by Aigerim Toleukhanova There is an old Kazakh proverb that states: “To be the captive of the Chinese is a tight noose — with the Russians, it is a wide, open road.” The saying is believed to date back to the… Continue Reading
by Joshua Kucera A security crisis in Central Asia has yet again raised questions about the efficacy of Russia’s post-Soviet security bloc, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, to maintain peace in the region.
by Joshua Kucera Russia has reached out to the Taliban in Afghanistan in what senior officials say is an effort to cooperate with them in the fight against ISIS in that country. The strategy would be shift for the Kremlin,… Continue Reading
by Durna Safarova With oil prices now barely above $31 per barrel, Azerbaijan’s energy-export economy is taking on lots of water. And what is worse, Baku’s lifeboat, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, appears to be in danger of foundering.
by Giorgi Lomsadze Yes, you read that right. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on April 7 swapped his usual suit-and-tie look for the white robes of a Muslim pilgrim to Mecca. His wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, and daughters Leyla and Arzu, the country’s… Continue Reading