Features Opinions Business & Economy Local Politics International Affairs Life & Culture Justice Environment
Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative Kazakhstan is using the legacy of the Golden Horde to push its national story further beyond Soviet-era interpretations. A major symposium in Astana, held under UNESCO patronage, highlighted the Ulus of Jochi as a model of steppe statehood and part of Kazakhstan’s deeper historical inheritance. The effort fits President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s broader push to reshape public consciousness through history, identity, and statehood.
Identity and a New National Canon: Interview with Kazakhstan Historian Zhaxylyk Sabitov
Divisive Forces Prompt Tokayev’s “National Unity” Message
Latest
North-South Highway Kyrgyzstan to Temporarily Open Alternative North-South Highway from June to November 9 minutes ago
National Identity Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative 17 minutes ago
TCA Interviews “Between Worlds”: Filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova on Migration and Identity 26 minutes ago
IPO Uzbekistan Conducts First Dual IPO in London and Tashkent 59 minutes ago
Art and Culture Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow 3 hours ago
Water crisis Tajikistan and UN to Host Water Crisis Conference in Dushanbe 3 hours ago
UN Security Council Japarov Calls for Support of Kyrgyzstan’s Bid for UN Security Council Seat 23 hours ago
Education reform Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs 24 hours ago
Regional Security Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation 24 hours ago
Trade Pavilion Kyrgyzstan to Open Trade Pavilion at Uzbekistan’s Key Food Distribution Center 1 day ago
Glacier Melt Pamir Glaciers Rapidly Melting Even Above 5,000 Meters, Tajik Scientists Warn 1 day ago
Direct Flights Kazakhstan to Launch Direct Flights to Tokyo and New York Within Next 12 Months 1 day ago
Middle Powers Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor? 1 day ago
Global Tech Weekend Global Tech Weekend Brings International Investors and Startups to Uzbekistan 1 day ago
Somon Air Somon Air Awaits Boeing Delivery as Tajikistan´s Aviation Sector Grows 1 day ago
Iran Kazakhstan Signals Nuclear Diplomacy Role as Iran Uranium Dispute Intensifies 1 day ago
Water Consumption Central Asian Countries Rank Among World’s Highest Water Consumers 2 days ago
World Bank Launch of Kyrgyzstan Carbon Finance Initiative with World Bank Support 2 days ago
Organization of Turkic States (OTS) OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity 2 days ago
Administrative Detention “I Felt Like an Uzbek in Russia”: Russian Woman Detained in Almaty After Video Sparks Backlash 2 days ago
TRACECA Kazakhstan’s TRACECA Chairmanship Pushes Transit Corridor Expansion 2 days ago
Astana LRT Astana Launches First Light Rail Transit Service After Years of Delay 2 days ago
Iran Kazakhstan Sends Humanitarian Aid to Iran 2 days ago
Critical Minerals Central Asia Seeks More Local Value From Critical Minerals 2 days ago
Forced Labor Forced Labor in Turkmenistan the Target of New EU-ILO Project 2 days ago
Podcast Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now 2 days ago
Jeffrey Epstein Woman From Uzbekistan Says Jeffrey Epstein Abused Her for Years 5 days ago
Food Security Turkmenistan Pushes for Food Security with International Help 5 days ago
Organization of Turkic States Turkic States Focus on AI and Trade at Kazakhstan Summit 5 days ago
Trade EDB: Central Asian Trade Has Doubled in Five Years 5 days ago
Features
Features
View more
IPO Uzbekistan Conducts First Dual IPO in London and Tashkent Uzbekistan has completed its first international equity offering, as the state-backed National Investment Fund of Uzbekistan (UzNIF) began trading through a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Tashkent Stock Exchange. UzNIF raised $603.6 million by selling a 31% stake to international and domestic investors. The proceeds could...
