The state is establishing specialised research institutes, funding research and restoring monuments from the era of the Ulus Džoči – the Tatar-Mongol period of its history, which was marginalised by former Soviet historiography. Meanwhile, neighbouring Uzbekistan has for decades been constructing a national historical narrative centred on Tamerlane.
The foundation stone for a Centre for Turkic Civilisation was recently laid in Astana. It is a symbolic site of integration that responds to Moscow’s century-long attempt to erase this identity within its own “backyard”. And which has now, instead, discovered its own power as the guardian of the main energy and logistics arteries between East and West.
The countries of Central Asia are also taking steps within the framework of strengthening regional cooperation in defence systems, a process triggered by the war in the Middle East. Kazakhstan has announced the opening of its airspace to military flights from Turkey. Together with Uzbekistan, it aims to strengthen the alliance between the Turanian states through coordination plans with European nations.
A regional summit on environmental policies is currently taking place in the capital of Kazakhstan, alongside a meeting of the countries participating in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. With the Bishkek government aiming to link the issue of Kyrgyzstan’s melting glaciers to the delicate environmental balance of the whole of Central Asia.
Sentences for ‘incitement to racial hatred’ have been handed down to 19 activists from the Atažurt movement, which campaigns on behalf of relatives detained alongside Uyghurs in Xinjiang’s ‘re-education camps’. Initially charged with violating protest regulations, the offence was upgraded following a note from the Chinese consulate in Almaty describing the actions as “open provocation”.
Established in 1991 to regulate relations between the republics of the former Soviet empire, the CIS has failed to prevent conflicts in Georgia, Ukraine and the Caucasus, and its leadership lacks the capacity to take decisive action. Whilst Kazakhstan regards it as a ‘working tool’, its policy no longer looks solely towards Moscow.
President Tokayev secured the endorsement he sought with the usual “Soviet-style” vote margins. He now faces the challenge of truly making Astana a model for the region, with a political system capable of balancing the strength of the state with popular consent. The first test will be the parliamentary elections scheduled for this summer.
Burdened by debt following privatisation, the Uzbek company is undergoing a tough restructuring programme aimed at simultaneously increasing production and reducing costs. A warning from a Kazakh industry operator: without transparency and prudent use of resources, others risk suffering the same fate.
The conflict in the Middle East also involves the former Soviet republics, which historically have close ties with Tehran. Strong emotions in Baku over the killing of Khamenei, who was of Azerbaijani origin. Azerbaijan, which also has relations with Israel, is a crossroads for the evacuation of foreign citizens from Iran. From Kazakhstan, Tokaev aligns himself with the Arab countries but calls for a “peaceful solution”.
According to the latest census in Kazakhstan, there are almost 424,000 mothers living alone with minor children. In Astana, a businesswoman has started a volunteer organisation that helps those who give birth without anyone by their side. Her idea has now been replicated in Uzbekistan.
Never before have the Americans tried so hard to show Central Asians how mutual cooperation can compensate for the inevitable irritation of Russia and China. The approach of the current Trump administration is to put ideological issues aside and focus on economic advantages, finding much greater harmony with the historical “satraps” of the region.
Speaking at the fifth national assembly in Kyzylorda, the president presented the fundamental parameters of constitutional changes to free the country from the clans that have dominated it for over thirty years. He insisted on the need to prioritise administrative discipline, with technological acceleration at its service.
A figure completely unknown to the general public, the young builder Shakhmurat Mutalip, has put himself forward as a buyer for several billion dollars of Kazakhstan's leading mining company, the latest step in his meteoric rise in Astana. The suspicion is that he has inherited the legacy of the power groups that prospered in Tokaev's shadow.
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