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A lot has changed in Central Asia in the more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The region's giant neighbors -- Russia and China -- have played and will no doubt continue to play large roles in Central Asia. However, the Central Asian states have strengthened relations, economic partnerships, and export routes with other countries since February 2022, loosening, to some extent, the grip Russia and China have had over Central Asia. How much have the Central Asian states used this period to further consolidate their independence and sovereignty -- both in foreign policy and economic terms? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this process are guests Nargis Kassenova, a senior fellow and director of the Program on Central Asia at Harvard University's Davis Center; Bakyt Beshimov, a former member of Kyrgyzstan's parliament and former Kyrgyz ambassador to the OSCE and India who now teaches at Northeastern University in Boston; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.
Russia's longtime influence in Central Asia seemed to fade after the launch of its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, as other countries pursued stronger relations with Central Asian states and active roles in lucrative projects. The Kremlin noticed and has countered with its own initiatives, of which the most binding may be a series of recent agreements that will increase some Central Asian states' dependence on Russia for energy resources. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at Russia's counter-campaign to preserve its strong position in Central Asia are guests Assel Tutumlu, a lecturer at the International Relations and Political Science Department at the Near East University in Cyprus; Francis Olmos, a senior researcher in Central Asian affairs at Spain's GEOPOL 21 Center and research fellow at the London-based Foreign Policy Centre; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.
Nargis Kassenova is a senior fellow and director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center. Prior to joining the center, she was an associate professor at the Department of International Relations and Regional Studies of KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan). She is the former founder and director of the KIMEP Central Asian Studies Center (CASC) and the China and Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC). Kassenova holds a Ph.D. in international cooperation studies from the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University (Japan). Her research focuses on Central Asian politics and security, Eurasian geopolitics, China's Belt and Road Initiative, governance in Central Asia, and the history of state-making in Central Asia. Temur Umarov is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. His research is focused on Central Asian countries' domestic and foreign policies, as well as China's relations with Russia and Central Asian neighbors. A native of Uzbekistan, Temur Umarov has degrees in China studies and international relations from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He holds an MA in world economics from the University of International Business and Economics (Beijing). He is also an alumnus of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center's Young Ambassadors and the Carnegie Endowment's Central Asian Futures programs. This webinar will be moderated by Scott Radnitz (Director of the Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington).
It's no secret that the economies of Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan rely heavily on labor migration to stay afloat. In 2022, according to the International Organization for Migration, remittances from Russia accounted for just over half of Tajikistan's GDP, and made up more than 20 percent of the GDPs of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Many of the workers sending these remittances are their families' sole breadwinner — and given the lack of employment opportunities at home, working in Russia is often their best option, even if means dealing with a maze of bureaucracy and relentless discrimination. The aftermath of last month's terrorist attack in Moscow has brought the xenophobia that Central Asian migrants face in Russia back into the spotlight, with media outlets reporting on a surge in blatant discrimination and, in some cases, targeted violence. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities have launched a renewed crackdown on migrant workers. This is despite the fact that Russia, with its shrinking population and labor shortage made worse by the war, needs migrants to keep its economy functioning. To learn about Russia's migration policy under Vladimir Putin and how the xenophobic backlash to last month's attack has affected ethnic and religious minorities, The Naked Pravda spoke to Moscow Times special correspondent Leyla Latypova; Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center fellow Temur Umarov; and political scientist Caress Schenk, an associate professor at Nazarbayev University. And be sure to check out Temur Umarov's previous appearance on The Naked Pravda: How Russia pressures Central Asian migrants into military service. Timestamps for this episode: (2:35) Xenophobia in the wake of the Crocus City Hall attack (16:55) Russia's dependence on migrant labor (27:35) How Russia uses migration policy for political aims (31:25) The migration-extremism fallacy (39:13) The long-term effects of Russia's current migration crackdownКак поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно
It has been more than 30 years since the five Central Asian states became independent, yet the term “Russia's backyard” is often still used by some people, including Western media, when reporting on the region. Understandably, many in Central Asia find this way of describing their region offensive. Yet Russia remains a neighbor and a country with unique influence in Central Asia. How far has Central Asia come in being independent from Russia and what are some of the ties that still bind the region to its former colonizer? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the ebb and flow of Central Asia's relations with Russia in the last two years are guests Johan Engvall, an analyst at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies; Navbahor Imamova, veteran correspondent for the Uzbek Service at Voice of America, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center in Berlin.