Art and Culture Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow Central Asia is rarely presented on its own terms. It is more often viewed through exterior lenses like Russian imperial memory, Chinese reach, Silk Road romance, or great-power rivalry. The result is a region made to look secondary to the forces around it, even as its five countries carry deep...
Education Reform Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs Kazakhstan has begun a large-scale restructuring of its education system in 2025-2026 as authorities attempt to address labor shortages, overloaded school infrastructure, and the growing mismatch between graduates’ qualifications and the needs of the economy. While previous reforms focused primarily on expanding access to education, the government is now shifting...
Glacier Melt Pamir Glaciers Rapidly Melting Even Above 5,000 Meters, Tajik Scientists Warn Tajik scientists have conducted the country’s first direct winter field measurements of snow dynamics on a Pamir glacier since independence, with findings showing a sharp decline in snow reserves and accelerated melting even in high-altitude zones previously considered relatively stable. The expedition took place from May 6-15 on Glacier No....
Middle Powers Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor? Against the backdrop of growing global fragmentation and the weakening of universal international institutions, the role of so-called middle powers is increasing. These are states able to influence regional agendas without possessing great-power status. In this changing system, Central Asia is gradually moving beyond its long-standing image as a geopolitical...
Iran Kazakhstan Signals Nuclear Diplomacy Role as Iran Uranium Dispute Intensifies Kazakhstan is seeking a place in the next phase of the Iran nuclear dispute, not as a direct mediator between Washington and Tehran, but as a possible technical partner if talks turn to the handling of enriched uranium. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said Kazakhstan is ready to assist if international...
Organization of Turkic States (OTS) OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity Last Friday, the Kazakh city of Turkistan, officially promoted as the “spiritual capital” of the Turkic world, hosted an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The official theme was artificial intelligence and digital development, but the meeting also highlighted older questions about the OTS’s political identity, its...
Astana LRT Astana Launches First Light Rail Transit Service After Years of Delay Kazakhstan has officially launched Astana’s long-awaited light rail transit (LRT) system, connecting the capital’s international airport with Nurly Zhol railway station. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the inauguration ceremony despite previously expressing doubts about the project’s viability. The Astana LRT project, envisioned as a high-speed elevated transport system designed...
Central Asia Balance Sheet
Updated 5 days ago Gulf Crisis & Central Asia Updated 2 weeks ago Regional Ecological Summit 2026
view more Updated 1 month ago The 2026 Kazakhstan Constitution Updated 5 days ago Central Asia’s Expanding Role in U.S. Critical Minerals Security Updated 3 months ago The Emerging U.S. – Central Asia Partnership (C5+1) Updated 3 weeks ago Kazakhstan Joins the Abraham Accords: A New Bridge Between East and West Updated 2 weeks ago Kazakhstan’s Return to Nuclear Power
OTS Optimism, Afghan Ambushes, and a Deep Dive on the Next President of Tajikistan
00:00 / 00:00
1x
Latest
view more
North-South Highway Kyrgyzstan to Temporarily Open Alternative North-South Highway from June to November 9 minutes ago
National Identity Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative 17 minutes ago
TCA Interviews “Between Worlds”: Filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova on Migration and Identity 26 minutes ago
IPO Uzbekistan Conducts First Dual IPO in London and Tashkent 59 minutes ago
Art and Culture Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow 3 hours ago
Water crisis Tajikistan and UN to Host Water Crisis Conference in Dushanbe 3 hours ago
UN Security Council Japarov Calls for Support of Kyrgyzstan’s Bid for UN Security Council Seat 23 hours ago
Education reform Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs 24 hours ago
Regional Security Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation 24 hours ago
Trade Pavilion Kyrgyzstan to Open Trade Pavilion at Uzbekistan’s Key Food Distribution Center 1 day ago
Glacier Melt Pamir Glaciers Rapidly Melting Even Above 5,000 Meters, Tajik Scientists Warn 1 day ago
