In 2026, the Eurasian security framework encounters a phase of systemic volatility, marked by the dissolution of conventional counter-terrorism collaborations and the proliferation of hybrid warfare strategies contingent on narrative manipulation.
Tajikistan’s internal and external risks remain medium-high in 2026 because of entrenched strong centralised government, economic weaknesses, and ongoing security tensions.
This report assesses recent United States–Central Asia economic engagement through the B5+1 Business Forum held in Bishkek in February 2026.
The extrajudicial capture of President Nicolás Maduro by United States special operations forces represents a fundamental shift in the global security architecture, signalling a return to high-risk, kinetic regime change as a core instrument of Washington’s foreign policy.
Central Asia will enter 2026 with relative surface stability because of better regional coordination and no immediate interstate conflict.
This report provides an assessment and analysis of the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the period of changing geopolitical environment in world politics.
Recent Pakistani air raids in eastern Afghanistan have heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad after the recent ceasefire that the parties reached in Doha (Qatar) in October 2025.
This report analyses Uzbekistan’s geopolitical, economic, and security environment, assessing its strategic posture, multi-vector foreign policy, and regional influence.
This report examines Iran’s long-term strategy to become a key link between Asian and European markets via the Marand–Cheshmeh Soraya rail corridor.
Il decimo anniversario del formato C5+1 e la concomitante riunione odierna a Washington fra i leader delle repubbliche dell’Asia centrale e il presidente Donald Trump consolidano un mutamento significativo nella politica estera di Washington verso la regione.
On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, SpecialEurasia held a webinar to present the book Geopolitics of Central Asia, a collective volume derived from the organisation’s long-term research project on the region.
L’escalation militare tra Afghanistan e Pakistan, sebbene parzialmente contenuta grazie all’intervento di attori esterni, quali Qatar e Arabia Saudita, rappresenta un problema persistente e crescente, con potenziali ripercussioni sulla stabilità regionale.
The XII Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), convened in Qabala (scheduled to open 7 October), signals a deliberate push by Ankara and Baku to translate cultural-ethnic affinity into tangible geopolitical influence.
This report analyses the outcomes of the 25th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1, 2025.
This report provides an assessment and overview of India’s foreign relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) based on an established new kind of platform as well as special relations in security, climate change, ICT, and trans-terror.
The Islamic Republic of Iran started increased its diplomatic and economic pivot towards the East, engaging intensively with Russia, China, and India during the recent SCO Summit and in the aftermath of the conflict with Israel in June 2025.
North Korea has significantly enhanced its economic position through unprecedented military and economic collaboration with the Russian Federation.
This report evaluates the strategic implications of the new China-Iran railway corridor. It highlights Iran’s geopolitical importance as a multimodal Eurasian hub and analyses the competing interests of major powers vying for influence over Iranian ports.
Il presente report analizza le implicazioni geopolitiche e strategiche dell’incontro dell’Organizzazione di Cooperazione di Shanghai (SCO) tenutosi a Pechino il 3 giugno 2025. L’attenzione è focalizzata sull’approvazione della creazione del Banco di Sviluppo della SCO, sul rafforzamento della cooperazione economico-finanziaria e sull’approfondimento dei rapporti bilaterali tra Cina e Kirghizistan.
This report assesses Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in May 2025 and its participation in the first “Central Asia + Italy” summit as well as imperative and constraints of Rome’s engagement in the region.
This report examines the growing strategic significance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in current economic and political changes in Central Asia, with an emphasis on the initiatives presented at the April 2025 conferences in Tashkent and diplomatic forum in Antalya.
The eighth ministerial meeting between Russia and the five Central Asian states, held in Almaty on April 11, 2025, highlights Moscow’s ongoing efforts to consolidate strategic influence across its southern periphery. This report wants to assess the status of Russia-Central Asia relations and Moscow’s strategy to exploit multilateralism and security cooperation to influence Central Asian republics and counter the recent first EU-Central Asia summit.
Recent reports suggest that a US Air Force C-17A transport aircraft landed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan for the first time since the 2021 withdrawal. The aircraft allegedly carried senior Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel, with speculation surrounding a visit by Deputy Director John Ratcliffe.
This SWOT analysis, based on local and international sources and previous SpecialEurasia’s reports, should assist policymakers and stakeholders in assessing Mongolia’s strategic position and identifying the country’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats.
