FP: Things have been bad for decades, but the Taliban threaten to make them worse. In Turkmenistan, household faucets are running dry and locusts are devouring crops. In Kazakhstan, a state of emergency has been declared as the Caspian Sea shrinks to a puddle. In Uzbekistan, the end of an international slave-labor boycott has boosted
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 3, 2023 Kazakh Trade and Integration Minister Serik Zhumangharin opened the Kazakh-Afghan Business Forum on August 3, stressing what he called the “importance” of economic ties between the two countries even though Astana considers the Taliban militants running Kabul to be “terrorists.” “I would like to reiterate again that Kazakhstan
Michael Hughes AOPNEWS July 29, 2023 Al-Qaeda is covertly extending external operations capability inside Afghanistan while IS-K and a host of other terror groups continue to gain strength and are preparing to launch campaigns targeting states across Central Asia and Europe, according to a new UN Security Council report released earlier this week. The report
8am: The Taliban’s transfer of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) forces to the northern provinces of Afghanistan, as agreed upon with Pakistan, has resulted in numerous national issues and exacerbated ethnic divisions. However, this development also poses a regional alarm for the security of Central Asian countries. With the resurgence of the Taliban, the security in Central
Michael Hughes: Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev during remarks at a gathering of peers in Kazakhstan said the United States and Britain have tried to take advantage of the chaos in Afghanistan as part of a broader strategy to wreak havoc across Central Asia. “The Americans and the British are trying to manipulate the
Khaama: The foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) demanded that the forced displacement and relocation of ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan should be stopped. After the return of the Taliban to power, reports emerged that forced displacement of Tajiks, Hazaras, Turkmen and Uzbeks took place in different parts of Afghanistan. In
Tolo News: The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Daesh in Afghanistan seeks to undermine security and stability in the country and its neighboring countries, while relying on external support, TASS reported. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, also expressed concerns about the possible destabilization of the Central Asian countries
8am: Previously, it was reported that the Taliban are intending to allocate the lands surrounding the Qosh Tepa canal to those displaced from the other side of the Durand Line. This would appear to be in pursuit of several objectives: 1– To alter the social–cultural composition of the north; 2– To eradicate the basis of
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine is capturing much of the world’s attention, but Central Asia is more concerned about what’s happening south of the border in Afghanistan. There are several militant groups in northern Afghanistan who hope to topple the Tajik and Uzbek governments. Some of these groups are allies of
Navbahor Imamova VOA News April 14, 2023 WASHINGTON — A gathering of regional foreign ministers to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan this week brought little in the way of new initiatives but provided a forum for several of Kabul’s neighbors to blame the country’s economic plight on the United States and its Western allies. The United