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
5 August 2025
After failed attempts to find a buyer for its stake in Russia’s largest oil producer, BP may be able to avoid the harsh treatment meted out to ExxonMobil and Shell when they exited—and could even restart operations if geopolitical conditions improve
1 August 2025
A number of companies have filed arbitration claims against Gazprom over non-deliveries of contracted gas or other matters—and won. The next step is to collect the award, but this is no easy task
1 August 2025
Europe’s refining sector is desperately trying to adapt to a shifting global energy landscape and nowhere is this more apparent than in its largest economy
1 August 2025
The Middle East natural gas playbook is being rewritten. The fuel source offers the region a pathway to a cleaner, sustainable and affordable means of local power, to fasttrack economic development and as a lucrative opportunity to better monetise its energy resources.