Direct Flights Kazakhstan to Launch Direct Flights to Tokyo and New York Within Next 12 Months 1 day ago
Middle Powers Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor? 1 day ago
Global Tech Weekend Global Tech Weekend Brings International Investors and Startups to Uzbekistan 1 day ago
Somon Air Somon Air Awaits Boeing Delivery as Tajikistan´s Aviation Sector Grows 1 day ago
Iran Kazakhstan Signals Nuclear Diplomacy Role as Iran Uranium Dispute Intensifies 1 day ago
Water Consumption Central Asian Countries Rank Among World’s Highest Water Consumers 2 days ago
World Bank Launch of Kyrgyzstan Carbon Finance Initiative with World Bank Support 2 days ago
Organization of Turkic States (OTS) OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity 2 days ago
Administrative Detention “I Felt Like an Uzbek in Russia”: Russian Woman Detained in Almaty After Video Sparks Backlash 2 days ago
TRACECA Kazakhstan’s TRACECA Chairmanship Pushes Transit Corridor Expansion 2 days ago
Astana LRT Astana Launches First Light Rail Transit Service After Years of Delay 2 days ago
Iran Kazakhstan Sends Humanitarian Aid to Iran 2 days ago
Critical Minerals Central Asia Seeks More Local Value From Critical Minerals 2 days ago
Forced Labor Forced Labor in Turkmenistan the Target of New EU-ILO Project 2 days ago
Podcast Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now 2 days ago
Jeffrey Epstein Woman From Uzbekistan Says Jeffrey Epstein Abused Her for Years 5 days ago
Food Security Turkmenistan Pushes for Food Security with International Help 5 days ago
Organization of Turkic States Turkic States Focus on AI and Trade at Kazakhstan Summit 5 days ago
Trade EDB: Central Asian Trade Has Doubled in Five Years 5 days ago
Sunkar Podcast Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships
00:00 / 00:00
Central Asia Balance Sheet
Updated 5 days ago Gulf Crisis & Central Asia Updated 2 weeks ago Regional Ecological Summit 2026
view more Updated 1 month ago The 2026 Kazakhstan Constitution Updated 5 days ago Central Asia’s Expanding Role in U.S. Critical Minerals Security Updated 3 months ago The Emerging U.S. – Central Asia Partnership (C5+1) Updated 3 weeks ago Kazakhstan Joins the Abraham Accords: A New Bridge Between East and West Updated 2 weeks ago Kazakhstan’s Return to Nuclear Power
OTS Optimism, Afghan Ambushes, and a Deep Dive on the Next President of Tajikistan
00:00 / 00:00
1x
Sunkar Podcast Kazakhstan to Host 2027 Table Tennis World Championships
00:00 / 00:00
Opinions
Opinions
View more
Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor? Timur Serikuly Opinion: UK’s C6 Engagement and the Opportunity for British Geostrategic Renewal Matthew Davies Opinion: The Southern Dimension of the Middle Corridor – Afghanistan’s Role in Eurasia’s New Logistics Landscape Timur Serikuly Opinion: Kazakhstan, Oil, the Iran War and Dutch Disease Charles McLean Opinion: The U.S. Still Doesn’t Know Where Central Asia Belongs Ken Moriyasu Opinion: Hormuz Crisis Pushes Afghanistan Aid Routes Toward Central Asia Aidar Borangaziyev Opinion: The Regional Ecological Summit and the Making of a Central Asian Voice Ilyas Kanybek Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Critical Minerals Promise Is Running Out of Time Tsoberg Nadezhda and Marzhan Rakhymberdina Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Human Capital Problem – How State Scholarships Are Building a Talent Pipeline for the West Anel Askar Opinion: Expect China to take its 2+2 diplomacy to Central Asia Ken Moriyasu Opinion – Kazakhstan’s New Constitution Sends a Key Signal for Global Partners Javier M. Piedra Opinion: Trump Has Golden Opportunity to Launch C6+1 on Sidelines of UN Ken Moriyasu
Business & Economy
Business & Economy
View more
North-South Highway Kyrgyzstan to Temporarily Open Alternative North-South Highway from June to November Kyrgyzstan’s alternative North-South highway will be open to traffic from June to November 2026, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced. Preparatory work for the seasonal opening is currently underway, including the implementation of additional safety measures. The long-anticipated 433-kilometer highway is a strategic transport corridor linking Balykchy in the Issyk-Kul Region with Jalal-Abad in southern Kyrgyzstan. Approximately 200 kilometers of the route pass through areas where no roads previously existed. Key engineering achievements along the route include Kyrgyzstan’s longest tunnel, located at the Kok-Art mountain pass, and two major overpass bridges. Once operational, the highway is expected to...
