Silk Road Rivalries
The new channel seeks to promote a better understanding of the complex relationship of the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia with the major external powers, global and regional.
Europe Looks East to Central Asia
The European Union and Central Asia must continue moving engagement to the next level, from discussions and statements to actions across a broader spectrum. The first-ever European Union (EU)-Central Asia...
Stories from Silk Road Rivalries
Tajikistan and the Taliban
Since August 2021, all Central Asian republics have been, in one way or another, contending with Taliban rule in Afghanistan. While treading cautiously, each Central Asian government faces a host...
Kazakhstan’s Multilateral Heft
While Washington is hosting a NATO Summit to demonstrate Western resolve, Russia and China convened a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan. In an increasingly polarized world,...
VIDEO: Perspectives on Central Asian Hydrocarbons, Pipelines, and Transit Corridors
On May 30, the Center for the National Interest hosted the fourth in a monthly series of expert discussions organized by the Center’s Central Asia Connectivity Project. —Tatiana Mitrova is...
Eurasia: Between Russia and Turkey
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions have reinforced economic relations between an increasingly isolated Russia and an opportunistic Turkey. Russia has become Turkey’s leading import partner, while Turkish...
How to Win the New Great Game in Central Asia
In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, during the “Great Game” between the Russian Empire and British Empires, Central Asia was divided into spheres of influence. Five of the modern...
Kazakhstan and U.S. Strategy
Central Asia, a vast land-locked area between Russia and China, deserves far more U.S. attention than it currently gets. Greater U.S. engagement with the region can help counter Russia’s aggression...
Iran and Turkmenistan’s Relationship Steadily Improves
Since Ebrahim Raisi became Iran’s president, Tehran has pursued a “Neighbors First” foreign policy strategy. With the Islamic Republic under continued Western sanctions and other forms of pressure, Tehran has...
What Does the ISIS-K Attack Mean for Afghan-Russia Ties?
According to Russian authorities, the horrific attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22 took at least 139 lives, marking the deadliest act of terrorism in Russia for many years....
Iran-Pakistan Tensions and China’s Diplomatic Cards
Iran and Pakistan’s unprecedented cross-border strikes on January 16 and 18 were as unsettling as they were surprising. Although Tehran has long seen Baloch separatist groups operating in Pakistan’s Balochistan...
Central Asia’s Quiet Rise
Central Asia has long been considered a geopolitical backwater in the minds of many Western geopolitical thinkers and foreign policy strategists, earning it the name “Russia’s backyard.” Most Americans know...
Central Asia Emerges as the Hub of a New Global Trade Era
With Kazakhstan at its epicenter, Central Asia’s transit potential has become increasingly significant for global connectivity. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the standoff between Russia and the West have...
The Linchpin of Central Asia Looks East
Kazakhstan has officially begun construction of its third railway connection with China. The double-track railway is expected to boost freight capacity between Kazakhstan and China by more than two-thirds, from...