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Economics

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a ban barring citizens from 12 countries from traveling to the United States, with the order set to take effect on June 9, The New York Times reported on June 4.

U.S.: Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban

Energy

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan resumed work on the long-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline, as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan work on bolstering bilateral ties, Voice of America reported Sept. 12.

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan: Work on Long-Delayed Regional Natural Gas Pipeline Resumes

Kazakhstan

Military & Security

The Afghan Taliban, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan agreed to build a logistics hub in the western Afghan province of Herat for regional exports, Reuters reported on May 2. 

Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban Agree With Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on Logistics Hub

Turkey

China

Europe

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

At the Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis announced that European and international financial institutions will commit 10 billion euros ($10.84 billion) toward sustainable transport connectivity in Central Asia, Interfax reported on Jan. 29.

EU, Central Asia: EU-Central Asia Forum Pledges $10.8B for Transport Connectivity

Pakistan

Pakistan is preparing to source liquified natural gas (LNG) from Turkmenistan by land via Afghanistan, Profit by Pakistan Today reported Dec. 7.

Pakistan: Islamabad Plans to Source LNG From Turkmenistan via Afghanistan

Instability in Central Asia

The ruling Democratic Party of Turkmenistan named Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's son, as its candidate for the upcoming snap presidential election to be held on March 12, U.S. News & World Report reported Feb. 14.

Turkmenistan: Early Presidential Election Sets Up Dynastic Succession

India

Security

The Politics of Pipelines

Officials from Turkmenistan expect to meet with Taliban officials in Kabul to discuss the TAPI pipeline project, which aims to transport Turkmenistan’s natural gas to India and Pakistan through Afghanistan, Dawn reported Oct. 29.

Afghanistan: Turkmen Officials to Discuss TAPI Pipeline in Kabul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

The Pulse of Political Islam

Russia hosted the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, and neighboring representatives reaffirmed their recognition of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, as well as the need for practical engagement with the country, Ariana News reported Oct. 21.

Afghanistan: Neighboring Countries Reaffirm Kabul’s Sovereignty

Assessments

Spain

Ukraine

Tanks on Sept. 23 in Caracas, Venezuela. The Trump administration has reportedly decided to attack military sites in Venezuela in strikes that could occur at any moment.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Potential U.S. Strikes in Venezuela, U.S. Outreach in Central Asia

Cambodia

Japan

Germany

France

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Geopolitics of Water: The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Snapshots

U.S. President Joe Biden (C) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (3R) participate in a meeting of the C5+1 with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in New York City on Sept. 19, 2023. 

The United States is set to modestly increase engagement with Central Asia, but constraints will prevent a significant upgrade in ties.

Biden's Central Asia Meeting Demonstrates the Region's Growing Importance

Media

Podcasts

Central Asia is reemerging as a key region for trans-Eurasian trade, but not without complications.

Applied Geopolitics: Central Asia's Geopolitical Challenges

Columns

On Security

Nicaragua

Singapore

South Korea

Sweden

Belarus

Shoppers wearing face masks amid concerns over the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak in a market in Seoul, South Korea, on March 14, 2020.

COVID-19

Whether the lessons of South Korea can be applied in the West remains to be seen.

Learning How to Reopen a Country After COVID-19 Shutdowns

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Russia's decision reopens a vital market for the energy-dependent Central Asian country, which is facing worsening economic conditions.

Turkmenistan: Russia Plans to Resume Its Imports of Turkmen Natural Gas

Azerbaijan

But despite the fanfare surrounding the summit, the agreement will not resolve all of the contentious debates over the Caspian Sea.

A new deal resolves some of the concerns of countries surrounding the Caspian Sea, but lingering differences over energy issues will continue to stall progress on projects such as the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline.

What Does the New Caspian Sea Agreement Mean For the Energy Market?

Global Perspectives

Eurasia

Georgia

Partner Perspectives

In its quest for energy security, the European Union is working to extend its Southern Gas Corridor out to Central Asia.

Though it took several years to get underway, Europe's initiative to source natural gas from Central Asia is picking up steam -- and at just the right time.

How Central Asian Energy Complements the Southern Gas Corridor

Reflections

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's initiative is not just eccentric; it's also costly. There are reports that car painting service fees have doubled from $500 to $1,000 -- a hefty sum in a country where the average monthly wage is believed to be in the range of $200-$300.

Prohibiting black cars because of a presidential preference for the color white is just one in a long line of eccentric moves by the country's leadership. But the economic strain the prohibition will put on drivers could have them seeing red.

Viewing Turkmenistan's Recent Car Ban in Black and White

These are the political outlooks for Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

Environmental Issues

Some countries in the region are more politically secure than in years past. Others face a great deal of instability lurking beneath a surface of apparent calm. Still others could have their most volatile periods ahead of them.

Has Central Asia Stabilized?

The New York City attack was conducted by an Uzbek national who had been radicalized by the Islamic State after moving to the United States on a diversity visa.

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Jihadist Wars

Central Asian countries have successfully reduced terrorism in the region, but that hasn't stopped Central Asians from conducting attacks abroad.

How One Region's Gains Are Another's Tragedy

Bulgaria

Romania

The littoral states of the Black and Caspian seas are looking for ways to address the region's energy security problems. 

As China has revived the old Silk road, the countries surrounding the Caspian and Black seas have become crossroads for commerce and economic development. But these states are also struggling to address challenges with energy security, and the solution for all may lie in regional collaboration.

The Black Sea-Caspian Region in Post-Conflict Energy Security Cooperation Scenarios

Turkmenistan is located in the southwest corner of Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan and Iran to the south and the Caspian Sea to the west. Turkmenistan's defining geographic feature is the Karakum Desert, which covers over 80 percent of the country's territory. This desert landscape gives Turkmenistan a sparse population of only about 5 million. Most of the country's people are concentrated in population centers along irrigation channels and river basins in the extreme north and south of the country. One such center is Ashgabat, which serves as Turkmenistan's capital and the demographic, political and economic core of the country.     The economy of modern-day Turkmenistan is dominated by natural gas production and exports. Turkmenistan has one of the world's largest reserves of natural gas, and its small internal market means most of its natural gas supplies are available for export. This wealth of energy resources makes Turkmenistan a target of interest for larger powers including Russia, China and the West. However, the country's overwhelming reliance on energy exports also makes it particularly vulnerable to swings in global energy prices.    Turkmenistan's location near neighbors such as Iran, Uzbekistan and the perennially unstable Afghanistan creates substantial security concerns for the country. It has been one of the most politically centralized and externally isolated countries in the world since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, when Ashgabat declared itself officially neutral and opted out of any foreign military alliances. Maintaining this strategic neutrality in an unstable and dynamic neighborhood, while also managing an economy that is highly dependent on energy resources, is Turkmenistan's primary geographic challenge. 

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan: Work on Long-Delayed Regional Natural Gas Pipeline Resumes

Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban Agree With Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on Logistics Hub

EU, Central Asia: EU-Central Asia Forum Pledges $10.8B for Transport Connectivity

Pakistan: Islamabad Plans to Source LNG From Turkmenistan via Afghanistan

Turkmenistan: Early Presidential Election Sets Up Dynastic Succession

Afghanistan: Turkmen Officials to Discuss TAPI Pipeline in Kabul

Afghanistan: Neighboring Countries Reaffirm Kabul’s Sovereignty

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