The five Central Asian states are debating switching from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet in an attempt to end their relative isolation and loosen their ties to Russia. [more]
As Kazakhstan's traditional ties to Russia continue eroding, China is stepping in to become a strategic partner for the Central Asian state. (With Stratfor map)[more]
Kazakhstan, one of the largest wheat exporters in the world, is considering reducing or even halting grain exports. This could have unpleasant consequences for the other four Central Asian states. (With Stratfor map)[more]
A Kazakh parliamentary delegation visited Beijing on Jan. 24 amid efforts by the Chinese government to sweeten its bid for Kazakh energy assets with promises of expanding trade into the nonenergy sector. [more]
China has broken ground on the final portion of a pipeline linking the massive energy reserves of the Caspian Sea directly to China. That realization will be the culmination of 15 years of strategic planning, and will change the balance of power between China, Russia and the United States. [more]
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a meeting of Caspian Sea littoral leaders Oct. 16, at which he implicitly reasserted Russian influence in the area's former Soviet states. [more]
China is making a bid for Central Asia's energy resources, a move that will ultimately expand into a bid for geopolitical control of the entire region. [more]
