Bruce Pannier is a Central Asia analyst and appears regularly on the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL.
Kazakhstan is holding Senate elections, but only local and provincial officials are allowed to participate. Admittedly dim hopes that the polls might usher opposition candidates into a parliament packed with members of the ruling party are all but certain to be extinguished.
An exiled bad boy of Kazakh politics appears to have found safe haven in the West. But some of Rakhat Aliev's associates haven't been so lucky. In Kazakhstan, authorities have hinted at possible charges against two powerful acquaintances; in Vienna, another former colleague claimed to have been attacked by armed men.
The Turkmen government's vague explanation of the deadly all-night shoot-out in the capital, Ashgabat, on September 12-13 has raised more questions than answers. Although the country remains very closed, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service spoke with veteran opposition figure Nurberdi Nurmammedov, who lives where the shooting occurred and gives some details that the government did not mention.
Soaring oil and gas prices have been a boon for energy-exporting countries, including Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. But more recent events have prompted forecasts that decreasing demand could deflate those same countries' revenues from energy exports. How low do prices need to get before they significantly affect those same economies, and how soon might those effects start to show?
The Russian natural-gas monopoly Gazprom is the world's biggest company and the largest supplier of gas to the European Union. In the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian conflict, new worries are being voiced in Europe that the Russian government -- which owns more than half of the company -- could use Gazprom as a foreign-policy tool.
As Georgia prepares for the start of winter in the wake of its military conflict with Russia, the country's ability to secure enough energy supplies to warm homes and power businesses remains in question.
Fears about the prospects of a major gas pipeline to bypass Russia and Iran have met with key assurances from Azerbaijan and Turkey. Caspian commitments are vital to the West's high hopes for Nabucco, which were dealt a blow recently in Georgia.
In the shadow of a crisis in nearby Georgia, Ukraine is likely to emerge from an EU summit with encouragement about closer ties, but with no specific pledge on future membership.
There are fears that the conflict between Russia and Georgia may threaten existing and planned Caucasus energy routes seen by the West as vital supply corridors that avoid Russian territory.
As the Shanghai Cooperation Organization holds its annual summit, there is increasing attention on the military potential of an alliance that groups both Russia and China along with four Central Asian states.
At the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization today, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is seeking the organization's support for his country's tough line on Georgia.
Georgia has 35 athletes at the Olympic Games, and for all of them the recent days have been surreal. As they are supposed to compete honorably in Beijing, their homeland has been devastated by a far less honorable competition that even more urgently competes for their attention.
The fighting in and around Georgia threatens key pipelines that supply Europe with oil and natural gas from the Caspian region. The hostilities are a reminder of the volatility in the Caucasus and the recent fighting could have ramifications for future oil and gas pipelines planned for the area.
CIS countries face a difficult choice in formulating their response to the Russian-Georgian conflict. All were incorporated into the Soviet Union or Tsarist empire without any clear consent from the titular nationalities and many were glad to become independent in 1991, yet all are still bound to Russia for reasons of trade or security.
The death of a loved one is always a painful time for friends and relatives, but for some non-Muslims in Kyrgyzstan it is accompanied by a big question: where to bury their dead? Converts from Islam have been refused burial at local cemeteries and government officials are reluctant to intervene.
The head of Tajikistan's Supreme Court has accused Uzbek security forces of ordering the 2007 explosion to "disrupt stability and sow fear" Tajiks.
A new Kazakh media holding company, made up of outlets that support the government, has what's left of the independent media more than a little worried.
A longtime Kazakh security official was found dead in his cell, just as he was to testify in a case connected to a scandal that continues to dog the president.
Russians are calling President Medvedev's Caspian tour a major success, despite the fact that no agreements were signed on energy exports or export routes.
The Russian president and former Gazprom chief's latest trip is aimed at shoring up Moscow's interests among Caspian energy-exporting countries. The Kremlin has a history of getting what it wants in the region.
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