Yerevan Appealing Russian Bans on Armenian Exports
Armenia has formally appealed Moscow's sweeping import bans on a range of Armenian products, including food, seeds, flowers and fertilizer, which Russia says fail its sanitary standards. The bans are widely seen as retaliation for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's post‑election pivot toward the United States and the European Union. Yerevan has taken the case to the Eurasian Economic Commission, the regulatory arm of the Russia‑led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The dispute puts the bloc’s legal credibility and cohesion under pressure while Russia remains Armenia’s top trading partner.
US and Uzbekistan Tightening Trade Ties
The United States and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on June 9 to deepen business‑to‑business contacts across mining, energy, IT, agriculture and artificial intelligence. The agreement, signed by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce David Fogel and Uzbek Investment Minister Laziz Kudratov,...
Astana Meeting Aims to Spark Deals for Critical Minerals
U.S. and Central Asian officials will convene June 11‑12 in Astana for the Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress (AMM‑2026) to turn C5+1 framework agreements into concrete critical‑mineral investments. The Trump administration is mobilizing the Export‑Import Bank and the Development Finance Corporation...
Armenian Election Campaign Features Rampant Russian Disinformation
Russia is unleashing a coordinated disinformation offensive ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election, including an AI‑generated video falsely claiming Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has terminal cancer that amassed 223,000 views. Kremlin‑aligned actors have flooded social platforms with at least 31 fake‑news...
New Pakistan-Iran Road Routes and Central Asian Trade
Pakistan and Iran have activated six road corridors linking the Pakistani ports of Gwadar, Karachi and Port Qasim to Iran’s Gabd and Taftan border crossings. The move follows Pakistan’s April 25 "Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026," which...
Turkmenistan Doesn’t Like Elon Musk
Turkmenistan’s government intensified its digital repression by raiding homes and offices in April 2026 to confiscate Starlink satellite terminals. The crackdown extends to VPNs, slow internet speeds, and punitive expectations that parents police their children’s online behavior. While officials tout...
Putin Visit to Kazakhstan Fails to Clarify Nuclear Power Plant Financing Issue
During a state visit on May 28, Vladimir Putin signed an agreement with Kazakhstan on the “basic principles and conditions” for building the country’s first nuclear power plant on Lake Balkhash. The project is priced at $16.4 billion, with Russia expected to...
Middle Corridor Trade to Get Boost From Simplified Documentation Requirements
Officials in Astana signed an agreement on May 15 to create a unified transit permit for cargo moving through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. The single document will be accepted by all customs services, cutting border processing times for long‑haul...
More Delays for Kazakhstan’s First Nuclear Power Plant
Rosatom has asked for at least a year of site observation before commencing construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant at Lake Balkhash, pushing the project’s start date further into the future. Western sanctions on Russia have strained Rosatom’s financing...
Kazakh Special Economic Zone Court Rules in Favor of Ukraine over Russia
A Kazakhstan court in the Astana International Finance Center (AIFC) upheld a 2025 ICC arbitration award for Ukraine's Naftogaz against Russia's Gazprom, ordering the Russian gas giant to pay $1.13 billion plus $300 million in interest and roughly $5.4 million in court costs....
Azerbaijan Reopening Land Border, Resuming Rail Connection with Georgia
Azerbaijan will reopen its land border with Georgia, restoring passenger rail service for the first time since the COVID‑19 pandemic began. Trains are scheduled to run from May 26, allowing ethnic Azeris in Georgia to visit relatives without relying on costly...
Uzbek-Afghan-Pakistan Transit Corridor Making Progress
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached a conceptual agreement to build a transit corridor linking Uzbekistan to the Arabian Sea via Karachi and Gwadar ports. A feasibility study and initial surveying are already under way, following discussions at the Asian...
Armenia Wants to Localize Production of Indian Munitions
Armenia is pursuing under‑license production of Indian munitions, targeting 155 mm artillery shells and Pinaka rocket‑launcher systems. The move follows a 2022 purchase of Pinaka systems worth $265 million and reflects Yerevan’s desire to insulate its arsenal from supply‑chain disruptions. By localizing...
Commentary: Nuclear Needs May Shape Serbia’s Geopolitical Future
Serbia lifted its decades‑long ban on nuclear power in November 2024, sparking competition among Russia’s Rosatom, France’s EDF, South Korea’s KHNP and other firms to build the country’s first reactor. The decision is pivotal as Serbia, a net energy importer...
Kazakhstan’s Railway Company to Start Its Own Caspian Fleet to Boost Middle Corridor
Kazakhstan’s national railway, KTZ, is expanding beyond rail by ordering six multipurpose vessels—four from China’s Jiangsu Haizhongzhou and two from Azerbaijan’s Baku Shipyard—each capable of carrying 537 TEU across the Caspian or Black Sea. The company also filed paperwork for...