Vladimir Rozanskij

Rumours of a possible deployment of Chinese troops in Ukraine - denied (for now) by the Beijing Foreign Ministry - have been received with nervousness by the Russians. In a conflict perceived as distant, Xi Jimping looks to safeguard his own interests, much more than to the obsessive opposition of ‘eternal ally’ Putin.

In the centre of the Tajikistan capital, the start of the demolition of a historic tea house, a world-famous meeting place for writers and artists, to make way for new modern buildings, is sparking heated discussions. The Lokhuti theatre, itself a masterpiece of Tajik architecture, also seems destined for the same fate.

The lack of children's literature in the Kyrgyz language has prompted two mothers to publish at their own expense a series of books based on local stories and traditions told to their children. These initiatives have quickly met with considerable success. They talk to Current Time: ‘They will make our people's boat stronger’.

Moscow and Astana have formed a joint working group for the ‘custody of historical memory’. The Russians are pointing the finger at the way the imperial policy of the tsars and the Soviet Union is presented in history books. While the Kazakhs remember well the words of Putin who in 2014 declared that their country ‘never had its own statehood’.

While mosques are filling up with large crowds from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan, commercial initiatives related to the Muslim holy month are multiplying. And most telephone operators are also offering electronic almsgiving services, with QR codes approved by religious administrations.

The agreement between Kyrgyz and Tajiks-sealed by the embrace between Žaparov and Rakhmon-affects as much as 1,000 kilometers of border and and comes after discussions and clashes dating back to the twentieth century, when both states were under Moscow's control. As recently as three years ago, armed clashes had occurred with several casualties on both sides.

President Rakhmon has reinserted Tirgon, the ‘rain festival’ which according to tradition took place on the longest day of the year, a tradition linked to local epics, but which today takes on a new meaning in the fight against the drying up of rivers and basins throughout Central Asia.

In the Pskov region, bills have skyrocketed to over 30,000 rubles per month without any notification of the rate increase, while in Chechnya or Dagestan, the government turns a blind eye to the billions of rubles owed for energy supplies, without suspending services.

During Ramadan, the forces of order are deployed in force around Islamic places of worship, where the ‘official’ imams do not tolerate any form of dissent towards President Berdymukhamedov. But the increasingly widespread ‘danger’ is the theft of shoes, which forces many worshippers to return home barefoot.

Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to the Uzbek capital was an opportunity to strengthen cooperation projects between the two countries. The objective: to rapidly increase the volume of trade to one billion dollars.

Russian observers say change of guard in Washington has meant China is no longer able to benefit from the conflict in Ukraine, but has been reduced to the role of onlooker.

As expected, the party of Emomali Rakhmon, who has been at the helm of the country since 1994, obtained an absolute majority and only parties controlled by the president entered parliament. Despite the regime's clearly repressive nature, there are no international sanctions against Tajikistan, confirming the feeling that the ruling caste in Dushanbe is untouchable.