Central Asia Column “Steppe Ahead” Author: Thorsten Gutmann The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is not merely a Latin American event. It serves as a geopolitical seismograph whose tremors extend far…

What may seem like an impulsive gesture at first glance is actually a highly pragmatic move.

The region’s central message was clear: The United Nations must reform in order to remain effective in a fragmented world order.

Qosh Tepa could make northern Afghanistan fertile—or trigger the next major water crisis in Central Asia.

Opportunities are emerging for investors in the energy, infrastructure, and logistics sectors.

Kazakhstan is the only country in Central Asia subject to a 25 percent import tariff imposed by the United States.

Kazakhstan's Halyk Bank, the country's largest financial institution, has acquired a 49 percent stake in the Uzbek fintech company Click.

In the first half of 2025, 1,829 companies with foreign capital were newly registered in Uzbekistan—a record high.

Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are planning a direct rail link from Termez via Kabul to Peshawar.

Two reactors are scheduled to come online there by 2035. The planned total capacity is 2.4 gigawatts—enough to supply millions of people with electricity.

Returnees like Tilek Mamutov, who moved his company from Silicon Valley to Bishkek, demonstrate Kyrgyzstan’s potential in the IT sector.

India's exports to Uzbekistan rose to over $477 million in 2024—a record high.

Germany, once seen as a promising technology partner for Kazakhstan, is currently investing only about 500 million euros in direct investment.

In *Steppe Ahead*, Thorsten Gutmann explains the economic significance of Central Asia—from a personal, strategic, and incisive perspective.