Welcome to Central Asia in Focus, a newsletter offering insight and analysis on events shaping the region’s political future. I’m Bruce Pannier. In this week’s edition: the trial of a group of Kazakh journalists started in an Astana court last week, Turkmenistan lost its contract to supply Russia with 5.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, and more.

In the Region

Kazakh Journalists Take Fight for Accreditation to Court

On October 31, the trial of a group of Kazakh journalists started in an Astana court.

Nine journalists filed a lawsuit against Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information on October 7, arguing several newly adopted regulations on accreditation contradict the country’s laws.

The group’s chief concern is a new regulation prohibiting journalists from disseminating information from government agencies through any media outlets other than those to which they are accredited.

Kazakh press freedom group Adil Soz said, “This condition puts journalists with and without government accreditation in an unequal position.”

A statement from the group also said the rule deprives journalists of “the opportunity to freely disseminate information in various media and social networks.”

During their first day in court, the journalists’ attorney Sergei Utkin explained how “journalists are required to be accredited from each media outlet that they represent at the event.”

It is not uncommon for journalists in Kazakhstan to work for more than one domestic outlet or also with a foreign media outlet.

Another change introduced by the new regulations allows the Culture and Information Ministry to deprive journalists of their accreditation for six months “for violating regulations…including minor administrative offenses.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists wrote on September 3 that the changes to Kazakhstan’s accreditation rules “are excessive and open too many doors to censorship.”

Culture and Information Minister Aida Balaeva said a few days before the trial started that the journalists were exercising their constitutional rights.

However, she added that her ministry will “defend its positions.” 

Why It’s Important: Kazakhstan passed a new media law in June that restricts the work of journalists working for foreign media outlets.

Concerns are mounting that these new regulations on domestic journalists’ ability to work will prevent them from accessing needed information and muzzle criticism of government policies.  

Turkmenistan Banking on Gas Exports to Iraq

Turkmenistan lost its contract to supply Russia with 5.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and now appears to be holding out hope for a gas swap arrangement with Iraq.

The chairman of state company Turkmengaz Maksat Babaev was in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi Minister of Electricity Ziad Ali Fadel in mid-October.

The two signed what one report described as a “binding agreement” for Turkmenistan to supply up to 10 bcm of gas annually to Iraq.

The two countries are not connected by a pipeline, so the agreement hinges on a gas swap involving their mutual neighbor Iran.

Turkmenistan and Iran signed an agreement in July 2024 that provides for Turkmenistan to ship gas to northern Iran while Iran will make a reciprocal amount of gas available to Iraq.

Turkmenistan and Iran are connected by two gas pipelines that once shipped between 5-8 bcm of Turkmen gas annually to Iran.

In late 2016, Turkmenistan demanded Iran pay $2 billion for gas received nearly a decade earlier.

Iran disputed the figure and Turkmenistan responded by halting gas supplies in 2017, which to this day, have not resumed.

Turkmenistan and Iran have cooperated on a smaller gas swap deal to ship about 1 bcm of Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan.

Turkmen authorities hope the arrangement with Iran and Iraq will offset the loss of Russia as a gas customer.

Speaking at the October 23-25 “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan – 2024″ international conference, Babaev said a contract to ship 5.5 bcm of gas to Russia had expired and was not renewed.

Babaev indicated differences over the price of the gas was the cause of the contract not being renewed. 

Why It’s Important: Turkmenistan has the fourth largest gas reserves in the world, but that has not translated into the vast fortune Turkmenistan’s leadership predicted 30 years ago.

China purchases between 35-40 bcm of Turkmen gas annually. The 5.5 bcm Russia was buying made Russia Turkmenistan’s second biggest customer.

The swap deal with Iran and Iraq is a positive development for Turkmenistan, but it’s far from a sure bet.

Iranian-Turkmen relations were icy after Turkmenistan suspended gas supplies to Iran in 2017.

Those relations are better now, but that is not to say ties are solid between the two countries. 

Majlis Podcast

The latest Majlis podcast looks at the recently released report from the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs on Tajikistan’s armed forces.

The report traces the history of the formation of Tajikistan’s military and security forces, the challenges these forces face, what sort of weapons they have, who is providing military equipment and assistance to Tajikistan, and more.

The guests on this podcast are two of the authors of the report: 

• Michael Hilliard, the host of the Redline podcast, which deals with military and security matters around the world; and
• Derek Bisaccio, Forecast International’s lead analyst for international defense markets, specializing in the defense trade in Eurasia and the Middle East. 

What I’m Following

China-Afghan Railway Through Central Asia Resumes Operation

A 55-car freight train departed the Chinese city of Nantong on October 31 headed for Afghanistan, marking the resumption of rail services between the two countries.

The train transits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as it heads toward its final destination in Hairaton, Afghanistan, located on the river (Amu-Darya) that divides Uzbekistan from Afghanistan.

Operations on this route have been suspended several times since its inaugural run in 2016.

This latest resumption comes just days after Beijing announced tariff-free trade with the Taliban government.  

Kyrgyz President Proposes Changing the National Anthem

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has called for the country to come up with a new national anthem.

Japarov already pushed through changes to the emblem on the national flag in late 2023.

In an October 30 interview with state news agency Kabar, Japarov said the current anthem was written right after Kyrgyzstan became independent in 1991.

Back then, Japarov said, the focus was on, “Now your fate is in your hands, go forward.”

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan now needs a national anthem that “will reflect the independence of Kyrgyzstan, its 5,000-year history.”  

Fact of the Week

Uzbekistan completed talks with the United States on accession to the World Trade Organization.

Uzbekistan has now finished WTO accession talks with 21 countries and expects to join the organization in 2026.

Thanks for Reading

Thanks for reading Central Asia in Focus! I appreciate you sharing it with other readers who may be interested.

Feel free to contact me on X, especially if you have any questions, comments, or just want to connect about topics concerning Central Asia.

Until next time,
Bruce

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