turkey’s foreign policy falling apart on all fronts, writes shadow minister
Ankara took a slap to the chops as Turkic Central Asian states inked an investment-linked deal on relations with Brussels that pointedly included no recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
COMMENT: Embracing “Greater Central Asia” has become a strategic imperative for US
Wider region increasingly seen as arena in which major powers’ interests, such as in sourcing critical minerals, collide and converge.
Turkmenistan to introduce simplified procedures for obtaining visas
New rules seen as part of wider opening to trade opportunities.
URUS-ClearPic: The Big Four of US, China, Russia and Europe vie for investment in Central Asia
Historically, it is the ultimate crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia – and the central component for most of the Silk Road. Now the Central Asian countries find themselves caught between the Big Four.