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
Russia’s Lost Decade
The stunning collapse of Moscow’s client regime in Syria after a prolonged intervention in the country is a major blow to the Kremlin’s ability to influence global affairs. Yet even...
Consistency, Not Priority, Is The Key To U.S. Central Asia Policy
As a new administration settles into Washington, the global chessboard is being reset. While Central Asia may not be occupying the top squares of that board, it remains a strategically...
Trade Restrictions on Kazakhstan Make No Sense
Donald Trump’s re-election could open new doors for U.S. cooperation in Central Asia.
Why Central Asia Should Be on Donald Trump’s National Security Agenda
Offering economic incentives that compete with Beijing and Moscow’s carrots while enhancing security cooperation is essential for the United States to reestablish its strategic foothold in Central Asia.
North Koreans Are Not Russia’s Only Foreign Fighters in Ukraine
The news about North Korean troops that have joined Russian forces to participate in Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has spread quickly and generated a vivid debate within the expert...
Global Disorder, Middle Powers, and the Next POTUS
After a decisive victory, former President Donald J. Trump is gearing up to return to the White House. As is the case with second-term presidents removed from the constraints of...
Understanding the Middle Corridor
On October 21, Bahnoperator Austria and KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, signed a memorandum outlining their intention to regularly ship cargo to one another through the Trans-Caspian International...
Calibrating U.S.-Kazakh Cooperation
Over the past three decades, Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, has emerged as a key player on the global stage. It currently holds the chairmanship of the Collective...
Uzbekistan Is Calling America. Will We Pick Up The Phone?
Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan, deserves more attention from America and the West. In the face of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and great power competition with China, the United...
Kazakhstan’s Role in U.S.-China Competition
From advanced microchips to the green energy transition, critical minerals such as lithium, copper, and rare earth elements (REE) have become crucial inputs to the evolution of the global economy...
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...