Trade Pavilion Kyrgyzstan to Open Trade Pavilion at Uzbekistan’s Key Food Distribution Center
Global Tech Weekend Global Tech Weekend Brings International Investors and Startups to Uzbekistan
Astana LRT Astana Launches First Light Rail Transit Service After Years of Delay
Food Security Turkmenistan Pushes for Food Security with International Help
IPO Uzbekistan Conducts First Dual IPO in London and Tashkent Uzbekistan has completed its first international equity offering, as the state-backed National Investment Fund of Uzbekistan (UzNIF) began trading through a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Tashkent Stock Exchange. UzNIF raised $603.6 million by selling a 31% stake to international and domestic investors. The proceeds could rise to about $692 million if an overallotment option is exercised in full, bringing the total stake sold to 35%. At the offer price, the fund was valued at about $1.95 billion. The offering was managed by Franklin Templeton, while cornerstone investors included funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Franklin...
Direct Flights Kazakhstan to Launch Direct Flights to Tokyo and New York Within Next 12 Months Kazakhstan plans to launch direct flights from Astana to Tokyo and New York within the next 12 months, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said during a government meeting on Tuesday. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov reminded officials that the Ministry of Transport had previously pledged to open direct air links to Tokyo and New York but had yet to announce concrete results. “In the case of Tokyo, flights will begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, and flights to the United States will begin in the second quarter of 2027,” Sauranbayev said. He added that Astana currently operates 34 international routes. According...
Somon Air Somon Air Awaits Boeing Delivery as Tajikistan´s Aviation Sector Grows Tajikistan’s Somon Air expects the delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the next few months, in a fleet expansion designed to strengthen the airline as a growing player in Central Asia's aviation sector. The national carrier, which aims to offer new intercontinental routes, said its management met a Boeing delegation this month to build on an agreement late last year in which Somon Air selected up to 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX aircraft. During the May 15 meeting, “the parties discussed key issues related to the introduction into service of the new Boeing 737 MAX...
Critical Minerals Central Asia Seeks More Local Value From Critical Minerals Rising demand for critical minerals is drawing Central Asia deeper into global supply chains, but the region’s harder test is not whether it has the deposits. It is whether more value can stay at home. Copper, tungsten, graphite, antimony, rare earths and other metals now sit at the center of battery production, power grids, chips, weapons systems, and renewable energy. Governments across the region want the sector to bring capital, jobs, and technology. The risk is another cycle in which raw materials leave the region, and most of the value is created elsewhere. The scale of the region’s reserves explains...
Local Politics
Local Politics
View more
National Identity Kazakhstan Looks to the Golden Horde for a Deeper National Narrative A major international symposium dedicated to the Golden Horde opened this week in Kazakhstan’s capital, underscoring the country’s growing effort to redefine its historical narrative and national identity through the legacy of the Great Steppe. The symposium, held under the patronage of UNESCO and titled “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture and Identity,” brought together more than 300 scholars, including 120 foreign researchers from over 20 countries. The event reflects Kazakhstan’s effort to align its national narrative with a growing body of scholarship that treats nomadic societies not as a “backward” alternative to sedentary...
