Kazakhstan
Strategic Balances and Fractures: Russia, China, and Iran in Central Asia
As the rise of multipolarity is testing the resilience of the liberal international order, states are rushing to decouple economically from their political competitors. This makes Central Asia a focal...
VIDEO: The China-Central Asia Crossroads
Since gaining independence in 1991, the Central Asian states have again forged steadily growing ties with China. These ties advanced significantly in 2013 when Xi Jinping formally announced the Silk...
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...
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...
VIDEO: The Gulf States and Central Asia: Converging Foreign Policies?
The growing ties come due to shared religion and culture, alongside burgeoning trade, investment, and development initiatives from the Gulf region. This turn of events comes as a very welcome...
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...
Don’t Underestimate Central Asia’s Renewable Energy Opportunities
Following the COP28 climate change conference last month, emerging countries have an opportunity to become significant players in reducing dependence on fossil fuels by utilizing cleaner, renewable energy. While most...
The West Must Stop Turning Away Willing Diplomatic Partners
The U.S.-led international system is under attack. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese saber-rattling over Taiwan, and war in Gaza are all symptoms of America’s eroding power. At such a time,...
Amid Global Transitions, Kazakhstan is an Emerging Swing Player
From the landmark Biden-Xi summit in San Francisco to the upcoming COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, November is proving to be a busy month for global diplomacy. Both...