Amid Russia's isolation from the Western world, Central Asia remains one of the few places where President Vladimir Putin continues to travel regularly. The leaders of these countries are some of the few with whom the Russian president still seems to find common ground.In this episode, we look at how Moscow's relations with each of the countries in this region are developing, how the war in Ukraine has affected the public mood toward Russia, and whether Russian influence in Central Asia is weakening. Joining us is Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/
The Continent takes a (slight) detour to learn how trends over in Eurasia compare with what we're seeing in Europe. The complicated neighbor is the same; what about the domestic and geopolitical landscape? Temur Umarov offers insights on the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Kazakhstan's domestic and foreign policy.
This week, host Jon Olson talks with Esfandyar Batmanghelidj and Temur Umarov about the strategic significance of the Central Asian Republics.
This week, host Jon Olson talks with Esfandyar Batmanghelidj and Temur Umarov about the strategic significance of the Central Asian Republics.
In August, a wave of police raids sent a chill through Russia's migrant communities. By all appearances, the authorities were trying to track down draft-age men from Central Asia who had recently acquired Russian citizenship but failed to complete their mandatory military registration. Officers in multiple cities handed out military summonses on the spot and dragged migrant workers off to enlistment offices by force. There, they ran the risk of ending up like the hundreds of other Central Asians recruited to fight alongside Russian soldiers and work in occupied regions of Ukraine. These police raids were at the center of a recent story published by Meduza's weekly long-reads newsletter, The Beet. For more on Russia's covert efforts to conscript newly naturalized citizens and migrant workers from Central Asia, The Beet editor Eilish Hart spoke to the story's author, freelance journalist Sher Khashimov, and researcher Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin. Timestamps for this episode: (2:25) What do we know about the recent police raids targeting migrant workers from Central Asia? (6:00) What Russian officials are saying about naturalized citizens (8:54) How do migrant workers view the recent police raids and shifts in official rhetoric? (11:33) Why is Russia such a popular destination for migrant workers from Central Asia, even in wartime? (19:19) Why might acquiring Russian citizenship appeal to migrant workers? (28:36) Are Russia's recruitment efforts damaging ties with Central Asian countries?Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно
The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met in Dushanbe on September 14-15 at a time of great uncertainty in Central Asia. The ripple effects from Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine are changing the geopolitical landscape in Central Asia, even as climate change has already started affecting the physical landscape of the region as well. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the Central Asian leaders' discussions in Dushanbe are Edward Lemon, professor at the Bush School in Washington, D.C. and president of the Oxus Society, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center in Berlin.
Bruce Pannier (@BrucePannier) and Temur Umarov (Fellow, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre @TUmarov) speak with the Thinking Global Team about the regional politics of Central Asia. Mr. Pannier and Mr. Umarov chat with Kieran and Ismail about the history of Russia's dominance in the region, how the region has been effected by the Russo-Ukraine war, regional ties with China, the potential for conflict, and how we should think about current widespread protest in the region. Thinking Global is affiliated with E-International Relations - the world's leading open access website for students and scholars of international politics.
China's security and economic cooperation with Central Asian countries has been deepening over the decades. In May this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a new blueprint for ties with the five Central Asian countries. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Temur Umarov from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center to understand the shifting sands of geopolitics in Central Asia. Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Central Asian and Chinese presidents met at a summit in Xian, China, on May 18-19. This was the first-ever summit of just the Central Asian and Chinese leaders and it comes as the six countries' foreign policies are evolving to cope with the political fallout from Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine. What did the Xian summit tell us about Central Asian-Chinese relations and the direction those relations are headed? Joining host Bruce Pannier are Giulia Sciorati, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Trento in Italy, whose research focuses on memory and culture in diplomacy, particularly in China's relations with Central Asia; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.