Education Kyrgyzstan Seeks Foreign Teachers to Ease Education Staff Shortage
Animal Rights Kazakhstan Renews Debate Over Stray Animals After Parliament Approves Euthanasia Amendments
Mandatory Contributions Healthcare Workers in Turkmenistan Reportedly Forced to Pay Mandatory Fees to Public Association
Parental Responsibility Turkmenistan Introduces New Fines for Parents Over Children’s Misconduct
Education Reform Kazakhstan Reshapes Education System to Meet Industrial and Labor Market Needs Kazakhstan has begun a large-scale restructuring of its education system in 2025-2026 as authorities attempt to address labor shortages, overloaded school infrastructure, and the growing mismatch between graduates’ qualifications and the needs of the economy. While previous reforms focused primarily on expanding access to education, the government is now shifting toward tighter administrative management of student enrollment, stronger support for technical and vocational training, and the integration of digital technologies into schools. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the reforms are unfolding amid growing pressure on Kazakhstan’s labor market. One of the most pressing issues remains the...
Afghan Refugees Tajikistan Officially Confirms Deportation of Afghan Refugees Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security (GKNB) has publicly commented for the first time on the deportation of Afghan citizens from the country, citing alleged violations of national law and crimes that the authorities said had sparked public outrage. The statement followed an appeal by Afghan citizen Muhammad Hakim Tursun, who criticized the deportation of his compatriots. In its response, published through the state news agency Khovar, the security service claimed that some Afghan citizens living in Tajikistan had “grossly violated the requirements of the law” despite being provided with conditions for residence, work, and education. To justify the deportations,...
Elections Kazakhstan Rules Out Fines for Not Voting in Elections Kazakhstan does not plan to introduce compulsory voting or impose fines on citizens who fail to participate in elections and referendums, Central Election Commission (CEC) Secretary Shavkat Utemisov said. Speaking on the sidelines of a joint session of parliament, Utemisov acknowledged that declining voter participation, particularly among young people, remains a challenge in Kazakhstan. He said, however, that the country does not intend to adopt practices used in some states where voting is mandatory. Utemisov added that some countries have lowered the voting age, citing Belgium, while others impose penalties, including fines, on citizens who fail to appear at polling...
Armed Forces Tokayev Sets Two-Year Deadline for Military Reform in Kazakhstan Speaking at a traditional ceremony ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day, celebrated in Kazakhstan on May 7, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the country must reform its armed forces within the next two years. “Our country must be prepared to prevent various challenges and respond to any threats. Therefore, we need to strengthen our defense potential and continue, above all, the technological modernization of the Armed Forces. This is a requirement of today’s unstable and turbulent times. In this regard, it is first necessary to carry out deep reforms in our Armed Forces and militarized structures. This is a strategically...
International Affairs
International Affairs
View more
UN Security Council Japarov Calls for Support of Kyrgyzstan’s Bid for UN Security Council Seat Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has called on world leaders to support Kyrgyzstan’s candidacy in the election for non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, scheduled for June 3, 2026, for the 2027-2028 term. In a statement published on his Facebook page, Japarov said Kyrgyzstan has the backing of the other Central Asian countries and is prepared to promote “pragmatic and depoliticized solutions” on the international stage. According to the president, the underrepresentation of small, developing, and landlocked countries in the Security Council “undermines the sustainability of the entire architecture of collective security.” “This is not a political preference but...
Iran Kazakhstan Signals Nuclear Diplomacy Role as Iran Uranium Dispute Intensifies
TRACECA Kazakhstan’s TRACECA Chairmanship Pushes Transit Corridor Expansion
Organization of Turkic States Turkic States Focus on AI and Trade at Kazakhstan Summit
State Visit Erdoğan Visit Highlights Kazakhstan’s Middle Corridor Strategy
Middle Powers Opinion: Middle Powers and the “Voice of the Region” – Is Central Asia Becoming a Coordinated Actor? Against the backdrop of growing global fragmentation and the weakening of universal international institutions, the role of so-called middle powers is increasing. These are states able to influence regional agendas without possessing great-power status. In this changing system, Central Asia is gradually moving beyond its long-standing image as a geopolitical periphery and is beginning to act more like a region with shared interests. For decades, the region was viewed mainly as a space where the interests of external powers, including Russia, China, the U.S., and others, intersected. Today, that paradigm is beginning to shift. Central Asia is showing greater signs...