In 2024, SpecialEurasia broadened its activities, organised international visits, participated in global events, and published numerous reports. Focused on delivering actionable intelligence for decision-making, we refined our methodology by investing in modern technologies and adapting to geopolitical developments.
The dynamics of Iran-Afghanistan relations have shifted significantly since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021. Although Iran has refrained from formally recognising the Taliban government, it has engaged pragmatically, establishing cooperative frameworks for trade, transit, and other bilateral engagements.
Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, marked by a decisive lead over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris with over 71 million votes and 277 electoral votes, introduces a new phase in U.S. foreign policy which might affect Eurasia’s geopolitical dynamics significantly.
This report analyses the outcomes of the “Central Asia + Germany” summit held on September 17th, 2024, in Astana, focusing on the strategic economic, infrastructure, and security agreements reached between Central Asian countries and Germany.
The recent defence pact established between Russia and North Korea represents a notable escalation in Eurasian geopolitical dynamics, carrying the potential for wide-ranging consequences. Following the signing of this agreement, according to Seoul’s sources, there is the eventuality that Pyongyang will deploy military engineering units to support Russian forces in the Ukrainian conflict.
Russia is bolstering its energy relations with India through a strategic partnership involving Iran for coal exports, leveraging the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to facilitate coal exports.
In the latest Geopolitical Report Podcast, we explored the recent high-level meeting between Italian and Central Asian republics’ foreign affairs ministers held in Rome.
The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is of paramount importance in the current international landscape. Despite the regularity of their encounters, this visit holds unique significance, because both Moscow and Beijing want to send a powerful message to the international community about their enduring strategic partnership amidst global challenges.
Recent developments show significant shifts in transportation and trade routes linking Europe, Asia, and the Persian Gulf. Russia’s investment in transport corridors through Iran and the Arctic, alongside developments in the Turkmenbashi port, signifies a strategic move to reshape regional trade dynamics.
In this podcast episode, we analysed the threat posed by the Islamic State Vilayat Khorasan (IS-Khorasan) and its connection with Central Asian citizens . The podcast delves into various aspects of IS-Khorasan’s activities, including its involvement in terrorist attacks, recruitment strategies, and propaganda dissemination.
Despite global economic uncertainties, the EDB region experienced robust recovery with an aggregate GDP growth of almost 4%. Internal drivers, such as high consumer and investment demand, were pivotal in sustaining this growth.
Iran’s admittance to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member is a noteworthy step that has greatly impacted the geopolitical arena of the region.
The beginning of the Ukraine conflict drew a line under the development of the geopolitical situation on the Eurasian continent over the past three decades since the beginning of the 1990s.
The Second Caspian Sea Economic Forum highlighted regional countries’ strategies to implement their cooperation in logistics, transport corridors, tourism and energy projects.
The first “Central Asia-Russia” summit in Astana confirmed the Russian importance in the region and the Kremlin’s strategy to increase economic cooperation with Central Asian republics.
Due to the Ukraine conflict and the following Western sanctions, Russia and Belarus have increased their economic and trade cooperation by increasing joint projects in different fields.
SpecialEurasia attended the International Round Table “Caspian Economic Forum-2022” together with experts and scholars from Caspian Sea countries, NGOs, and representatives of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of the Astrakhan region, mass media and state authorities, to discuss current geopolitical and economic dynamics in the region and forecast future trends.
Recent propaganda on Telegram spread by a ‘foreign agent’ who promoted separatism in Kazakhstan highlighted possible future problems that the Central Asian republic might face since different ethnic minorities live in the country.
Russia and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) signed the most significant deal since the Taliban movement came to power last year, confirming Kremlin’s interests in the country and Moscow’s will to become a key regional actor.
Due to the borders drawn by the former Soviet Union with no regard for ethnic, political, economic, and cultural factors, the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have faced each other for 31 years, and the recent military escalation highlighted regional instability and geopolitical strategies promoted by Dushanbe and Bishkek.
The possibility that Donbas will soon hold a referendum to join the Russian Federation might significantly influence the Eurasian geopolitical chessboard by exacerbating the confrontation between Moscow and the West and, therefore, impacting regional and international political and socioeconomic dynamics.
The Russian Federation’s humanitarian help to Pakistan might strengthen the political and economic relations between Moscow and Islamabad and support the Russian desire to expand its influence and presence in Central and South-East Asia.
