Since coming to power in June, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokaev has claimed a desire to accelerate political reforms and improve human rights in the country.
The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s bold and risky response to internal tensions and external pressure, but it is not backed by an inspiring idea.
Despite democratic donor countries generous support Kyrgyz elites continue to roll back towards authoritarianism and kleptocracy. Twice these processes resulted in mass riots, with Kyrgyzstan’s two presidents Akayev and Bakiyev fleeing the country.
Kazakhstan’s poor human rights record has regretably deterioriated since its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in October 2014.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a Russian-run structure, loosely modelled on the European Union.
An emerging young, urban population has begun to challenge the lasting legacies of the Soviet era.
Kazakhstan’s former president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who resigned in March after nearly 30 years in power, was a great admirer of the Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew.
