On November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing foreign citizens to serve in the Russian Armed Forces, both as contractors and conscripts. Previously, foreigners could serve in the armed forces only as contractors, as conscripted military service was saved exclusively for Russian citizens (Topwar.ru, November 14). The decree was framed by the authorities in Moscow as an …
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and most Asian bourses sagged yesterday, tracking overnight declines on Wall Street, as the Federal Reserve reiterated that US interest rates next year will be higher than previous market estimates, raising fears of a recession.
On November 3, Uzbekistani Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov and his Kyrgyzstani counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev signed a bilateral deal in Bishkek, under which Kyrgyzstan agreed to cede to Tashkent the territory surrounding the Kempir-Abad Reservoir, covering 4,485 hectares, in exchange for over 19,000 hectares elsewhere (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, November 3). The deal effectively grants Uzbekistan control over the reservoir, a …
The marriage of material gifts to interpersonal elite social bonds is a distinctive feature of China’s approach to Central Asia one that resonates with local traditions and practices. This characteristic contrasts starkly with the approach preferred by the transatlantic West, which has tended to anchor its engagement with Central Asia in political norms and principles.