Category: Politics
More Women in Central Asian Politics – But Where Is the Power?
Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We’re independent and we need your… [...]
Minsk’s Eastern Bet: Why Central Asia Matters More Than Ever
As Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev prepares to travel to Minsk on 8-9 July, the visit is expected to produce another series of agreements on trade, industry… [...]
The Vocabulary of Reform: Why Central Asia Is Reimagining Its Political Traditions
From Kazakhstan’s Kurultai to Uzbekistan’s Mahalla, governments across Central Asia are increasingly framing political reform through institutions rooted in local history rather than imported political models. For much… [...]
Kazakhstan’s Next Elections: Between Reform and Managed Competition
Kazakhstan’s next parliamentary elections are unlikely to determine who governs the country. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s political dominance is not seriously in question. Yet the vote matters because it will… [...]
Manas and the Making of Kyrgyzstan
Few works of literature are as politically alive as the Kyrgyz epic Manas. It is not simply an old poem, nor only a heroic tale recited by specialists. In… [...]
Support Novastan, the European Central Asia magazine
By supporting Novastan, you are supporting the only English, French and German-language media specialising in Central Asia. We're independent and we need your help to stay that way!
In Kyrgyzstan, after the dismissal of the GKNB chief, the political-security apparatus is reshuffled
On 10 February, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov dismissed Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, and a central figure in power… [...]
Kyrgyzstan in the EU’s sights for the twentieth sanctions package against Russia
The visit to Bishkek on 26 February by EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan reflects the European Union’s tougher stance on the circumvention of sanctions targeting Russia in the region. [...]
Lack of resources in Afghanistan undermines security on the border with Tajikistan
A recent report by a UN group reveals that the Taliban have sharply reduced the number of their security forces, disproportionately so in the region bordering Tajikistan. These budget… [...]
In Kazakhstan, the futuristic city of “Alatau” reaches a new milestone with special status
Presented as a future major technological and economic hub, the city of Alatau in Kazakhstan is entering a new phase of institutional structuring after obtaining special status, amid persistent… [...]
The story of the Xinjiang Kazakhs: silent suffering along the Belt and Road
Relations between Kazakhstan and China are deepening fast. As a linchpin in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, Astana hopes to pluck the fruits of this global infrastructure development strategy,… [...]
Kazakhstan to become an Unusual Addition to the Abraham Accords: Will this Diplomatic Gesture for Washington Pay Off?
Two years into the war in Gaza – which has killed over 68,000 Palestinians – Kazakhstan has volunteered to join Trump’s Abraham Accords initiative to forge closer ties with… [...]
Dead in the Water: Has the Common Turkic Alphabet Failed to Boost Turkish Influence in Central Asia?
It has been one year since the Organization of Turkic States approved the implementation of a common Turkic alphabet, designed for uniform use in all member states. Under the guise… [...]