Located a few kilometres from Dushanbe, the observatory – which was once at the forefront of research into the Earth’s atmosphere – is now a destination for school groups and tourists. The old telescope has been fitted with a digital camera that transmits images to a computer. But everything else has remained unchanged since the 1980s.
The forum held in Seoul offered the five countries in the region not only access to high-tech products, but also opportunities to overcome the limitations of their economies. For its part, South Korea is looking not only at reserves of critical minerals but also at the Trans-Caspian corridor. The volume of investment has already risen to 20 billion dollars.
Despite its vast reserves, Ashgabat has never managed to find enough buyers. China has been the largest buyer of Turkmen gas for over fifteen years, whilst Europe is reviving the idea of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to bypass Moscow. But the Turkmen government is looking instead to the TAPI pipeline to India (via Afghanistan)
Designed on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, it aims to attract massive investment to become a second economic hub outside Bishkek. The ambition is to create a centre with at least 500,000 inhabitants, doubling the population of an area currently only frequented during the tourist season.
The results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that countries in the region have scores significantly below the average. Progress in Uzbekistan in science subjects, a setback in mathematics in Kazakhstan
The water level of the Caspian Sea has been falling since the mid-1990s and reached a historic low in 2025, dropping by 29 meters. The problem is having a negative impact on navigation, necessitating repairs to canals and piers in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, new islands are emerging off the coast of Kazakhstan.
At the latest session held in Busan, the modernist buildings of Tashkent and the rock-cut mosques of the Mangistau region in Kazakhstan were added to the list. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan would like to have its only site – the sacred mountain of Sulayman-Too in Osh – removed from the list so that a cable car can be built there.
Over the last three years, the number of women business owners in the country has risen by 21.5 per cent. Most operate small and medium-sized enterprises, chiefly in the retail and services sectors. Today, they can also count on a support programme promoted by Japanese development cooperation and the World Bank.
Relations between Moscow’s eastern neighbours remain largely in limbo, as they seek to reduce their dependence without severing ties with Russia for good. Meanwhile, in Bishkek, Xi Jinping has, yet again, rejected Putin’s call to unblock the ‘Power of Siberia 2’ gas pipeline project.
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.
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.
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