Baku is one of the first candidates to form a decisive link in this new chain. US interest in the post-Soviet region has increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Washington wants to forge an anti-Chinese axis stretching from Israel to India. An economic, political and even military alliance to counterbalance the anti-Western axis of Moscow and Beijing.
Cosmetic surgery and women's clothing are being targeted by the authorities in Central Asia. In a sermon that went viral, the mufti of Dushanbe harshly condemned the injections, while in Ashgabat the police stopped women “wearing excessive make-up”. Sociologist Anora Sadykova: ‘Campaigns created to avoid discussions about unemployment, corruption and rising prices’.
Over two hundred IT experts discussed the prospects for artificial intelligence and technological entrepreneurship in the region. The ambition is not only to be users, but to develop local skills capable of competing in the innovation market.
According to data from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labour, at the end of 2024 women accounted for 55% of the more than half a million Kyrgyz working abroad. But the Organisation for Migration denounces their greater exposure to job insecurity, violence and severe psychological pressure.
The trade agreements signed at the White House on rare earths and other sectors seem to focus more on US economic interests than on geopolitical balances. And even the Kremlin, which in the past had shown some impatience with these contacts, this time expressed great acquiescence.
New accusations against relatives of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev raise the issue of the cult of personality surrounding local leaders. Azattyk Asia's analysis: “The sudden transformation of the fathers of the nation into figures to be forgotten reflects the very meaning of political loyalty in our region.” The cases of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
