Kazakhstan’s Power Shortages: Crypto Miners and Geopolitics
November 19th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, an article on how Kazakhstan’s data centers caused a spike in electricity demand, while the country is still dependent on coal: Electricity deficits have caused repeated outages across Kazakhstan, and the government has turned to Russia to meet growing demand. Officials said that a spike in consumption has strained the country’s grid. Deputy Energy Minister Murat […]
Read more »China’s Gas Shortage Boosts Central Asia’s Role
September 11th, 2021
Via Eurasia Review, an article on how Central Asia producers may help solve China’s gas shortage: China’s growing demand for natural gas has been driving closer engagement with Turkmenistan, renewing questions about Russia’s role in Central Asia, once regarded as Moscow’s backyard. Soaring gas prices appear to be the main motivator behind China’s agreement to […]
Read more »Can Afghanistan Be Part of An Integrated Central Asia?
July 12th, 2021
Via National Interest, a look at how a more integrated and cohesive Central Asia that includes Afghanistan will bring do more than anything else in sight to make Afghanistan stable and predictable: For many in the West and worldwide, the five countries of Central Asia remain a mystery, and their role in world affairs unknown. Yet […]
Read more »Pakistan Looking For Huge Increases In Central Asian Trade
May 24th, 2021
Via Silk Road Briefing, a report on Pakistan’s ambition of significant increases in Central Asian trade: Pakistan is looking to increase trade with neighboring Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia, as it looks to diversify commerce beyond the top global players, the nation’s trade adviser has stated. Abdul Razak Dawood, the commerce adviser to Prime Minister […]
Read more »Tracking the Digital Component of the BRI in Central Asia: Kazakhstan
May 19th, 2021
Via Jamestown Foundation, an article on the Digital Silk Road and its influence in Kazakhstan: This is the second of a three-part series describing the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) growing digital presence in Central Asia—part of a larger project commonly referred to as the Digital Silk Road (DSR, ??????, shuzi sichou zhi lu) that supplements […]
Read more »Iran’s Pivot To Central Asia
April 20th, 2021
Via the Jamestown Foundation, an article on Iran’s renewed focus on Central Asia: High-ranking officials from Iran and Tajikistan made a total of three visits to Dushanbe and Tehran, respectively, in less than two months, a significant sign that after years of frosty relations, diplomatic ties are finally improving (Khovar, February 23, March 29, April 5). Even more […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.