Central Asia's New Position In Global Politics
A lot has changed in Central Asia in the more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The region’s giant...
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Podcast: Majlis - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Each week, hosts Bruce Pannier and Muhammad Tahir welcome a panel of expert guests to discuss significant political developments and pressing social issues affecting the nations of Central A...
Episodes
20 of 50 episodesEU Strengthens Ties With Central Asia
Top EU officials visited Central Asia for the first-ever EU-Central Asian summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Joining host Bruce Pannier are Te...
Saving The Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is home to many unique marine species and other wildlife. The Caspian Sea Basin is also rich in oil and natural gas. The dev...
Tajikistan's Descent Into Despotism
Tajikistan has been acknowledged by Freedom House as one of the worst human rights violators for years, but 2025 has seen Tajik authorities...
Human Rights Watch Calls Out 'Worsening' Situation In Central Asia
Human Rights Watch (HRW) just released its annual report about the human rights situation around the world https://www.hrw.org/world-report/...
What Will Trump's Policy Be Toward Central Asia?
We know what U.S. policy for Central Asia was when Donald Trump was president the first time. But the region has changed significantly in th...
Violence Against Women Increasing in Central Asia
This year’s edition of the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign got under way on November 25. While Cent...
What Do Central Asians Think About China?
China’s presence in Central Asia has been growing for 30 years. China is now a leading trade and security partner, foreign investor, and sou...
No Safe Haven In Europe For Central Asian Opposition
Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev arrived in Tajikistan on November 7, after he was deported from Germany, where he had been seeki...
Diving Deep Into Tajikistan's Armed Forces
The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs just released a detailed report on military and security forces in Tajikistan. The comprehensive...
Central Asia Pushes Back On Russian Critiques
Russian officials and celebrities have become increasingly critical of the countries and peoples of Central Asia since the Kremlin launched...
Kazakhstan’s Controversial Nuclear Power Vote
Kazakhs will vote on October 6 in a national referendum to authorize construction of a nuclear power plant. In recent winters, Kazakhstan ha...
Russia’s Power Play In Central Asia
Russia’s longtime influence in Central Asia seemed to fade after the launch of its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, as other coun...
The Racialization Of Central Asians In Russia
Racialization is the process of viewing a specific people with preconceived notions about them. In Russia, non-Russians -- particularly peop...
Decolonizing Central Asia
Russia’s historical legacy in Central Asia has come under increased scrutiny in the region since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukrai...
Legislating Fashion In Central Asia
In late June, Tajikistan passed a law on "alien clothing" that bans certain types of Islamic attire, particularly from Arab countries, and s...
Three Years With The Taliban As Neighbors
Nearly three years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, to the dismay of much of the world. While the Central Asi...
Suppressing Karakalpakstan’s Sovereignty
Two years have passed since violence erupted in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic. In early July 2022, Uzbek law enforc...
The Threat Posed by IS-K To Central Asia -- And Beyond
The threat of terrorism is never far from the minds of officials in Central Asia, who know that their region shares a 2,000-kilometer border...
The Rise Of The Organization Of Turkic States
Turkey is building up its influence in Central Asia -- as shown by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The OTS includes Turkey, Azerbai...