Can Central Asia Deepen Multilateral Cooperation Without Institutionalization?
August 14th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a report on the sixth consultative meeting of the Central Asian leaders concluded without a major breakthrough, but recent Kazakh-Uzbek bilateral agreements could be the key to deepening cooperation in the region: In 2024, Astana became a hub for a series of pivotal meetings that each marked as a significant “first” in […]
Read more »The ‘Corridorizing’ of Asia: Cooperation, Competition, and Consequences
July 25th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, an article on the intense competition, epitomized by competing “corridors,” is emerging in Asia and beyond between the U.S., China, and Russia: “Corridor” has become a ubiquitous buzzword in governance and analyst circles. To fully assess the meaning of “corridors” it is appropriate to fashion an outline of a definition. While the […]
Read more »How Kazakhstan Became a Player in the Global Mineral Trade
July 18th, 2024
Via the New York Times, a look at how Kazakhstan’s bounty has enriched the country and grabbed the attention of entrepreneurs scrambling to control the ingredients needed to fight climate change: Kenges Rakishev, one of the richest men in Kazakhstan, stepped off a private jet at a Soviet-era airport and hopped into the lead car […]
Read more »From Backwater to Beacon: Kazakhstan’s Identity as a Middle Power
July 15th, 2024
Via Modern Diplomacy, a look at the shift in Kazakhstan’s identity on the global arena: On March 23, 2024, Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Singapore, marking the first official state visit in over 20 years. Tokayev, who previously served as a diplomat in Singapore during the 1970s, also delivered the 46th Singapore Lecture on May 24th at the […]
Read more »From Russian Ladas to Chinese BYDs: Central Asia’s Changing Priorities
July 13th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, an article on Beijing’s efforts to steadily draw Central Asia into its orbit and away from Russia’s traditional sphere of influence: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Kazakhstan and participation in the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on July 2-4, 2024, marked a […]
Read more »Central Asia: The Once and Future Heart of Eurasia
July 4th, 2024
Via Geopolitical Monitor, a report on Central Asia: In recent decades, the portrayal of the five former Soviet Central Asian states—collectively known as the “stans”—in Western media and policy discourse has often been overly simplistic, neglecting their unique identities, historical legacies, and rich cultural diversity. These nations are frequently depicted as objects in a larger […]
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.