Russia-Kazakhstan dynamic in the context of European energy and economic...
By Mamuka Tsereteli August 11, 2022 Kazakhstan, and Central Asia in general, needs a long-term energy and commodity export strategy. Economic and energy security for the landlocked countries requires...
View ArticleBetween Scylla and Charybdis: Kazakhstan Foreign Policy in Pursuit of a New...
By Nargis Kassenova September 5, 2022 Russia’s war in Ukraine has pushed Kazakhstan’s foreign policy out of its comfort zone. Geopolitica divisions between Russia and the West are stark, while those...
View ArticlePresident Tokayev Moves Ahead in Social Reforms
By Svante E. Cornell and Albert Barro November 7, 2022 In his September 2022 address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spent an inordinate amount of time on social issues, and in...
View ArticleChina Backs Kazakhstan Against Russian Threats
By Natalia Konarzewska January 12, 2023 During his visit to Kazakhstan on September 14, China’s President Xi Jinping asserted that China supports Kazakhstan’s territorial integrity and...
View ArticleIran and Russia: from “Oil-for-Goods Swap” to “Oil-Gas Swap”
By Vali Kaleji January 17, 2023 Recent agreements between Tehran and Moscow on an oil-gas swap is another sign of Russia’s turn towards Asian oil and gas markets and closer relations between the...
View ArticleDecreasing Water Levels in the Caspian Sea: Causes and Implications
By Vali Kaleji October 13, 2023 Various reports indicate that the water level of the Caspian Sea has decreased by one meter in recent years and could drop by 9 to 18 meters (30 to 59 feet) by the end...
View ArticleA New Spring for Caspian Transit and Trade
Svante E. Cornell and Brenda Shaffer October 17, 2023 Major recent shifts, starting with the Taliban victory in Afghanistan and Russia’s war in Ukraine have led to a resurgence of the Trans-Caspian...
View ArticleFour Years On: An Update on Kazakhstan’s Reforms
Svante E. Cornell October 24, 2023 Almost four years have passed since President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev embarked upon an agenda to bring thorough reforms to Kazakhstan’s politics and society. This...
View ArticleChessboard No More: the Rise of Central Asia’s International Agency
By Svante E. Cornell and S. Frederick Starr October 3, 2023 Central Asia is often portrayed through metaphors such as a “Grand Chessboard” or a “Great Game,” which suggest that the players in the game...
View ArticleSecurity and Military Cooperation Among the Turkic States in the 2020s
Richard Outzen December 8, 2023 There has been a rapid intensification of Turkish relations with Turkic states in Central Asia and the Caucasus in the past decade. The creation of the Organization of...
View ArticleKazakhstan’s Foreign Policy: Managing the Major Powers
By Svante E. Cornell December 8, 2023 Kazakhstan has been deeply affected by the geopolitical turmoil across the region in the past several years, which threatened to undermine the viability of the...
View ArticleTwo Years Later: Kazakhstan's January Events
By Svante E. Cornell January 2, 2024 In January 2022, Kazakhstan experienced its most serious internal crisis since independence. Popular protests over energy costs turned into riots that in turn took...
View ArticleRussian Influence in Turkmenistan: Rapprochement or Pragmatism?
Slavomir Horak January 19, 2024 Turkmenistan underwent a serious rapprochement with Russia in recent years, particularly after the establishment of a ruling tandem with Serdar Berdimuhamedow as a...
View ArticleTurkey-Kazakhstan Relations: A Strong Partnership in the Turkic World
Bayram Balcı February 21, 2024 Kazakhstan has been a key partner for Turkey in the Turkic world, with relations that have been positive and expanding since independence. They have accelerated in recent...
View ArticleKazakhstan Resurrects Golden Horde in Political Messaging
By Dmitry Shlapentokh April 24, 2024 Recently, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a public address wherein he underscored the significance of the Golden Horde, also known as Ulus...
View ArticleKazakhstan and the Rise of Middle Powers in Central Asia
Svante E. Cornell July 31, 2024 A key development in Greater Central Asian affairs is the rise of Middle Powers, states that are displaying considerable agency in shaping the region surrounding them...
View ArticleThe New Challenge to the SCO
THE NEW CHALLENGE TO THE SCO By: Stephen Blank The recent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana reveals that both Moscow and Beijing are seeking to reformat the organization...
View ArticleCompetition VS. Partnership: Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan Relations in the Field of...
COMPETITION VS PARTNERSHIP: UZBEKISTAN-KAZAKHSTAN RELATIONS IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT By Nargiza Umarova Recent geopolitical crises in Eastern Europe and the Middle East have created...
View ArticleWestern Powers in Pursuit of Kazakhstans Strategic Minerals: Prospects and...
By Sergey Sukhankin The recent negotiations between Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Olaf Scholz in Astana have underscored the increasing interest of Western economies in Kazakhstan’s abundant natural...
View ArticleAstana Summit and the Rise of Middle Powers in Central Asia
by Svante E. Cornell In August 2024, the leaders of Central Asian states met in Astana, Kazakhstan, for their sixth summit since 2018. This summit – at which regional leaders further committed to...
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