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.
Crossing mountain passes at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres and travelling hundreds of kilometres with their flocks, the čabany keep alive a tradition that produces a type of sheep meat of the highest quality. A hard life, exposed to the unscrupulous exploitation of the owners of the pastures, yet underpinned by a solid unwritten code of solidarity and a profound harmony with nature.
In a country where 25% of the population is between the ages of 14 and 30, President Mirziyoyev has launched a package of measures aimed at this demographic for the first time. Among the planned initiatives are employment support, low-interest home loans, promotion of foreign language learning, and a national award for youth creativity.
To bypass the blockade of both the Gulf and conflict-ridden Afghanistan, a new land corridor is emerging, starting from the port of Karachi on the shores of the Arabian Sea and reaching as far as Tashkent via Iranian territory. A long and arduous route which, for Pakistan today, is the only way to access the Central Asian market, home to almost 80 million people.
In a region where over 100 million people will be living by 2025, the traditional model of trade in raw materials and finished goods is being superseded, with an increasing focus on the coordinated creation of added value. Berlin is able to offer cutting-edge solutions for the green transition and make a vital contribution to the development of human capital.
Archaeological excavations in the Zeravshan Valley, which began in the 1930s, continue to this day, yielding new discoveries about the rich world of this ancient people, who made a significant contribution to world culture.
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.
By 2030, Tashkent plans to increase the share of the ‘creative economy’ in gross domestic product to 5%. In recent years, two new theatres, 19 cultural centres, 16 museums, 20 music and art schools, and five universities specialising in the sector have been opened. Mirziyoyev wants to restore the Uzbeks to their former glory, whilst also seeking to present a new face of the country.
According to a study by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the region is rapidly aging. The declining workforce and the spread of the informal economy risk accentuating existing inequalities. But greater investment in care services could create millions of jobs and new opportunities for inclusive development.
Among the first engagements awaiting Budapest’s new prime minister is the summit of the Organisation of Turanian Countries, scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in May. On that occasion, it will become clear whether the great attention paid to this region was a personal initiative of Orbán or a tendency deeply rooted in the Hungarian people, stemming from historical roots that run deep into the tradition of the Huns.
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”.
In Tajikistan, a summit of border agency heads from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) addressed the repercussions of instability in Afghanistan. Cooperation has been strengthened to combat infiltration by terrorist and extremist groups of an Islamic fundamentalist nature.
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