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Central Asia

Stories under this heading cover Central Asia – a region of Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea in the west to Mongolia in the east, from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north.

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Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight
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Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight

5 May 2025
In recent times, Central Asia’s most populous nation has become the centre of attention for great powers, underscored by high level diplomatic contacts with the United States, the hosting of a regional summit with the leadership of the European Union and a high profile visit by hundreds of Russian officials and executives who participated in a trade fair in Tashkent. Western interest centres on Uzbekistan’s abundant reserves of critical minerals and a desire to develop clean energy  sources, including nuclear power. Russia, along with China, has broader trade interests, including developing manufacturing capacity.
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Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand
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Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand

4 April 2025
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa travelled to Uzbekistan to participate in a landmark EU–Central Asia summit. Held on 3–4 April, the event brings together EU leaders with the heads of state and government of the five Central Asian republics. Alongsidei the host, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the summit was also attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
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Central Asian countries feel impact of sanctions against Russian aviation
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Central Asian countries feel impact of sanctions against Russian aviation

9 March 2022
The impact of the sanctions on the Russian aviation sector is having far-reaching consequences for countries in Central Asia. Millions of people from Central Asia are in Russia as migrant workers and the disruption in aviation is making their travel back to their home countries difficult. Among them are 2.2 million Uzbeks who live and work in Russia. Remittances from Uzbek migrants in Russia constitute 12% of Uzbekistan's National GDP. Regular flights from Russia to Uzbekistan have been cancelled, Smartavia and iFly, two Russian carriers, have suspended all flights to Uzbekistan and flights that are still operating have more than doubled in price. As an aviation specialist for Uzbekistan said, “After the sanctions, not a single such aircraft landed on the territory of Uzbekistan. The reason is very simple - they remained uninsured.” Uninsured aircraft are prohibited from flying. Millions of migrants are now left without a crucial air bridge to their homeland. International sanctions on finance are already causing currency crises in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The impact of sanctions on the aviation sector further highlights the cost of Russian actions in the Central Asian region.
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