A recent briefing on Afghanistan before the United Nations Security Council again showed that the country’s challenges can no longer be viewed only through humanitarian assistance or debates over recognition of the Taliban government. Afghanistan remains a deeply complex domestic issue, but it is in
Tajikistan is using only a fraction of its vast hydropower resources despite possessing the largest hydropower potential in Central Asia, according to the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management. The committee said Tajikistan remains the regional leader in hydropower resources an
Tajikistan is set to attract approximately $43 million in financing to modernize its telecommunications infrastructure, while the government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are also advancing plans for a new logistics hub on the border with Uzbekistan. The initiatives
Central Asia’s water politics are moving beyond Soviet-era quotas. As glaciers in the Tien Shan retreat and climate pressure increases, river management has become a question of energy security, food production, and regional stability. The Soviet-era system of river-water allocation has reached its
Authorities in Tajikistan’s capital are considering the construction of a modern waste-to-energy facility that would process municipal solid waste while generating electricity, as part of efforts to develop more sustainable urban infrastructure. The proposal was discussed during talks between Tajiki
Rights groups have urged the European Union to take a tougher line on Turkmenistan, warning that closer ties with Ashgabat should be tied to measurable progress on human rights. The call came in a briefing by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Turkmen Initiative for Human
The Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, “ Water for Sustainable Development ,“ taking place in Dushanbe on May 25-28, comes at a difficult moment. Central Asia’s water problem is no longer only about environmental management; it is moving into the field
On May 20, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a Kyrgyzstan-backed resolution titled “Peaceful Settlement of Border Disputes,” Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry announced . More than 40 countries co-sponsored the document. The resolution was presented by Kyrgyzstan jointly with Taji
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will finance the construction of a section of the Labidjar-Kalaikhumb highway in Tajikistan in a project aimed at improving transport connections with the country’s remote Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) and increasing access to mountainous areas. The fi
A new joint project is being launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union aimed at combating child and forced labor in Turkmenistan. Its focus is primarily on the country’s cotton sector, which has long faced criticism from human rights groups and international comp
Mutual trade between Central Asian countries reached $12.3 billion in 2025, nearly doubling compared to 2020, according to analysts at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The figure underlines how Central Asia is increasingly emerging as a more interconnected regional market after years of relative
Vegetable oil producers in Kazakhstan have launched a new export route to Iran across the Caspian Sea, completing several trial shipments of rapeseed and sunflower oil in spring 2026, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture said. According to Kazakhstan’s National Association of Oilseed Processors (NAO
Around half of all professions in Kazakhstan are expected to change under the impact of AI over the next decade, with some jobs declining and others disappearing entirely, lawmakers and government officials have said. Daniya Yespayeva, Deputy Chair of the lower house of parliament, the Mazhilis, cit
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met Special Envoy of the President of the United States for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor in Dushanbe on April 28 for talks focused on trade, investment, security, and the next stage of cooperation under the C5+1 framework. Gor also met Tajik Foreign Minister Siroj
Kazakhstan’s deepening engagement with Armenia has made TRIPP , part of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace formula, a practical question for the Middle Corridor. The Armenia–U.S. implementation framework published in January presents the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) as a proj
China does not do military alliances. Its declared posture is one of non-interference in other nations’ internal affairs. Yet Beijing has long understood that commercial ties alone cannot anchor strategic relationships; only security partnerships can. China’s recent experiments with 2+2 security dia
Central Asian countries must accelerate the transition from discussing climate goals to implementing them in practice, as water scarcity intensifies and the impacts of climate change deepen, participants at a regional conference said on Friday. A key event on the final day of the Regional Ecological
Kazakhstan has announced the launch of the QaJET (Just Energy Transition) investment platform, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to attract international financing and accelerate the decarbonization of its economy. A corresponding memorandum was signed on Apri
The European Union has stepped up sanctions pressure on Kyrgyzstan by restricting supplies of sensitive technologies and imposing measures on the country’s financial institutions. The decision, adopted as part of the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, reflects growing concerns in Brussels t
At Kazakhstan Finance Day in New York, officials and executives used the panel “Investment Opportunities in Kazakhstan” to present the country as entering a new phase of market development, citing macroeconomic stability, capital-market reform, potential initial and secondary public offerings, and i
