Eurasia / Features
New study adds to Caucasus’ brag sheet: Cradle of lettuce
Geneticists say the popular vegetable was first domesticated in the region.
Shurnukh: face to face with the enemy in Armenia’s newly divided border village
Villagers endure loss of livestock that wander across new frontier and frustration of knowing that reaching the rest of their country by road means crossing into Azerbaijan.
Georgia flooded with leaked surveillance recordings of clergy
The massive release of “kompromat” focused on the country’s powerful church but also provided evidence of state snooping on journalists, politicians and diplomats.
Iran’s economy – less troubled than Washington would like, and turning to the East
Iran's economy is under pressure from US sanctions, but is not nearly as sick as US reports would make you think.
Georgian tourism struggles to recover
Once a key economic driver, the sector has been hard hit by COVID-19 and political turbulence.
Memoir | 9/11 shifted the world. In Central Asia, diplomatic frenzy ensued
Behind the scenes with an American negotiator who helped forge a radical new level of US engagement in Central Asia after 9/11.
As Georgia rebuffs the West, investors reconsider
Country's image as a business haven seems to have reached its limits. Raft of scandals, major failed investment deals and a corrupt, unreformed judiciary have nearly ground investment to a halt.
Azerbaijan-Russia relations sour over Karabakh disagreements
Baku has been increasingly airing public criticisms of Moscow over the post-war order, which have been exacerbated by the lack of a formal mandate for the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.
Hazara Mongols fearing extinction in Afghanistan dream of return to ancient homeland
Repressed ethnic minority dread renewed persecution under second Taliban regime. Academics in Mongolia wonder if legends about “how we will go and bring our people back” could come true.
Unpacking Eurasia’s role in the Afghanistan evacuation
Most of the countries Eurasianet covers were involved in the airlift. Some even contributed troops during the 20-year war.
The crushing weight of China’s debt burden on Eurasia
Emerging European economies were already facing heavy debt burdens before the pandemic. Now it’s worse. Several countries in Eurasia and Emerging Europe are struggling to pay off huge loans they took from China.
Only tough options for Afghans looking to escape north or west
The UNHCR has estimated half a million could attempt to flee Taliban rule by year-end, but Central Asia, Iran and Turkey will prove far from welcoming.
Uzbekistan: Afghan troubles keep border city on edge
Termez is normally a sleepy place, but the Taliban's ascendancy has caused creeping anxiety.
Zasag Chandmani mining dispute is a litmus test for Mongolia
The younger half-brother of Britain's prime minister, Maximilian Johnson, has run into trouble in Mongolia. He works for a Hong Kong-based fund GRF2 that invested $19mn in a mine, but the owner has run off with the money.
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Armenia criminalises insulting public figures
Using foul language or “hurting the dignity” of public figures could lead to up to three months in jail.
Can China tap Afghanistan’s lithium treasure?
Afghanistan has hundreds of millions of dollars of hard-to-find lithium deposits in dusty ground. Following the Taliban sweeping to an effortless victory in the country, it is China that is best positioned to exploit the resource.
Food prices in Armenia hit generational high
Inflation is further stifling weak demand, putting the central bank in a bind.
As Taliban regime takes shape, Central Asia and Iran assess fate of Afghanistan investments
The future of plans for a gas pipeline, trade links to South Asian ports, power transmission lines and railways will remain up in the air until the direction of the new Afghan regime is clear.
Central Asia and Afghanistan: Enemies at the gate?
The Taliban has assured the region’s governments that it has no designs on them, but can it keep more hostile groups in check?
The Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan is headache for China
The rapid recapture of almost all of Afghanistan by the Taliban only weeks after the US pulled out is a major headache for China, but Beijing has already moved to recognise the fundamental Islamic movement in an effort to quickly end the fighting.