馬鐵木(Temur Umarov)來自人口3,400萬的中亞國家烏茲別克,是歐洲安全合作組織學院(OSCE Academy) 的研究員。他在蘇聯解體後5年出生,17歲時到俄羅斯的首都莫斯科唸區域研究(Regional Studies) ,也曾住中國北京修讀碩士。他專攻中國在中亞的影響力,目前也是卡內基政策中心(CEIP Politika)的研究員。戰爭爆發後,俄羅斯政府將他們的研究中心關閉,他被迫離開俄羅斯,目前在烏茲別克、土耳其、歐洲等地持續他的工作。A conversation on Chinese influence in Central Asia with Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace & OSCE Academy.中國在中亞五國,自1991年蘇聯解體後,率先承認烏茲別克、哈薩克、塔吉克、吉爾吉斯、土克曼等國家。當時的中國,對中亞來說,還只是一個陌生、神秘的國家。但在短短30年,中國已向中亞注入數百億美元,包括透過一帶一路計劃,大舉擴建當地基礎建設,拓展其在中亞的軟硬實力。中國在中亞的影響力越來越大,已經成為中亞國家不能不互動的大國。中國與俄羅斯在中亞這塊土地上的角力,現在是什麼模樣?中亞人民對兩國鄰近的強權國家,在自己的土地上的影響力,又抱持什麼什麼態度?中國在中亞上的拓展又如何影響歐洲?本集採訪時間為 2023年 1 月 17 日聽眾可參考本集逐字稿可利用這個多國語言官網來推薦《來自五星的你》:https://chinainfluencepod.comRead about this podcast in English, German, French, Russian, and Vietnamese.鬼島之音最「紅」的節目《來自五星的你》,第二季將麥克風轉向歐洲,探討在歐洲的中國人,以及曾經生活在中國的歐洲與中亞人,藉由各方觀點來探討何謂「中國影響力」。本季邀請諸多華語流利的歐亞學者,來自烏茲別克、拉脫維亞、烏克蘭、波蘭等國,分享其中國研究內容,剖析中國外交手段;也專訪在歐洲的華語人士,有匿名留學生、流亡作家貝嶺、香港社運人士鄺頌晴,聆聽他們的人生故事,以及踩到中國政治紅線的親身觀察。追蹤鬼島之音! Facebook|IG|Twitter | YouTubeTwitter: @陳映妤 Alicia Chen(主持)@吳怡慈 Emily Y. Wu(製作) @Min Chao(資料收集)林仁斌(剪接)顏廷芸(執行)陳奕文(逐字稿) 萬巧蓉(行銷)支持鬼島之音: https://patreon.com/TaiwanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a massive, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The impact of that decision has been felt acutely in Central Asia, a region with a long history of Russian involvement. How has Moscow's war in Ukraine affected Russia's ties with Central Asia? Has it changed how people in Central Asia view their former colonizer? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the changes in Russian-Central Asian relations in the past year are Erica Marat, a professor of political science at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.
The Central Asian states have never experienced anything like the year 2022. There were protests that turned deadly in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan that left more than 100 people dead; political and economic fallout from Russia's war on Ukraine that affected all five Central Asian countries; presidential elections in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; and much more. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look back at a year that in many ways reshaped and redirected the course of Central Asia are Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian studies at Glasgow University; Catherine Putz, managing editor at The Diplomat magazine; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy.
Temur Umarov, Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses Kazakhstan, its relations with Russia, and the war in Ukraine - why has Tokayev refused to support Russia's full-scale invasion? How has Russia's mobilization impacted Kazakhstan? How has the war impacted other Central Asian states? 'What Kazakhstan is doing right now [not supporting the war] is pretty risky. We have already seen that Russia is not happy with that... but Kazakhstan understands that it doesn't really have other options... because staying so closely connected to Russia means that together with Russia you would go to this isolation... it's a one-way ticket... so for Kazakhstan it's even more risky to continue being Russia's close ally' 'Tokayev is very popular in the society right now... after his tough and clear stance on the war in Ukraine... Inside Kazakhstan this [war] leads to even more will to drift away from Russia' Temur Umarov: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Follow Temur on twitter: @TUmarov For episode updates follow on twitter: @jessicagenauer
In a week dominated by the UN General Assembly in New York, Post correspondent Khushboo Razdan analyses the distinct chill between China and India, and the ambiguity both have shown towards Russia over its Ukraine invasion; Carnegie Endowment for Peace fellow Temur Umarov unpacks Xi Jinping’s visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and how Moscow’s war has pushed Central Asian nations to pivot towards China for economic stability and security.
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made her State of the Union address today - focusing on tackling the unfolding energy crisis across Europe. She said the EU was committed to protecting citizens and business from soaring costs, and called for cuts to electricity use and windfall taxes on energy firms. So how would the measures work? We speak to Henning Gloystein, from the risk consultancy Eurasia Group for the detail, and get reaction from Estonia's energy minister Riina Sikkut. China's President Xi Jinping has made his first overseas trip since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic - to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Temur Umarov, expert on China and Central Asia and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, talks us through why central Europe is so important to China. In India, Taiwanese firm Foxconn and Indian mining giant Vedanta have just announced a nearly $20bn investment to build one of the country's first semiconductor factories. It comes as the Indian government pushes to boost chip manufacturing in the country. Tech boss Prem Sanjay, founder and CEO of Zeos Global, joins us to discuss the deal. And you may never have heard of 'The Merge' - but it is one of the biggest events ever to take place in cryptocurrency. The countdown has begun to Ethereum switching to a new operating model, aimed at drastically reducing its energy use. So why is it so important - and what could go wrong? Our correspondent Joe Tidy explains all.