Organization of Turkic States (OTS) OTS Summit in Turkistan Reveals Strains Beneath Turkic Unity Last Friday, the Kazakh city of Turkistan, officially promoted as the “spiritual capital” of the Turkic world, hosted an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The official theme was artificial intelligence and digital development, but the meeting also highlighted older questions about the OTS’s political identity, its relationship with Russia, and Ankara’s influence within the Turkic world. Because the gathering was informal, much of what took place remained behind closed doors. Yet public statements, official readouts, and subsequent commentary offered clues about the tensions and competing agendas within the organization. The summit brought together the presidents of...
Iran Kazakhstan Sends Humanitarian Aid to Iran Kazakhstan has dispatched 30 railway wagons of humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Iran, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced on May 16. The shipment – which included staple food supplies such as canned meat, sugar, flour, as well as medicines – is intended to support the Iranian population and help meet essential social needs. A diplomatic handover ceremony to mark the occasion was arranged at Serakhs railway station, on Turkmenistan's border with Iran. Those present included Ontalap Onalbayev, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Iran; representatives of the Iranian Red Crescent Society; and the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s representative office in its northwestern...
Trade EDB: Central Asian Trade Has Doubled in Five Years 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 relatively limited internal trade links following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan remains the largest participant in regional trade, accounting for 54% of all intraregional exports, valued at $6.6 billion. The country's key export commodities to the region include grain products (18%), ferrous metals (13%), crude oil and petroleum products (8%), sunflower oil (7%), and beverages...
Life & Culture
Life & Culture
View more
TCA Interviews “Between Worlds”: Filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova on Migration and Identity Kazakhstani filmmaker Zhannat Alshanova belongs to a new generation of directors whose careers have unfolded across countries and cultures. Before establishing herself as an auteur filmmaker, the London Film School graduate worked on international productions filmed in Kazakhstan, South Africa, Guatemala, Malaysia, and the United States. Her short film History of Civilization won the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival; several years later, her debut feature Becoming also premiered there. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Alshanova discusses migration, identity, the Western film industry, the creative vulnerability of young directors, and what it means to make...
Podcast Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now
Space Exploration Uzbekistan Plans to Send First National Cosmonaut Into Space by 2028
TCA Interviews Identity and a New National Canon: Interview with Kazakhstan Historian Zhaxylyk Sabitov
UFO Files Pentagon UFO Files Include 1994 Tajik Air Report Over Kazakhstan
Art and Culture Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow Central Asia is rarely presented on its own terms. It is more often viewed through exterior lenses like Russian imperial memory, Chinese reach, Silk Road romance, or great-power rivalry. The result is a region made to look secondary to the forces around it, even as its five countries carry deep histories, distinct languages, and identities that cannot be reduced to a backdrop. That old frame is starting to crack. Central Asia is finding new ways to tell its own story. The shift goes beyond tourism or national branding. It is about who gets to define the region, which is still...
TCA Interviews Screenwriter Yefrat Sharipov on AI and the Future of Kazakhstani Cinema Screenwriter Yefrat Sharipov is a graduate of Kazakhstan’s Academy of Civil Aviation and the New York Film Academy (NYFA), and one of the country’s most sought-after screenwriters in recent years. He worked on the box office hit Dos-Mukasan, a film about the legendary Kazakhstani musical group often described as the local equivalent of The Beatles. He now reflects on the future of global cinema, the role of artificial intelligence, and why Kazakhstani stories can resonate far beyond the country’s borders. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Sharipov discusses how engineering thinking shapes his approach to storytelling, why...
