It has been an unusually cold winter in Central Asia, with temperatures hovering between –15C and –25C since late December. As a result of the protracted freezing temperatures, Central Asian states have been experiencing severe energy shortages. Among them, Tajikistan was perhaps the most vulnerable... MORE

Perhaps hoping to burnish Kazakhstan’s international image, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called upon members of his Nur Otan party to fight corruption more actively. “Regional branches of the party must step up the purposeful fight against corruption in the localities,” he declared. “Special councils under... MORE

By any measure, 2008 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov. In power for only 13 months following the sudden death of President Saparmurat “Turkmenbashi” Niyazov on December 21, 2006, Berdimukhamedov has humbled Russia’s mighty Gazprom monopoly in price... MORE

On January 11, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha announced an initiative to convene a top-level meeting of regional organizations operating in Central Eurasia, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc), the Organization for Security and Cooperation... MORE

Kyrgyzstan’s new government has already descended into dirty intrigues (see EDM, January 11). The ruling regime under President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is now reportedly using the Interior Ministry to ensure quiet compliance of all public figures. The pro-regime bloc Ak Zhol’s majority in the parliament, and... MORE

Kazakhstan’s armed forces face a new shake up in 2008, designed to facilitate progress toward greater efficiency. Military reform in Kazakhstan has been underway for several years, resulting in structural changes and other, more targeted, reforms linked with manpower, such as “professionalizing” a proportion of... MORE

The new Kyrgyz government, formed following the December 16, 2007, parliamentary elections, is comprised mostly of old faces who survived the numerous reshuffling efforts of former president Askar Akayev, the change of presidents in March 2005, and the recent parliamentary elections. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has... MORE

As the USSR recedes further into history, the post-Soviet Turkic nations of the Caucasus and Central Asia are rediscovering their linguistic and cultural affinities with Turkey, and activists are promoting closer cultural, economic, and political ties. Among the states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and... MORE

On December 29 border guards in East Kazakhstan arrested four people -- two citizens of Uzbekistan, one citizen of Russia, and one citizen of Tajikistan -- for allegedly attempting to smuggle 17 kilograms of heroin into Russia. Seizures of heroin bound for Russia are a... MORE

On December 11 Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov and Ma Fu Tsai, deputy chairman of the Chinese State Council Committee on Energy, arrived at Kenkiyak, a small settlement in Aktobe region, to announce the start date for construction of the 750-kilometer long Kenkiyak-Kumkol oil pipeline.... MORE