Tag Archives: Tajikistan

A relaxation of long-standing regional tensions was the most noticeable process in Central Asia in 2018. If the trend continues, individual countries will be better positioned to muddle through domestic problems and deal with complex international relations and security issues in 2019 and beyond.

ECO must strengthen relations with regional blocs such as EU and ASEAN, gaining knowledge and know-how from their experiences. ECO summits must be held on either an annual basis or once every two years rather than five.

One golden opportunity for ECO member countries to increase trade and investment is in the road and rail development projects under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.

One official of Pakistani government shares his experience of how the country’s powerful ruling political elite abuse their position to enjoy undue perks in violation of laws of the land.

Tajikistan's economy is crippled, with the downturn in Russia adding to the difficulties. The rough economic climate, however, is fundamentally of the government’s making: years of endemic corruption have bled local businesses dry and limit the impact of donor aid.

Currently, ISIL does not seem to be operating in Afghanistan or Central Asian countries; yet, all necessary measures should be taken by the regional governments to take away the hope of ISIL surviving in the region.

China has been attempting to shape a non-Western security grouping to counterbalance NATO and allow it more room for military action in Asia. The SCO, often dubbed the Asian NATO, has been dominated by Russia and China. Expanding the SCO is imperative to securing the Central Asian gas pipelines, many of which run through Chinese territory and are threatened by insurgencies that compromise their construction.

At present, Moscow has essentially shut India out from Kyrgyzstan after sending the first installments of a new US$1 billion military aid package to the country. This follows the strategic setback that India suffered in 2010 when it lost use of the Tajikistan Ayni airbase to Russia. And in the two larger, energy-rich nations of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, New Delhi …