Demographics Kazakhstan’s Demographic Shift Puts Labor Market Under Strain Kazakhstan’s population surpassed 20.5 million in the spring of 2026, but the country’s rapid demographic growth is increasingly being accompanied by structural economic imbalances. Kazakhstan is simultaneously facing the effects of declining birth rates, population aging, and a widening gap between the education system and labor market needs. Economists warn that the country is entering a phase in which the large generation born during the baby boom of the 2000s is placing growing pressure on the labor market, even as the share of the working-age population gradually declines. According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, the number of births peaked...
History How Koreans Were Deported to Central Asia: Myths and Reality The 1937 deportation from the Soviet Far East was the greatest tragedy in the history of Soviet Koreans, Koryo-saram, the self-designation of ethnic Koreans living across the former Soviet Union. It became the first case in Soviet history in which an entire ethnic group was forcibly relocated solely on the basis of ethnicity. Later, Soviet Germans, Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Ingush, Kalmyks, Poles, Kurds, and many other peoples would endure similar repression. For decades, this history remained largely suppressed, giving rise to numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding the deportation. Yet it is inaccurate to claim that Koreans first appeared in Kazakhstan...
Justice
Justice
View more
Regional Security Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the interior and public security ministers of the “Central Asia-China” format in Astana during the second meeting of regional law enforcement agencies. The meeting was attended by Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, Turkmen Interior Minister Muhammet Hydyrov, and Uzbek Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov. Participants discussed transnational crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and extremism. Tokayev said strengthening cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of Central Asia and China is essential for maintaining regional stability. “Transnational organized crime is becoming increasingly flexible and interconnected. Cybercrime has...
Forced Labor Forced Labor in Turkmenistan the Target of New EU-ILO Project
Copyright Infringement U.S. Scholar Wins Copyright Case in Uzbekistan Over Unauthorized Distribution of Bygone Days Translation
Religious Freedom Uzbekistan National Deported From Russia Over Public Prayer
Visa Corruption Former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Arrested in Rome Over Visa Scheme Allegations
Administrative Detention “I Felt Like an Uzbek in Russia”: Russian Woman Detained in Almaty After Video Sparks Backlash A Russian citizen has been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention in Almaty after publishing a video criticizing bureaucratic procedures in Kazakhstan and using offensive language, according to Kazakhstan’s news agency KazTAG and the Almaty police department. The woman had traveled to Almaty to obtain a bank card and later posted a video on social media describing her frustration with queues, paperwork, and banking procedures. In the recording, she said she felt “like an Uzbek in Russia,” a remark that drew criticism online, particularly among users in Kazakhstan who viewed the statement as offensive. The video quickly circulated on...
Jeffrey Epstein Woman From Uzbekistan Says Jeffrey Epstein Abused Her for Years A woman from Uzbekistan has publicly accused the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her over several years after she was recruited as a teenager with promises of a modeling career in the United States. According to the BBC, the woman, identified only as Roza, spoke publicly for the first time during a field hearing organized by Democratic members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee in West Palm Beach, Florida, a location lawmakers said was chosen because it was where Epstein’s crimes first became known. According to Roza’s testimony, she met French modeling agent Jean-Luc...
Pension Tajikistan Pension Payments Suspended For 14,000 People Over Biometric Identification Rules Authorities in Tajikistan have temporarily suspended pension payments to more than 14,000 people who failed to complete mandatory biometric identification procedures, according to the country’s Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions. The agency said that 14,022 pensioners did not complete the required re-registration process, resulting in the temporary suspension of transfers to their bank cards. Officials did not specify exactly when the payments were blocked. The pension re-registration campaign began in Tajikistan in the second half of November 2025 and was scheduled to conclude by the end of March this year. To complete the process, pensioners are required to appear...
