Economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Kyrgyzstan's President counterpart Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek on October 12. It was Putin's first trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him in March 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Kyrgyzstan's President counterpart Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek on October 12. It was Putin's first trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him in March 2023. © Website of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic

Putin’s Bishkek Visit Signals Moscow’s Increasing Interest in Central Asia

The region’s role on the world stage is rising as the US and the EU also look at strengthening ties.The region’s role on the world stage is rising as the US and the EU also look at strengthening ties.

16 Oct 23
A large crowd protested when the Astoria Grande, a Palau-flagged luxury liner carrying Russian tourists, docked in the Georgian harbour of Batumi in late July. The visit reignited simmering public anger over the inflow of Russians amid war in Ukraine and Moscow’s hold over the country’s breakaway territories.
A large crowd protested when the Astoria Grande, a Palau-flagged luxury liner carrying Russian tourists, docked in the Georgian harbour of Batumi in late July. The visit reignited simmering public anger over the inflow of Russians amid war in Ukraine and Moscow’s hold over the country’s breakaway territories. © Nata Buachidze

Protests Over Russian Cruise Ship Embody Georgia’s Tensions with Moscow

Many Georgians oppose welcoming visitors from Russia until it ends supporting breakaway territories and its assault on Ukraine.

4 Aug 23
A delegation of Afghanistan's ministry of economic development checked the development of the Qosh Tepa, an irrigation canal, which will direct the water from the Amu Darya river to the country's arid northern region. The conduit however will reduce the supply for downstream Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which rely heavily on the river.
A delegation of Afghanistan's ministry of economic development checked the development of the Qosh Tepa, an irrigation canal, which will direct the water from the Amu Darya river to the country's arid northern region. The conduit however will reduce the supply for downstream Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which rely heavily on the river. © Afghanistan's deputy minister of economic development

Water Conflicts Loom in Central Asia

An ambitious infrastructure project in Afghanistan risks exacerbating scarcities in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

4 Aug 23
Ukrainian flags dot streets in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Georgians overwhelmingly support Ukraine, but the government did not join its western allies in the sanctions against Moscow. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the country’s economy would suffer if Tbilisi sanctioned one of its main trading partners.
Ukrainian flags dot streets in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Georgians overwhelmingly support Ukraine, but the government did not join its western allies in the sanctions against Moscow. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the country’s economy would suffer if Tbilisi sanctioned one of its main trading partners. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Georgians Struggle with High Prices Amid War in Ukraine

The influx of Russian exiles have pushed the cost of living up, while Tbilisi’s trade ties with Moscow have expanded.

1 Jun 23
Alfad Halimov and Elmira Halimova open the Irpin Cafe, the cafe on wheels they run in Uzhhorod. The couple arrived in western Ukraine in late February 2022, the last stop of a journey that began in the heart of Central Asia and took them to Sevastopol, in now Russia-occupied Crimea, and then to Irpin. As Russian forces occupied the town in the outskirts of Kyiv, they packed their life up again and moved west.
Alfad Halimov and Elmira Halimova open the Irpin Cafe, the cafe on wheels they run in Uzhhorod. The couple arrived in western Ukraine in late February 2022, the last stop of a journey that began in the heart of Central Asia and took them to Sevastopol, in now Russia-occupied Crimea, and then to Irpin. As Russian forces occupied the town in the outskirts of Kyiv, they packed their life up again and moved west. © Romaniia Gorbach

Crimean Tatars: a Life on the Move

A café on wheels in Uzhhorod encapsulates a story of deportation and resilience.

17 Mar 23
Soledar, the town in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, is home to Europe’s largest salt deposits: a vast, cavernous network of underground tunnels extending for about 200 kilometres. Such is the scale of the mines that geologists claim that less than five per cent of the seam has been removed since industrial mining began in 1881. Explored reserves amount to about five billion tonnes.
Soledar, the town in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, is home to Europe’s largest salt deposits: a vast, cavernous network of underground tunnels extending for about 200 kilometres. Such is the scale of the mines that geologists claim that less than five per cent of the seam has been removed since industrial mining began in 1881. Explored reserves amount to about five billion tonnes. © Artemsil

Ukraine: The Battle for Soledar’s Salt Mines 

Russians took control of the symbolic town with commercial as well as strategic purposes in mind.

9 Mar 23
Support local journalists
DONATE