Moscow still has significant political and economic sway in Central Asia
Between East and West: Central Asia at a crossroads
The region holds huge gas and oil reserves, but getting those resources to market poses challenges
Geopolitical factors present challenges and opportunities for the resource-rich nations of Central Asia. The region is situated between the demand centres of Europe and China, but hemmed in by what are—at least in the West—international pariah states in Russia and Iran. It is also cut off from easy access to open oceans and hence reliant on pipelines to access markets. Moscow still has significant political and economic sway in these former Soviet republics, further complicating the geopolitical balancing act for governments, NOCs and IOCs since the Ukraine invasion. And the region’s autocrats in recent years have ranged from the relatively competent and business-friendly to the brutal, cor
Also in this section
23 May 2025
LNG projects need the certainty of long-term contracts, but Henry-Hub–linked deals put buyers at significant risk
22 May 2025
Industry says compliance is near-impossible and have called for more clarity to prevent cargoes being redirected
22 May 2025
The next energy crisis could come from the severing of the link between oil and gas prices, with potentially severe economic consequences
22 May 2025
With contract awards looming on the Kuwait-Saudi backed Dorra field, the long-stalled gas project appears finally to be gaining traction—despite Iranian objections
