Kazakhstan

Throughout Kazakhstan, work has begun on renaming streets, considered essential for “the revival of folk traditions and the strengthening of social unity”. The northern city is a prime example of this, as its name already expresses its close historical ties with the tsars. Here, the names of 28 streets in the Birlik district have been changed with the aim of harmonising the Russian and Kazakh spirits.

At a meeting on relations between Central Asia and China, the Astana government praised the rapprochement between the ‘two lungs of Asia’, which is advancing in step with the internal transformations initiated by Tokaev. Despite protests from some opponents and activists, the president wants to project an image of ‘inclusive democracy’ by leaving the limelight to some of his collaborators.

Ermek Tursunov, whose films have made it to the Oscars shortlist, has left Kazakhstan, denouncing the “degeneration of cultural policy.” His producer’s home was recently searched. To those labelling him a “dangerous dissident,” he replied: “I’m no Solzhenitsyn, but I won’t stay silent.”

The breakdown in relations with Europe was portrayed by Russian propaganda as a bright new horizon for the Eurasian space. But sanctions have enabled Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to grow in their role as intermediaries in trade with third countries. And today, many migrants are looking more to the West than to Moscow.

The region holds vast reserves of these minerals, now highly sought after by the high-tech industry. Kazakhstan speaks of “unparalleled deposits”. The European Union is working to foster suitable partnerships as a possible alternative to China for supplies. However, these efforts are hindered by underdeveloped technological infrastructure, which slows down the region’s real prospects for growth.

Since the collapse of the USSR, the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia have been debating whether to abandon the Cyrillic alphabet in favour of Latin script. Some argue it more closely reflects the phonetics of Turkic languages, but the issue is entangled with broader calls for “de-Russification” in the context of the war in Ukraine. Even in Kazakhstan—where Nazarbayev launched the transition with the aim of completing it by 2031—serious doubts remain.

n Tajikistan, construction has just been completed on a special hangar for the luxurious presidential aircraft that Emomali Rakhmon purchased from Mexico, which could no longer afford the maintenance costs. This is the latest example of a widespread trend among heads of state throughout the region.

After much hesitation and meetings at the level of individual countries, now in Samarkand the European Union has openly declared its intention to ‘raise relations to the level of strategic partnership’ with the region as a whole. But local leaders, who aim to ‘diversify’ their foreign policy, are waiting to see how many resources Brussels will really put on the table.

The Eurasian military alliance has presented new guidelines for law enforcement operations to be applied in all member states to prevent ‘terrorist infiltration’. Last year 420 illegal organisations were identified, but there were also many summary actions against Tajiks after the attack on Krokus City Hall. Dushanbe is insisting that its citizens fully legalise their residence status in Russia by the end of April.

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.

Markets, palaces, buildings and thousands of hectares of land: after the clashes of January 2022, their power was formally stripped of all honor, but a long list of assets that should have been requisitioned are still firmly in the hands of the family that dominated “old Kazakhstan”.