President Shavkat Mirziyoev initiated several constitutional amendments in Uzbekistan at the end of June which have reminded the world about the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, bordering the dying Aral Sea. Efforts to diminish the Republic's autonomy resulted in mass protests that unfortunately turned deadly. Join us to explore the reasons that prompted Mirziyoev's constitutional amendments, Tashkent's difficulties in encouraging further reforms, and the future of Karakalpak people's autonomy. Speakers Navbahor Imamova, Anchor, Editor and Producer, Uzbek Service, South and Central Asia Division, Voice of America, President, VOA Women's Caucus; Temur Umarov is a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the OSCE Academy (Bishkek); Dr. Akram Umarov is Director of the Afghanistan Research Group and Associate Professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy; Yuriy Sarukhanian, International Relations specialist. Author of analytical Telegram channel Seriya Penalti; Moderator: Marlene Laruelle, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies; Director of the Central Asia Program; Director of the Illiberalism Studies Program; Co-Director of PONARS Eurasia; and Research Professor of International Affairs at The George Washington University.
I spoke to policy expert Temur Umarov on the economic relationships between Central Asia, Russia & China as well as how regional policies (Xinjiang, One Belt One Road, The War in Ukraine) are impacting capitalism throughout the region. It's a fascinating conversation on Neoliberalism, Shock Therapy, and the global importance of Central Asia. For more w. Temur, you can find his biography here: https://carnegiemoscow.org/experts/1738 Music by Scarim: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDWvl8awZxSfoPRtsjw2zhw
This podcast episode focuses on the recent upheaval in Kazakhstan and what to expect moving forward. What and who was behind the recent unrest in Kazakhstan? What was the role of Russia? What will become of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev's family, and what are the implications for other former Soviet countries? Podcast host Alexander Gabuev is joined by Assel Tutumlu, an assistant professor at the Near East University, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Moscow Center.
This podcast episode focuses on the recent upheaval in Kazakhstan and what to expect moving forward. What and who was behind the recent unrest in Kazakhstan? What was the role of Russia? What will become of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev's family, and what are the implications for other former Soviet countries? Podcast host Alexander Gabuev is joined by Assel Tutumlu, an assistant professor at the Near East University, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Moscow Center.
An online discussion hosted by the Central Asia Program at George Washington University and co-sponsored with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, and RFE/RL on January 10, 2022. The riots that erupted on January 5, 2021 in Almaty and then spread to Kazakhstan's other cities have taken the government by surprise, but signals of unrest were present since Nazarbayev left the presidency in 2019. The dismissal of the Cabinet, the removal of Nazarbayev from the Security Council presidency, the storm of the Parliament and the Almaty airport, as well as police violence will, without a doubt, mark a turning point in the history of Kazakhstan. At a more geopolitical level, the impact will be decisive too, as the CSTO has, for the first time in its history, sent peacekeeping troops at President Tokayev's request. Who are the protesters? What do they want? What are the genuine grassroots aspects and the instrumentalization of popular resentment by some elites for internal struggles? How can the regime survive such clashes? What will be the regional impact of the crisis in what was until then the most stable and prosperous country of Central Asia? SPEAKERS Merkhat Sharipzhanov, RFE/RL's Sr. Central Newsroom Correspondent, former Director of Kazakh Service; Temur Umarov, Research Consultant at Carnegie Moscow Center; Pauline Jones, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum at the University of Michigan (UM); Barbara Junisbai, Associate Professor of Organizational Studies, Pitzer College; Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies (Harvard University); Moderator: Marlene Laruelle, Director and Research Professor, the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES), The George Washington University.
Nargis Kassenova, a senior fellow at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies' program on Central Asia, and Temur Umarov, a research consultant at Carnegie Moscow Center, join podcast host Alexander Gabuev to discuss how Central Asian governments have reacted to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, what their priorities are, and whether any of them might be prepared to facilitate U.S. military operations in the region from their own territory.
Nargis Kassenova, a senior fellow at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies' program on Central Asia, and Temur Umarov, a research consultant at Carnegie Moscow Center, join podcast host Alexander Gabuev to discuss how Central Asian governments have reacted to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, what their priorities are, and whether any of them might be prepared to facilitate U.S. military operations in the region from their own territory.
Will China be able to replace Russia as a security provider in Central Asia? What does China bring to the region that Russia has not, and what role is there for Europe and the West there? Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by his Carnegie colleague Temur Umarov and Niva Yau Tsz Yan, a Eurasia Program fellow at the U.S. Foreign Policy Research Institute.