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.

Kazakhstan not helping Russia bypass sanctions; Study explores Kyrgyz youth's opinions on China; Taliban bans poppy cultivation; Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan to boost bilateral trade /08.04.2022

_{Image source: Eurasianet}

This past week, Kazakhstan denied that it might help Russia circumvent sanctions, but confirmed it will continue normal trade activities, A new study was published exploring Kyrgyz young elites’ opinions on China, the Taliban banned opium poppy cultivation, and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan agreed to boost bilateral trade.

: 08 April 2022

Central Asian migrants in Russia laid off; Taliban preserves Buddha statues; Kazakh radio presenter calls Putin for “help”; EU eyes Turkmenistan for gas /01.04.2022

_{Image source: Silk Road Briefing}

This week, many Central Asian migrant workers in Russia lost their jobs as the Russian economy suffers under sanctions, leaving families at home short of cash, the Taliban is said to be working on the preservation and restoration of the Buddha statues that sit on top of a massive copper ore deposit, and a Kazakhstani radio presenter is reportedly under probe for calling on Putin to “take care” of “Nazis” in Kazakhstan on air.

: 01 April 2022

New Turkmen president inaugurated; Kazakh president to limit his powers; Russia & Kazakhstan to increase oil shipping to China /25.03.2022

_{Image source: State Media, via Eurasianet.org}

This week, the Kazakh president Tokayev pledged to limit his power in a “gradual” manner, a promise not likely to be kept according to experts, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, son of former president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, was inaugurated as president of Turkmenistan, and Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to increase oil exports to China.

: 25 March 2022

More Nazarbayev affiliates arrested in Kazakhstan; Russia suspends Grain and Sugar Exports; Taliban talks with China to mine Copper in Afghanistan /19.03.2022

_{Image source: See.news}

Two more affiliates of Kazakh ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev, a nephew and a business tycoon, were arrested this past week. Meanwhile, Russia officially suspended exports of grains such as wheat and buckwheat and sugar to “help protect the domestic market”, and Afghanistan resumed talks with China to mine copper as the humanitarian disaster growingly hits the country.

: 19 March 2022

Kazakhstan to increase trade routes and bypass Russia, while permits Peaceful Protests; Russia turns to China as Visa and MasterCard suspend business /12.03.2022

_{Image source: AFP}

This past week, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan got together to work on opening a new trade route to Europe, a rally condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, and Russia’s Sberbank started to try and fill the gap left by the departure of Visa and MasterCard with the Chinese Union Pay.

: 12 March 2022

Sanctions on Russia keep hurting Central Asia; Kazakhstan’s ruling party renamed; Chinese exports suffer due to sanctions and war; China suspends loans to Russia, Belarus /05.03.2022

_{Image source: SCMP}

This week, sanctions against Russia, including its removal from SWIFT, continued to hit Central Asian economies that are deeply linked to Russia's economy, Kazakhstan’s ruling party got renamed “Amanat” from “Nur-Otan”, and the Chinese exports were reported to be suffering because of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia.

: 05 March 2022

Russo-Ukrainian war Hits Central Asian Economies; More Kazakh ex-officials Arrested; Uzbek Trade up by 34.1%; Iran-Afghanistan Railway to reach China /25.02.2022

_{Image source: AP/ via Aljazeera}

This past week, Russia invaded Ukraine and almost immediately got slapped with sanctions, which had a domino effect on the Central Asian economies, Two more Kazakh ex-officials with ties to the former President Nursultan Nazarbayev were arrested and are awaiting trial, Uzbek trade was reported to be growing as the country considers production partnership with China, and Iran was said to be seeking the extension of the Iran-Afghanistan Railway into China.

: 25 February 2022

New Taliban Troops in Northern Afghanistan; Evidence of large-scale Trafficking in Kyrgyzstan; Turkmenistan Considering a new Industrial Plant Development; Kazakhstan cracks down on Smuggling /18.02.2022

_{Image source: Bakhtar News Agency}

This week, the Taliban have reportedly created new battalions in Northern Afghanistan, worrying neighboring countries, especially Tajikistan, the data uncovered by local journalists points to up to $60 billions’ worth of goods smuggled through the Sino-Kyrgyz border in the past 20 years, Turkmenistan, encouraged by Kazakhstan, has been contemplating building a new industrial processing facility near the Afghan border, and Kazakhstan has reportedly continued its war against smuggling with 8 criminal and 24 administrative cases launched.

: 18 February 2022

Central Asia's Weekly

Media Monitoring