The government in Bishkek is grappling with a Soviet-era system that is no longer viable. The crisis particularly affects the medical profession, with numbers in constant decline: in 2022 there were 18.5 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, today there are just 15, while in Kazakhstan, for example, there are 40. But the real problem is the lack of resources allocated to healthcare: just per person per year.

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.

One of the consequences of rapid urbanisation is the proliferation of huge landfills in contexts where only a small percentage of waste is recycled. In Tajikistan alone, over 2 million tonnes of waste accumulate every year, occupying a total of over 300 hectares of land.

In June, MPs in Bishkek – in a decision kept secret for two months – decriminalised the offence of marrying multiple wives. When parliament reopened, President Žaparov referred the measure back for review, calling it humiliating. But polygamy remains a far from rare practice, with unions registered only in mosques, even by prominent figures.

At the Dushanbe summit, discussions developed on the route that would directly connect Russia to India and Iran. Moscow is unable to offer Central Asia the large investments that China and Europe can, but it is trying to catch up in terms of transport and logistics infrastructure.