Executive Summary: Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a strategic hub for critical minerals, leveraging its vast reserves of copper, zinc, lead, and nickel to attract foreign investment and diversify economic partnerships amid growing global demand and geopolitical competition. Deepening cooperation with the People’s Republic of... MORE

Executive Summary: Central Asians have long called for Russia to divert water from Siberian rivers to help them address water shortages, which are a result of rising demand and global warming. These calls have been rebuffed because Russians have feared that it would harm their... MORE

Executive Summary: In mid-February, Türkiye and Turkmenistan signed an agreement facilitating the flow of natural gas through Iran, a step to enhance Türkiye’s energy security and diversify its supply. Iran’s technical issues in infrastructure and the increased chances of U.S. sanctions bring risks of supply... MORE

Executive Summary: The Caspian Sea’s declining water levels are reducing the amount of cargo that ships can carry, undermining Russia and the People’s Republic of China’s capability to use the sea for their north-south and east-west trade networks. Both Russia and the People’s Republic of... MORE

Executive Summary: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan reached a historic agreement on border delimitation on February 21, marking the end of decades-long disputes and military conflicts. The agreement also covers transport and water resource division, reinforcing regional stability. Officials in Bishkek and Dushanbe highlight the mutual concessions... MORE

Executive Summary: The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) faces growing challenges in expanding its influence, as key neighboring states, including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, resist full membership. Russia’s geopolitical ambitions through the EAEU are hindered by competing regional forces, particularly the People’s Republic of China’s growing investment... MORE

Executive Summary: Turkmenistan is eager to accelerate the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline to sell its natural resources to the energy-starved countries of Pakistan and India.  Due to regional conflicts and instability, the project has been stalled for over 30 years. With the... MORE

The first quarter of this century has proven that relations within Eurasia as a region and its relations with the rest of the world are unpredictable and volatile. The factors dividing this region often appear far more salient than any similarities. The work of the... MORE

Executive Summary: The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and observers, is leading efforts to enhance the Middle Corridor. This initiative aims to bolster regional connectivity, mitigate trade disruptions from geopolitical instability, and develop sustainable, competitive transport networks through multilateral... MORE

Executive Summary:  Afghanistan has completed over 80 percent of the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal—an irrigation project funded by the Taliban aimed at ensuring the country’s grain self-sufficiency by utilizing water from the Amu Darya River. The canal could divert up to 20... MORE