Iran signed a memorandum of commitment for its permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, enhancing its role in the Eurasian chessboard and strengthening the Moscow-Beijing-Tehran axis.
Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Italy confirmed Baku’s interest in strengthening commercial and business partnerships with Rome and attracting Italian investments in the reconstruction process in the Nagorno-Karabakh territories, which are now under Azerbaijani control.
In the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum 2022, we met Dr Shoaib Khan to analyse the current state of relations between Russia and India, key areas of cooperation and expectations from the Forum.
SpecialEurasia decided to stop its online activities in August 2022 to organise next season’s projects and propose an updated website focused on geopolitical analysis, risk assessment, security monitoring and forecasting.
Tajikistan and China discussed economic, political and regional security cooperation, confirming Beijing’s rising role in Tajik local dynamics and Central Asia at the expense of Moscow’s regional strategy.
The recent phone conversation between the President of Russia and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia might be interpreted as the Kremlin’s move to counter the recent U.S. President Joe Biden’s official visit to Riyadh.
In a world of growing polarity, Kazakhstan has been attempting to portray itself as a bridge connecting the East and the West. However, the so-called Russian “special operation” in Ukraine has forced the Central Asian nation to distance itself gradually from Moscow.
In Tajikistan, local security forces and authorities emphasised the rising threat of terrorism and extremism in the country in the last six months, confirming that terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State have been able to exploit local disappointment and the unresolved issues that in Gorno-Badakhshan.
The sixth summit of the Caspian Sea states underlined the region’s geopolitical importance and the desire of every country involved to resolve legal status and issues and promote cooperation in transport, logistics and trade.
The discovery of a massive deposit of rare earth elements in Turkey might change the geopolitical dynamics in the Eurasian chessboard since Ankara might challenge China, which has had the leading role in the market until now. Furthermore, this finding might change the domestic political scenario in Turkey and quiet doubts and disappointment about the country’s economic performance.
Protests in the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan against proposed amendments to the Constitution of Uzbekistan raised the question of Karakalpak’s complete independence from the Uzbek central government.
Although Russian – Iranian ties date back to the Islamic Revolution, Moscow’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine (or special military operation as the Kremlin has always declared) and Tehran’s nuclear ambitions have strengthened the cooperation and pushed these Western adversaries together.
Over the past two months, the tension in Greek-Turkish relations has reached new heights. What triggered it seemed to have been the age-old Turkish claims concerning the continental shelf delimitation and the total demilitarisation of the Greek Islands in the Eastern Aegean.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2022) confirmed the diplomatic, economic and political partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan and the strategic role that Tatarstan and Bashkortostsn play in promoting Moscow-Nursultan relations.
The Russian Federation is not immune to jihadist propaganda and terrorist activities. Arrests in the last months of people connected to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have demonstrated that this terrorist organisation has created or attempted to create a network in different Russian regions.
SpecialEurasia published in media partnership with Dunyo Information Agency the interview of the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Vladimir Norov, about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Uzbek new foreign policy.
The Russian Federation will host international business companies and government representatives at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2022), an event that underlines the Kremlin’s economic strategy and foreign politics in Eurasia and the global arena.
The constitutional referendum in Kazakhstan marked a historical event aimed at consolidating the final transition from a super-presidential form of government to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable government.
Geopolitical Report ISSN 2785-2598 Volume 18 Issue 2 – The 2021 proclamation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reveals several straightforward and/or controversial relationships with state and non-state figures at the regional level. This intricate web of relations plays a role in outlining the Taliban regime’s assets and challenges.
Through the analysis of the weekly issue N. 334 of the al-Naba newsletter, the official media product of the Islamic State, it is possible to assess the threat in operational terms of the jihadist organisation in Eurasia.
Kyrgyzstan and Italy recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. Recent official meetings between Italian and Kyrgyz political and business representatives underlined Italy’s interest in deepening cooperation with central Asian markets.
The recent Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting underlined the Kremlin’s strategy to strengthen its influence in Eurasia through military cooperation and diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Ukrainian Crisis and with the increasing influence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Russia confirms its desire to be the principal player in Eurasia.
The Western sanctions against Russia caused by the Ukraine conflict have changed the Kremlin’s foreign policy, which currently seems to be more oriented toward the Eurasian market, as the recent Iran-Russia trade conference highlighted.
While the Western world is increasingly moving away from Russian exports, Moscow and Tehran are taking measures to intensify trade and economic cooperation, as evidenced by intensive negotiations between the parties.
