Wednesday, September 2, 2026 The English edition of ostwirtschaft.de Newsletter
Eastern Economy.
Economic intelligence on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus & Central Asia

Steppe Ahead

24 articles
The Central Asia column by Thorsten Gutmann, accompanying the Steppe Ahead podcast.
Central Asia
Tajikistan will raise public sector salaries by up to 25 percent effective September 1; the minimum wage will increase by 30 percent to the equivalent of about $141 per month.
September 2, 2026
Central Asia
Afghanistan's Herat Province is set to receive its first shipment of Turkmen natural gas via the TAPI pipeline within two months, marking Turkmenistan's first new market in a decade and a half.
August 31, 2026
Central Asia
Uzbekistan's inflation rate has fallen to 6.4%; Central Bank Governor Ishmetov believes an interest rate cut is still possible in 2026; and Goldman Sachs and BlackRock are reportedly advising on how to invest the country's record reserves of $77.1 billion.
August 28, 2026
Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan's cabinet is discussing a price stabilization plan worth 36.6 billion som and is raising its inflation forecast for 2026 from 9% to 14–15%.
August 26, 2026
Central Asia
The Eurasian Development Bank has 114 transportation projects in Central Asia totaling $71.7 billion, with $32.3 billion of that amount accounted for by Kazakhstan alone.
August 24, 2026
Central Asia
Remittances to Uzbekistan rose by 13% to $9.3 billion in the first half of the year: Russia's share fell to 72.4%, while remittances from the United Kingdom increased by 62%.
August 21, 2026
Central Asia
Russia's fuel shipments to Kyrgyzstan are stalling: Bishkek is negotiating with Sinopec, and the first tanker trucks from China have already arrived in the country.
August 19, 2026
Central Asia
Tajikistan's industrial output plummeted by nearly 38% in the first half of 2026, while exports rose by 65.3% to $1.6 billion, driven by gold and minerals.
August 17, 2026
Central Asia
Kazakhstan has set a firm launch date for its $10 billion "Data Center Valley" project: In June 2027, the first 50-megawatt data center will go online in Ekibastus; once fully operational, 100,000 AI chips are expected to generate $3 billion in export revenue annually.
August 14, 2026
Central Asia
Türkmengaz and Afghan Gas Sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Gas Purchases — 123 kilometers of the TAPI pipeline route toward Herat have already been laid.
August 12, 2026
Central Asia
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…
January 3, 2026
Central Asia
What may seem like an impulsive gesture at first glance is actually a highly pragmatic move.
December 29, 2025
Central Asia
The region’s central message was clear: The United Nations must reform in order to remain effective in a fragmented world order.
September 26, 2025
Central Asia
Qosh Tepa could make northern Afghanistan fertile—or trigger the next major water crisis in Central Asia.
September 17, 2025
Central Asia
Opportunities are emerging for investors in the energy, infrastructure, and logistics sectors.
September 4, 2025
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