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Retaliation, Raids and Regional Integration,
12/28/2025
Retaliation, Raids and Regional Integration,
This week, we’re tracking a packed slate of stories across Central Asia, starting with Trump’s invitations for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to join the G20, while the rest of the region is left out in the cold. We’ll also break down Washington’s shift in visa rules for one of the Central Asian republics, before cutting through the latest reporting from the Tajik–Afghan border, where fresh fighting is colliding with longer-running security pressures. From there, we’ll take a close look at a recent decision out of Kabul and what it’s likely to mean for regional stability going forward, before turning to the arrest of the head of KazTAG in Kazakhstan and the surveillance scandal now unfolding in Uzbekistan, with reports that the personal details of thousands of citizens may have been left exposed. And to wrap it up, we’ll examine what actually came out of the latest C5+1 summit in Japan, before then bringing in our two special guests to break down how regional integration accelerated through 2025, and what that trajectory is on the table for 2026. On the show this week: Catherine Putz (The Diplomat) Temur Umarov (Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center) Hosted by Bruce Pannier and Michael Hilliard Proudly brought to you by The Times of Central Asia and The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs. For more info, please visit: -The Times of Central Asia () - The Oxus Society () Follow us on Twitter on - Spotlight on Central Asia (@SLonCentralAsia) - Bruce Pannier (@BrucePannier) - Michael Hilliard (@MikeHilliardAus) - The Times of Central Asia (@TheTimesoCA) - The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs (@OxusSociety)
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