Central Asia

Since coming to power, there has been a shift in relations between Kabul and the countries of the region. The commercial pragmatism of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and the greater caution shown by Tajikistan. The (future) crux of the issue: the Koshtepa Canal and the disputed use of the waters of the Amu Darya River.

In the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, the country – which until a few years ago was confined to the stereotypes of the ‘post-Soviet space’ – has risen to 82nd place out of 193 countries. From pop stars who, breaking free from folkloric clichés, are crossing borders, to the Lonely Planet guide which has included Kazakhstan in its ‘Best in Travel 2025’ selection.

In recent years, the local authorities have stepped up their efforts to integrate this ethnic group, which numbers around 1,200 families: now that they have been issued with identity documents, the children are attending school and many members of the community are working for the city’s cleaning and gardening companies.

New temperature records have been set in many cities across Central Asia, in some cases exceeding 50 degrees. In this region, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, roads have warped, power cuts linked to high consumption have occurred, and measures have been put in place to protect those working outdoors.

Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumptionThe two sides of energy saving in Kazakhstan Progress has been made in large companies, where investments over three years have reduced energy intensity by 32 per cent. However, much remains to be done to improve the situation in public offices and private homes, which alone still account for 47.7 per cent of the country’s energy consumption

In the first six months of the year, there was a 74 per cent increase in trade volumes. As well as investing in road improvements and logistics, Dushanbe is focusing on the digitalisation of transport services through a cooperation agreement with South Korea.

The region’s population is gradually ageing: in Kazakhstan, the number of elderly people has risen by around half a million in recent years. But the incidence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and senile dementia is also on the rise, and families are often left to cope with them on their own.

The campaign for the parliamentary elections to the Kurultaj – the parliament provided for in the Constitution introduced by Tokaev – scheduled for 23 August, is getting underway. To mark the occasion, the formation of the new Adilet party has been announced; it has effectively absorbed the current ruling party, Amanat.

In Tajikistan, over 50,000 people are to be resettled to make way for the construction of Central Asia’s largest reservoir. It is due to come into operation in a year’s time, but the inhabitants of the villages that will be submerged still do not know either the amount of compensation or the date of payment.

Lawmakers in Tashkent have approved a bill replacing the current letters o', g', ch and sh to standardise the spelling of Uzbek words in international digital systems, thereby preventing problems with electronic payment systems, machine translation and online dictionaries.

From Tajikistan to Kazakhstan, thousands of young people are currently studying at colleges and universities opened in recent years by Moscow, where teaching is conducted in Russian. The aim is to make a long-term investment in the new generation, who have no memory of the Soviet era and are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.

​​Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities are also having repercussions in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with rising prices, a shortage of aviation fuel and growing uncertainty over energy security. Meanwhile, Moscow is seeking supplies from Kazakhstan, which has restricted exports to protect its domestic market.