Bruce Pannier writes the Qishloq Ovozi blog and appears regularly on the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL.
What should new Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev change? What must he change to keep the country together or to move it forward? What changes has he already initiated and why? These are some of the topics that were addressed in the latest Majlis podcast.
The Central Asian states marked 25 years of independence this year. The Majlis, RFE/RL's weekly podcast about Central Asia, wanted to do its part to mark the anniversary also, and to mark it in a unique way.
Kyrgyzstan's December 11 referendum on amendments to the constitution has been a contentious issue since plans to hold it were announced this last summer, and it appears it will be an issue in the coming months as the country prepares for the presidential election late next year.
The proposed railway line from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan, via Afghanistan, marked a milestone on November 28 when the first station on the Afghan side of the Turkmen border opened.
Dissidents who run afoul of the authorities in Central Asia face two choices: wait until they come for you, or run. But even if these people manage to flee their homeland, many will still not be left in peace abroad.
The Turkmen village of Marchak is situated close enough to the Afghan border that stray rounds are landing on their side of the frontier, according to residents. But it would be difficult for the villagers to receive much help from the government in Ashgabat because their problems apparently do not officially exist.
It's never been easy being a journalist in Central Asia. Quite the opposite, in fact. Reporting from Central Asia can lead to dire consequences: assaults, arrests, imprisonment, and, on occasion, even death.
China’s massive One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project aims to connect the world like never before.
Turkmenistan marked its 25th year of independence on October 27 and -- while life has always been hard for the some 5 million people in the isolationist, authoritarian state -- this year’s anniversary was marked amid declining economic conditions the likes of which the country has never seen.
The thing the governments in Central Asia fear the most is religion. Secular opposition there has been nearly eliminated and in its place religious opposition has appeared.
Why should Turkmen voters show up at polling centers on February 12 to cast their ballots for the current president, the person they called "Arkadag" (The Protector)? I am not Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's speechwriter, but I am concerned he might miss some things in the campaign speeches he delivers. So I wrote one for him.
The cotton business in Uzbekistan rides on the back of slave labor. Uzbekistan’s cotton harvest is possible because, every year, hundreds of thousands of the country’s citizens are forced into the fields.
The Caspian Sea has long been a potential solution to Central Asia's water problems and now officials in Kazakhstan's southwestern Mangistau Province are preparing to harness this resource by building a water purification plant.
The northern Afghan city of Kunduz is under assault again, a year after it was briefly captured by the Taliban. Tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee as the Afghan military and Taliban militants fight it out on the streets.
Uzbekistan's new leader is already making a difference in regional politics in Central Asia. In less than a month, Shavkat Mirziyaev has moved to improve ties with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan -- sparking hopes for a new era of regional cooperation.
While many politicians in Kyrgyzstan agree there is a need to make some revisions to the constitution, the timing of the referendum, about a year before the country holds a presidential election, has left many wondering if there isn't more to the amendments than just making adjustments to improve the parliamentary system of government.
With the death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov earlier this month, the question of who will succeed Central Asia's other longstanding rulers has come to the fore. (The views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.)
For those accustomed to watching the slow movement of Uzbekistan’s government over the years, this month has already been a shock. RFE/RL convened the Majlis podcast to discuss Uzbekistan’s power transition following the death of President Islam Karimov.
Despite a series of rumored illnesses in the past and his advanced age, the news that Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov was suddenly hospitalized after suffering what his daughter said was a brain hemorrhage was a shock to people in Uzbekistan and further afield.
Central Asia, overall, did surprisingly well in these recent summer games in Rio de Janeiro.
Load more
