Central Asia

Daily Memo: Developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, New Wagner Deal

Nagorno-Karabakh update. Azerbaijanā€™s Ministry of Defense announced that the countryā€™s army launched ā€œanti-terrorist measuresā€ in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A ministry statement accused Armenian forces of exacerbating tensions there by shelling Azerbaijani military positions, building trenches and laying mines. It also said Azerbaijani troops were killed on Tuesday after a mine exploded near the […]

Daily Memo: European Interest Rates, US-Bahrain Cooperation

Another hike. The European Central Bank announced on Thursday its 10th consecutive interest rate increase. The move ā€“ a bump of 0.25 percentage points...

Daily Memo: Israel’s New Grain Deal, Georgia-China Travel

Securing supplies. Israel on Monday signed a deal with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to secure long-term grain supplies. The agreement effectively creates a regional alliance...

Daily Memo: New India-Middle East-Europe Corridor Announced

New network. At a summit in New Delhi, G20 leaders announced a new project to connect India with the Middle East and Europe by...

Daily Memo: Indian Request for Drones, Shipping on the Caspian Sea

U.S. drones. India has sent a letter to the United States requesting to purchase 31 high-tech drones. The deal would involve the transfer of...

Daily Memo: Turkey-Iraq Talks in Baghdad, US-Bangladesh Talks in Dhaka

Turkey and Iraq. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday to hold talks with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on the...

Water as a Barrier to Central Asiaā€™s Rise

Amid growing Western pressure and changes throughout Eurasia, regions that were once considered on the Eurasian periphery are now gaining significance. Chief among them...

Daily Memo: BRICS Summit and Belarusian Departures

The BRICS meets. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived on Tuesday in Pretoria, South Africa, where he will attend the 15th BRICS summit. He will...

Daily Memo: China Boosts Presence in Central Asia and Warns of Potential Unrest

Chinese presence. Kazakhstan's trade turnover with China increased by 20.5 percent in the first half of 2023, driven partly by an 87.3 percent rise...

Daily Memo: Russian Ruble Falls, Pakistan Suspends Russian Oil Imports

Blame game. The value of the Russian currency dropped on Monday to more than 100 rubles to the dollar, its lowest rate since March...

Daily Memo: US Limits China Tech Investments

Limiting investment. U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order restricting U.S.-based investments in Chinese technology involving semiconductors, quantum computing and AI over national...

Daily Memo: China Surpasses Russia, Poland Secures Its Border

Chinese takeover. China replaced Russia as Kazakhstanā€™s top trading partner in the first five months of this year, according to official data. By June,...

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