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39 articles
Cyprus on the Middle Corridor: Tokayev recruits a Mediterranean shipping hub
NewsBrief4 Jun

Cyprus on the Middle Corridor: Tokayev Recruits a Mediterranean Shipping Hub

A Kazakhstan–Cyprus Business Forum in Astana. An EU–Kazakhstan transport seminar the same day. Both pointed at the same June 23 meeting.

KYRGYZSTAN · UN SECURITY COUNCIL
NewsBrief4 Jun

Kyrgyzstan Wins UN Security Council Seat — 142 to 49 Over the Philippines

Four rounds of voting. A result that Central Asian diplomats called historic. Bishkek joins the Council for the first time since independence in 1991.

The Silence Before the Vote: what Armenia's campaign tells us about June 7
NewsBrief3 Jun

The Silence Before the Vote: What Armenia's Campaign Tells Us About June 7

Pashinyan leads but is weaker than at any point since 2018. The opposition is fragmented but financed. The campaign ends Thursday.

Kyrgyzstan vs Philippines: UN votes for Asia-Pacific Security Council seat
NewsBrief3 Jun

Kyrgyzstan vs Philippines: UN Votes Today for Asia-Pacific Security Council Seat

The ballot in New York opens at 10am local time. A Kyrgyzstan win would put Central Asia on the Council for the first time since Kazakhstan's 2017–2018 term.

BTK goes full throttle: upgraded Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway enters operation
NewsBrief3 Jun

BTK Goes Full Throttle: Upgraded Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway Enters Operation

Capacity jumped from 1 to 5 million tonnes a year. The Middle Corridor's western spine is no longer a bottleneck.

The First Country: what happened after the EU made an example of Kyrgyzstan
NewsBrief2 Jun

The First Country: What Happened After the EU Made an Example of Kyrgyzstan

Brussels activated a tool it had never used. Six weeks later, Bishkek shut down 50 companies. The experiment is being watched across the region.

Kazakhstan sells 3.4 billion yuan in debut sovereign Panda bond
NewsBrief2 Jun

Kazakhstan Sells 3.4 Billion Yuan in Debut Sovereign Panda Bond

Demand was twice the supply. The Ministry of Finance calls it proof of Chinese investor confidence in Kazakhstani macroeconomics.

 Nikol Pashinyan Vladimir Putin
NewsBrief1 Jun

The Train to Brussels Runs on Russian Rails

Armenia wants to end Moscow’s monopoly on its railways, electricity and gas. The June 7 election will determine whether it can

Putin Ends Astana Visit
NewsBrief1 Jun

Putin Ends Astana Visit with Ukraine Warnings and EAEU Posturing

The Russian president used the Eurasian Economic Forum platform for some of his sharpest public language on Ukraine in months — delivered from Kazakhstan’s capital

Baku–Supsa Pipeline Returns
NewsBrief1 Jun

Baku–Supsa Pipeline Returns: Kazakhstan Oil Joins the Rerouting

A deal signed during Kobakhidze’s Baku visit on 18 May restores a dormant Caspian export route — and Astana is already looking at it

NewsBrief29 May

Armenia Election Roundup: Flower Bans, Citizenship Scandals and Bribery Arrests

With nine days to go, Russia tightens economic pressure while Strong Armenia faces new legal trouble

President of Uzbekistan launches construction of New Tashkent international airport
NewsBrief29 May

Mirziyoyev Launches Central Asia's Largest Airport Project

A $4.5 billion consortium of Saudi, Japanese and Korean investors breaks ground on a new Tashkent hub with a 20 million passenger target

EAEU Summit Convenes: Armenia in the Room, Pashinyan Not
NewsBrief29 May

EAEU Summit Convenes: Armenia in the Room, Pashinyan Not

The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meets today to discuss, for the first time, a member state's EU trajectory — with the Armenian elections nine days away

Middle Corridor in Focus
NewsBrief27 May

Tokayev and China's Zhao Leji Discuss Expanding Partnership — With Middle Corridor in Focus

The call follows Kazakhstan's record $48.7bn trade with China in 2025 and comes as Beijing seeks to deepen its position in Kazakh infrastructure

Kazakhstan Is a Key Partner in Nuclear Safety
NewsBrief27 May

IAEA Chief: Kazakhstan Is a Key Partner in Nuclear Safety — and in the West's Uranium Strategy

Grossi's Almaty visit underlines Kazatomprom's central role as Western buyers reduce exposure to Russian supply chains

Kobkahdize meets with US State Department delegation
NewsBrief26 May

Kobakhidze Meets US State Department Delegation — Again

Second visit in May signals Washington is not ready to abandon Tbilisi, despite the diplomatic freeze

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Open New Rail Terminal at Hairatan
NewsBrief26 May

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Open New Rail Terminal at Hairatan

Port No. 5 received its first freight train on 21 May — a small step in a large corridor ambition

Armenia Advances EU Civilian Mission Cooperation
NewsBrief13 May

Armenia Advances EU Civilian Mission Cooperation as CSTO Participation Remains Suspended

Yerevan's foreign policy reorientation accelerates with new security partnership frameworks outside Russian alliance structures

Uzbekistan's Reform Track Attracts South Korean and Turkish Manufacturing Interest
NewsBrief13 May

Uzbekistan's Reform Track Attracts South Korean and Turkish Manufacturing Interest

Tashkent's special economic zones drawing foreign investors as labour costs and regulatory environment improve