Majlis

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 the four years since. U.S. forces are no longer in Afghanistan, the relationships...

This year’s edition of the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign got under way on November 25. While Central Asian authorities acknowledge that gender-based violence (GBV) has been a...

China’s presence in Central Asia has been growing for 30 years. China is now a leading trade and security partner, foreign investor, and source of everyday goods available in markets and bazaars across Central Asia. The...

Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev arrived in Tajikistan on November 7, after he was deported from Germany, where he had been seeking asylum since 2011. Ergashev was immediately arrested on his return by Tajik...

The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs just released a detailed report on military and security forces in Tajikistan. The comprehensive work examines the 30-year history of the Tajik defense forces, their mission...

Russian officials and celebrities have become increasingly critical of the countries and peoples of Central Asia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022 -- and patience is wearing thin...

Kazakhs will vote on October 6 in a national referendum to authorize construction of a nuclear power plant. In recent winters, Kazakhstan has experienced severe power shortages, and Kazakh officials assert that nuclear...

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 countries pursued stronger relations with Central Asian states and active roles in...

Racialization is the process of viewing a specific people with preconceived notions about them. In Russia, non-Russians -- particularly people from Asia or the South Caucasus -- have long been targets of racialization...

Russia’s historical legacy in Central Asia has come under increased scrutiny in the region since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine. Many Russians, including officials, claim -- in some cases insist -- that...

In late June, Tajikistan passed a law on "alien clothing" that bans certain types of Islamic attire, particularly from Arab countries, and some types of Western clothing. Wardrobe violators run the risk of stiff...

Nearly three years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, to the dismay of much of the world. While the Central Asian states were among the countries that didn’t welcome the return of the...

Two years have passed since violence erupted in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic. In early July 2022, Uzbek law enforcement personnel used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse thousands of...

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 with Afghanistan. In recent weeks, Tajikistan’s speaker of parliament has...

Turkey is building up its influence in Central Asia -- as shown by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The OTS includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan and Hungary are OTS...