Kyrgyz Pilgrims Say Haj Travel Still Badly Run
Some of those going on the Haj to Mecca complain that farming out travel arrangements to commercial firms has led to high prices and poor service.
18 Dec 07
Uzbekistan
Unclear Kyrgyz-Kazak Border Makes Life Tough for Villagers
Border difficulties affecting Kyrgyz villagers blamed on overzealous frontier guards and on Kyrgyzstan’s failure to ratify a demarcation agreement.
17 Dec 07
Kyrgyzstan's Celebrity Parties
The revival in political activity in the run up to elections has not resulted in the emergence of strong parties.
13 Dec 07
Dreams of Landslide Unlikely for President's Party
Ak Jol is often likened to the presidential parties in Russia and Kazakstan, but the comparisons don’t go very far.
13 Dec 07
Thumbs Down for Uzbek Bank Reform
The government wants everyone to open a bank account, but many people are too poor or too canny to trust an institution with their hard-earned cash.
13 Dec 07
Breaking Down the Uzbek-Tajik Border Divide
A shooting incident underlines how two neighbouring nations are divided by diplomatic animosity as well as fences.
12 Dec 07
New Rail Link to Open Central Asia to Iran
Transnational rail project connecting Iran with Turkmenistan and Kazakstan could have major strategic and trade implications for the region.
8 Dec 07
Child Miners at Risk in Kyrgyzstan
In the impoverished south, children as young as ten are digging coal in treacherous mineshafts.
7 Dec 07
Central Asian Gas Hike May Hit European Consumers
Russia will pass on sharp price rises in energy-rich Central Asian states to its European consumers.
7 Dec 07
Kazakstan Steers Clear of US-Russian Arms Race
Russian missile tests on Kazak soil leave analysts divided on whether the Central Asian state will get embroiled in the arms disputes of others.
5 Dec 07
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