Anti-Corruption Uzbekistan Introduces Anti-Corruption Reviews for $50 Million Investment Projects Uzbekistan has introduced mandatory anti-corruption reviews for major investment projects worth at least $50 million, as the government intensifies efforts to strengthen oversight of public spending and large-scale development initiatives. The new procedure was approved through an official instruction registered by the Ministry of Justice on May 8, according to the ministry’s Legal Information channel. Under the new rules, large investment projects involving at least $50 million in financing will be subject to anti-corruption examinations and assessments of their impact on market competition before they can move forward. The regulation applies to projects aimed at creating, expanding, or modernizing socially...
Environment
Environment
View more
Water Crisis Tajikistan and UN to Host Water Crisis Conference in Dushanbe Tajikistan and the United Nations will co-host the 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development " 2018-2028 next week, as Central Asia and other regions face increasing water scarcity because of climate change, higher consumption, and other factors. Delegates to the May 25-28 water conference in Dushanbe include government officials, scientists, executives from financial institutions and civil society members from around the world. The goal of creating “sustainable” water resources is especially critical in Central Asia, where there is growing concern that shortages could threaten public health and stir tension between upstream and...
Water Consumption Central Asian Countries Rank Among World’s Highest Water Consumers
Irrigation Kazakhstan Sets Irrigation Limits for Southern Regions and Reduces Water-Intensive Crops
Kapchagay Reservoir Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir Reaches 98% Capacity
TCA Interviews UNEP Interview: From Space, Central Asia’s Methane Challenge Comes Into Focus
Glacier Melt Pamir Glaciers Rapidly Melting Even Above 5,000 Meters, Tajik Scientists Warn Tajik scientists have conducted the country’s first direct winter field measurements of snow dynamics on a Pamir glacier since independence, with findings showing a sharp decline in snow reserves and accelerated melting even in high-altitude zones previously considered relatively stable. The expedition took place from May 6-15 on Glacier No. 457, located in the upper basin of the Nukhchashma River, also known as Tokuzbulak, a tributary of the Gunt River. The research was carried out by specialists from the Mountain Societies Research Institute at the University of Central Asia (UCA), together with the Center for Research of Glaciers of Tajikistan’s...
World Bank Launch of Kyrgyzstan Carbon Finance Initiative with World Bank Support Kyrgyzstan has launched a new carbon finance initiative with support from the World Bank under the Innovative Finance for Resilient and Sustainable Energy Transition (iFIRST) program. The Kyrgyzstan carbon finance initiative forms part of broader efforts to modernize the country’s energy sector and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project was discussed during consultations in Bishkek between Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev and World Bank Country Manager for Kyrgyzstan Hugh Riddell. “This project opens up new opportunities for attracting climate finance while advancing reforms in Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector,” Ibrayev said. Riddell said Kyrgyzstan is taking an important step toward implementing modern...
Toktogul Reservoir Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Agree on Toktogul Water Releases Energy and water ministers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral protocol in Tashkent on May 7 establishing agreed water release volumes and schedules from the Toktogul Reservoir for the next two months. The Toktogul Reservoir plays a central role in maintaining water and energy stability across Central Asia. The Toktogul Hydropower Plant, located on the Naryn River, the main tributary of the Syr Darya, is Kyrgyzstan’s largest power station and supplies around 40% of the country’s electricity. The reservoir serves a dual purpose: generating electricity for Kyrgyzstan while regulating water flows essential for downstream agriculture in Kazakhstan and...
Electric Vehicles Kazakhstan to Introduce Green License Plates for Electric Vehicles Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has backed a proposal by Mazhilis deputy Arman Kalykov to introduce green license plates for electric vehicles (EVs). Kalykov, a member of the Mazhilis Committee on Ecology and Nature Management, said separate identification for EVs is needed for traffic monitoring, road police checks, and access control. According to Kalykov, the measure is particularly relevant in environmentally protected areas. In the Shymbulak area near Almaty, for example, vehicles with internal combustion engines face restrictions, while EVs and emergency transport are allowed to enter. EVs are also allowed to remain in residential zones while running, while conventional...