Episode 4: Central Asia: BFFs or just friends with benefits?

Over the past few weeks, Central Asia has hosted several important events. First, Presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan – Emomali Rahmon and Sadyr Japarov – met in Bishkek to sign a border delimitation deal which ended years of conflict over water resources and land.Then, the two officials – joined by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev – travelled to Khujand in northern Tajikistan, close to where the borders of the three countries meet, to sign the treaty of Eternal Friendship.Finally, in early April, the first summit between Central Asia and the European Union took place, and ended with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, promising the region 12 billion euro investment package as part of the Global Gateway initiative.With regional cooperation blooming, can we talk about the end of conflict in Central Asia?We will try to answer this question in this week’s Turan Talk with my guest, Dr Filippo Costa Buranelli, Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of St Andrews, United Kingdom, and senior advisor to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Central Asian matters. Get full access to Turan Tales at turantales.substack.com/subscribe