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Uzbekistan

People attend a rally in support of Uzbekistan's constitutional referendum on March 28, 2023, in the city of Jizzakh, located roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of the capital Tashkent.

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Despite including provisions to strengthen civil liberties, the amendments are more aimed at securing President Mirziyoyev's grip on power by enabling him to run for two more terms.

In Uzbekistan, a Constitutional Referendum Is Unlikely to Portend Liberalization

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

Applied Geopolitics: Central Asia's Geopolitical Challenges

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Chinese President Xi Jinping gives a speech in Hong Kong on July 1, 2022. 

The Chinese president's first post-COVID trip abroad will showcase Beijing's desire to boost economic cooperation with developing states like Kazakhstan, as well as solidify its partnership with Russia amid mounting competition with the West. 

Xi's Central Asia Visit Offers a Fresh Start for Chinese Diplomacy

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Taliban fighters in armored vehicles in a military parade on April 19, 2022, in Herat, Afghanistan. Growing domestic and cross-border violence is aggravating insecurity, undermining Taliban governance and complicating relations with Afghanistan's neighbors.

The Jihadist Wars

Growing domestic and cross-border violence is aggravating insecurity, undermining Taliban governance and complicating relations with Afghanistan's neighbors.

Worsening Security in Afghanistan Threatens the Taliban at Home and Abroad

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Members of a local election commission prepare a polling station in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Oct. 21, 2021, ahead of the country’s presidential election. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: An Election in Uzbekistan, ASEAN Meets Without Myanmar

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A U.S. military helicopter Aug. 15, 2021, above the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban's move on Kabul may yield it the government, but this is only the first step in establishing control in Afghanistan.

The War in Afghanistan

The Taliban's move on Kabul may yield it the government, but this is only the first step in establishing control in Afghanistan. As it negotiates for the transfer of power, we will be watching several additional aspects in the coming days and weeks.

Where Are the Taliban and Afghanistan Headed After the Fall of Kabul?

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Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi holds a press conference June 21, 2021, in Tehran, Iran. Aside from foreign policy, Raisi's main short-term priorities will be improving the Iranian economy.

Instability in Central Asia

The Weekly Rundown: Inauguration Day in Iran, Military Drills in Central Asia

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2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Eurasia connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. 

Eurasia

<p>Eurasia is the world&rsquo;s most expansive region. It connects the East to the West, forming a land bridge that borders Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. Forming the borders of this massive tract of land are the Northern European Plain, the Carpathian Mountains, the Southern Caucasus Mountains, the Tien Shan Mountains and Siberia. At the heart of Eurasia is Russia, a country that throughout history has tried, to varying degrees of success, to extend its influence to Eurasia&rsquo;s farthest reaches &mdash; a strategy meant to insulate it from outside powers. But this strategy necessarily creates conflict throughout Russia&rsquo;s borderlands, putting Eurasia a near constant state of instability.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

After years on the sidelines President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's predecessor, Uzbekistan is engaging more with its neighbors.

After a quarter-century of isolation, Uzbekistan is increasingly open for business. Balancing against the great powers, however, is set to prove a challenge.

Uzbekistan Comes in From the Cold

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

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Uzbekistan's strategic location and natural resources make it of significant interest to external powers, including Russia, China, and the United States.

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Stratfor explains Uzbekistan's struggle to maintain internal unity while balancing against its regional neighbors and external powers.

Uzbekistan's Geographic Challenge

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced an early presidential election for July 9, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on May 8.

Uzbekistan: President Calls Snap Presidential Election for July 9

Lawmakers in Uzbekistan provisionally set an April 30 date for a long-delayed referendum on a new constitution, Eurasianet reported on March 10.

Uzbekistan: Constitutional Referendum Date Set for April 30

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kazakhstan for his first official visit to the country, where on Feb. 28 he will meet with the Kazakh president and other senior officials, Kazinform reported Feb. 27.

U.S., Kazakhstan: Blinken in Central Asia for First Time for C5+1

Uzbekistan's energy minister responded to a Russian proposal for a "gas union" including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia by saying the government would not agree to any political conditions that would jeopardize its national interests, Reuters reported Dec. 8.

Uzbekistan, Russia: Tashkent Skeptical of Russia's 'Tripartite Gas Union' Proposal

Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan agreed to operationalize a railway economic corridor between China and Afghanistan, Ariana News reported Sept. 11.

Afghanistan, China: Beijing to Transport Goods to Afghanistan Through Central Asia

Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy agreed to settle Afghan electricity utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat's outstanding debt for electric power supplies, Eurasianet reported Aug. 3.

Uzbekistan, Afghanistan: Taliban Settles Electricity Debts With Tashkent

Following violent protests, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev retracted several proposed constitutional amendments that would have removed the Karakalpakstan region's autonomous status and constitutional right to hold a referendum on secession, Eurasianet reported July 4.

Uzbekistan: Authorities Backtrack on Revocation of Karakalpakstan's Autonomous Status After Unrest

The Islamic State's Afghanistan branch has in recent weeks ramped up the production, translation and dissemination of propaganda directed at Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz speakers in Afghanistan and the Central Asian region, publishing several books and audio messages in Central Asian languages, Eurasianet reported March 18.

Eurasia: Islamic State Seeks to Radicalize Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kyrgyz

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. The most populous state in the region, it is the only country to border all other Central Asian states. Uzbekistan is a significant producer and exporter of oil and natural gas which, along with agriculture, dominate the country's economy. These resources, as well as the country's strategic location and the presence of militant groups, have brought the interest of foreign powers such as China, Russia and the United States. Because of this, Uzbekistan's primary geographic challenge is to maintain unity while also balancing against its regional neighbors and external powers.     Historically, Uzbekistan was an important component of the Silk Road, and cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are still key political and population centers in the country. After Uzbekistan became overrun by the Mongols, it became the seat of an expansive Timurid dynasty. The territory of Uzbekistan was then divided between a series of Khanates before being absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. A former member of the Soviet Union, the landlocked country gained independence in 1991.     Modern day Uzbekistan is centered around its capital in Tashkent, though the country has substantial regional divisions. While the western half is largely sparsely populated desert, the majority of the population is concentrated in the demographic and agricultural heartland of Central Asia, the Fergana Valley.     The valley itself is divided by a series of complex and poorly defined borders established during the Soviet era to prevent the emergence of a unified Central Asian state. These borders have led to ethnic tensions, resource disputes, and the frequent border skirmishes between Uzbekistan and neighboring states such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

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A member of the Taliban security personnel on March 21, 2023, in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.

SITUATION REPORTS

Uzbekistan: President Calls Snap Presidential Election for July 9

Uzbekistan: Constitutional Referendum Date Set for April 30

U.S., Kazakhstan: Blinken in Central Asia for First Time for C5+1

Uzbekistan, Russia: Tashkent Skeptical of Russia's 'Tripartite Gas Union' Proposal

Afghanistan, China: Beijing to Transport Goods to Afghanistan Through Central Asia

Uzbekistan, Afghanistan: Taliban Settles Electricity Debts With Tashkent

Uzbekistan: Authorities Backtrack on Revocation of Karakalpakstan's Autonomous Status After Unrest

Eurasia: Islamic State Seeks to Radicalize Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kyrgyz

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