Majlis

Central Asia's New Position In Global Politics

A lot has changed in Central Asia in the more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The region’s giant neighbors -- Russia and China -- have played and will no doubt continue to play large roles in Central Asia. However, the Central Asian states have strengthened relations, economic partnerships, and export routes with other countries since February 2022, loosening, to some extent, the grip Russia and China have had over Central Asia. How much have the Central Asian states used this period to further consolidate their independence and sovereignty -- both in foreign policy and economic terms? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this process are guests Nargis Kassenova, a senior fellow and director of the Program on Central Asia at Harvard University’s Davis Center; Bakyt Beshimov, a former member of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament and former Kyrgyz ambassador to the OSCE and India who now teaches at Northeastern University in Boston; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

EU Strengthens Ties With Central Asia

Top EU officials visited Central Asia for the first-ever EU-Central Asian summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Joining host Bruce Pannier are Terhi Hakala, a diplomat from Finland and Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, director of the European Neighborhood Council.

Saving The Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is home to many unique marine species and other wildlife. The Caspian Sea Basin is also rich in oil and natural gas. The development of these lucrative hydrocarbon resources is having an adverse effect on the indigenous plant life, and some species are at risk of extinction. At the same time, water levels in the Caspian Sea are dropping, and it is particularly noticeable in the shallow northern section where Kazakhstan’s Caspian ports are located. To look at the ecological challenges and efforts to find an acceptable biological and business balance in the Caspian Sea, host Bruce Pannier is joined by two guests from Kazakhstan: Vadim Ni, a lawyer, environmental activist, and founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement; and Tatyana Sedova, an expert in extractive industries governance, civic participation and capacity building, who has worked with organizations such as the World Bank and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

Tajikistan's Descent Into Despotism

Tajikistan has been acknowledged by Freedom House as one of the worst human rights violators for years, but 2025 has seen Tajik authorities take repression to new levels. Eight former government officials and political opposition figures were convicted at a closed-door trial of plotting a coup and given lengthy prison sentences. In addition, a journalist was convicted of treason for reporting on Tajik citizens’ opinions on Chinese influence in their country, and the OSCE said it would not observe Tajikistan’s March 2 parliamentary elections because Tajik authorities failed to give assurances of accreditation. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss events in Tajikistan in early 2025 are guests Muhamadjon Kabirov, editor at Azda.tv, a media outlet run by exile Tajik journalists; Edward Lemon, the president of the Washington-based Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.

Human Rights Watch Calls Out 'Worsening' Situation In Central Asia

Human Rights Watch (HRW) just released its annual report about the human rights situation around the world https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025. The report points to a deterioration in rights in Central Asia in such areas as civil society, freedom of media, the judicial process, the rights of minority groups and vulnerable segments of the population, and more. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the report are Syinat Sultanalieva, HRW’s researcher covering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and Hugh Williamson, HRW’s director for Europe and Central Asia.