Category: Central Asia Program Series

Foreign Trade Effects of the Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia

Central Asia Economic Paper No. 8, May 2013 By Alexander Libman and Daria Ushkalova The Customs Union constitutes the first regional trade agreement in the post-Soviet space based on effective enforcement of commitments… Continue reading Foreign Trade Effects of the Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia

If Only It Was Only Water… The Strained Relationship between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Central Asia Policy Brief No. 9, May 2013 By Volker Jacoby In spite of ongoing brinkmanship from the two presidents, tensions between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are unlikely to escalate into large-scale violence. External intervention… Continue reading If Only It Was Only Water… The Strained Relationship between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Threats and Challenges to Regional Security: Possibilities and Prospects for the Formation of a Collective Security System

Voices From Central Asia No. 11, April 2013 By Konstantin Syroezhkin Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, Almaty Like any other region, Central Asia has its share of regional problems. They have various… Continue reading Threats and Challenges to Regional Security: Possibilities and Prospects for the Formation of a Collective Security System

The Art of Survival: Kyrgyz Labor Migration, Human Capital, and Social Networks

Central Asia Economic Paper No. 7, April 2013 By Evgeny Vinokurov Age, education, income discrepancy, and unemployment level are the main factors that define the portrait of the Kyrgyz labor migrant. Remittances shape… Continue reading The Art of Survival: Kyrgyz Labor Migration, Human Capital, and Social Networks

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Its Potential Influence on Regional Security in Central Asia

Voices From Central Asia No. 10, March 2013 By Sanat Kushkumbayev The functioning of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which comprises a group of rather disparate countries, remains a remarkable phenomenon in… Continue reading The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Its Potential Influence on Regional Security in Central Asia

Moving beyond the Leadership “Parlor Game”: Foreign Investment and the Succession Issue in Kazakhstan

Central Asia Policy Brief No. 8, March 2013 By J. Edward Conway While it is no doubt true that the system of government in Kazakhstan concentrates power heavily in the executive branch, the mistake… Continue reading Moving beyond the Leadership “Parlor Game”: Foreign Investment and the Succession Issue in Kazakhstan

Debating Internal Migrations in Kyrgyzstan

Voices From Central Asia No. 9, February 2013 By Aida Aaly Alymbaeva (Max Plank Institute for Social Anthropology), Keneshbek Almakuchukov (Bishkek Academy of Finance and Eco-nomics), Emil Nasritdinov, Ruslan Rakhimov, and Bermet… Continue reading Debating Internal Migrations in Kyrgyzstan

Discussing the Eurasian Customs Union and its Impact on Central Asia

Central Asia Policy Forum No. 4, February 2013 Putin’s Eurasian Union project, the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union and the Single Economic Space, raises many debates about the economic goals and political agendas behind them.… Continue reading Discussing the Eurasian Customs Union and its Impact on Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s Agriculture after Two Decades of Independence

Central Asia Economic Paper No. 6, January 2013 By Richard Pomfret Kazakhstan is among the world’s ten leading grain exporters. The agricultural sector remains the major employer, and an important source of exports.… Continue reading Kazakhstan’s Agriculture after Two Decades of Independence

Turmoil Within the Taliban: A Crisis of Growth?

Central Asia Policy Brief No. 7, January 2013 By Antonio Giustozzi The main axis of intra-Taliban tension is between the Peshawar Shura and the Quetta Shura, there having been a significant transfer of power… Continue reading Turmoil Within the Taliban: A Crisis of Growth?

The Future of Russia’s Involvement in Central Asia

Central Asia Policy Forum No. 3, December 2012 Featuring Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy, Heritage Foundation, Jeff Mankoff, Deputy Director and Fellow with the CSIS Russia… Continue reading The Future of Russia’s Involvement in Central Asia

Don’t Oversell ‘Overspill’: Afghanistan and Emerging Conflicts in Central Asia

Central Asia Policy Brief No. 6, December 2012 By Neil Melvin A new approach to Central Asia is required to promote regional security stabilization. There is an attendant risk that the disorder and possible… Continue reading Don’t Oversell ‘Overspill’: Afghanistan and Emerging Conflicts in Central Asia