Tag: Society
A new EU-Central Asia Strategy: Deepening relationships and generating long-lasting impact
Introduction
Over the past decade, the European Union (EU) has become an active actor in Central Asia. It has expanded its diplomatic presence, established co-operation mechanisms and increased its development...
Uzbekistan opening up
Optimism and doubt…
Uzbekistan has begun to take steps towards openness and economic and political reform. Since the death of President Islam Karimov in September 2016 and the parliamentary appointment...
Civil society in Uzbekistan: Building from the ground up
Uzbekistan is changing. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has initiated a series of economic and governance reforms, and the country’s new direction has opened up space for civil society to develop,...
North, West, home best. Tajik labour migration and EU development cooperation
Migration is an integral part of Tajikistan’s society, economy, and politics. It is estimated that one million Tajik nationals entered Russia as labour migrants in 2017, with remittances amounting...
Key Kazakh interests in working with Europe
During the past decade, a significant boost was given to cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union (EU). In 2015, an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) was signed...
Civil Society Cornered in Central Asia
Introduction
Civil society and independent voices in Central Asia are increasingly under pressure from the authorities. Repression has intensified over the past five years, against a backdrop of a decline...
On a positive note…
Opportunities for Central Asia
Central Asia receives rather limited attention when compared to other parts of the world, and when it does, it is often not good news: authoritarian regimes,...
EU-Kyrgyzstan human rights diplomacy: good effort but weak follow-up
On 29-30 October, the 5th EUKyrgyzstan Civil Society Seminar(CSS) was held in Osh in southKyrgyzstan, where the violent June 2010 ethnic clashes took place. This year’s topic was the...
Discussing human rights with Central Asia is not enough
Universal human rights seem to bypass Central Asia
Central Asia is probably the most authoritarian region in the world. According to Freedom House’s 2014 ‘Nations in Transit’ report, the level...
How does Central Asia view the EU?
Much has been written about European policies and views regarding Central Asia. But how do Central Asians see the EU? This paper offers insights into how politicians, business leaders,...