The possible signing of the JCPOA might support Pakistan’s desire to play a strategic and logistic role in the Eurasian energy market linking transit corridors and pipelines.
After the Islamic State (IS) leadership announced the appointment of the new organisation’s Caliph, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Quraysh, we might predict increasing terrorist attacks and operations in Eurasia, especially in the AfPak, Syria and Iraq.
E’ stato pubblicato oggi il primo report dal titolo “La diplomazia del nucleare russo nello spazio post-Sovietico” facente parte del progetto “Geopolitics of Nuclear Energy in Eurasia” avviato da SpecialEurasia in partnership con ASRIE Analytica, il CeSEM – Centro Studi Eurasia Mediterraneo e Opinio Juris – Law & Politics Review.
Il Generale di Divisione (ris.) Mario Ruggiero, attualmente Direttore del Centro Studi Esercito, prenderà parte al Webinar “Sicurezza e minaccia terroristica nello scacchiere geopolitico euroasiatico”organizzato il giorno 16 dicembre 2021 alle ore 19.00.
Nel quadro del Webinar “Sicurezza e minaccia terroristica nello scacchiere geopolitico euroasiatico” la Dott.ssa Silvia Boltuc ha fornito una panoramica dello scacchiere geopolitico dell’Eurasia e sottolineato i principali fattori di destabilizzazione regionale.
Nel quadro del Webinar “Sicurezza e minaccia terroristica nello scacchiere geopolitico euroasiatico” il Dott. Daniele Garofalo e il Dott. Riccardo Valle hanno illustrato quali siano le minacce jihadiste imminenti nella regione dell’Eurasia e quali potrebbero essere gli sviluppi futuri alla luce degli eventi recenti in Afghanistan.
Nel quadro del Webinar “Sicurezza e minaccia terroristica nello scacchiere geopolitico euroasiatico” il Dott. Stefano Vernole ha illustrato quali siano a suo parere gli attuali interessi strategici, le sfide e le minacce che interesseranno nel futuro immediato la regione euroasiatica.
We are looking for contributions for our publication titled “Geopolitics of Nuclear Energy in Eurasia”, which will focus the attention on the role of nuclear energy in Eurasian countries’ policies and economic strategy.
The recent telephone talk between Putin and Raisi highlighted Russia-Iran cooperation on geopolitical, security, and economic issues in Eurasia and Moscow-Tehran’s desire to strengthen their partnership and collaboration on Afghanistan, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh.
SpecialEurasia organizza un webinar dal titolo “Sicurezza e minaccia terroristica nello scacchiere geopolitico euroasiatico” il cui obiettivo è quello di analizzare il problema del terrorismo e della propaganda jihadista in una regione strategicamente importante come quella euroasiatica.
The recent CIS meeting underlined the Kremlin’s strategy to strengthen its influence in Eurasia through military cooperation and diplomacy. In an era characterised by confrontation with the United States and the rise of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Russia confirms its desire to be the principal player in Eurasia.
The meeting on Afghanistan organised in Tehran confirms the Iranian desire to have a major role in Afghan and regional dynamics and stressed how several Asian countries are strongly promoting greater regional cooperation that in the future might contrast Western local interests and presence.
SpecialEurasia has elaborated its geopolitical model to support daily activities and produce reports, risk assessments, analyses, and support the decision-making process.
The meeting between the Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov highlights that Iran seeks to strengthen its cooperation with Russia to support its new foreign policy based on regional cooperation and commercial trade.
La repubblica centro asiatica del Tagikistan è divenuta il centro della resistenza afghana nel Panjshir e il primo baluardo contro il Governo dei talebani in Afghanistan, fattore che ha indotto Mosca a richiedere un dialogo tra Dushanbe e Kabul per evitare una possibile escalation e un conflitto regionale.
Il 21 settembre ha preso il via la 76° sessione dell’Assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite. I rappresentanti degli Stati che hanno preso parte all’evento, tra cui Iran e Kirghizistan, ne hanno approfittato per svolgere una serie di incontri a margine e attuare le loro strategie regionali attraverso accordi bilaterali e memorandum d’intesa.
Due to the U.S. sanctions, Iran has shifted its foreign policy looking for regional actors with whom to reach a new partnership. Therefore, in the last years, we have witnessed an increase in cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in different fields.
The International Conference on Cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia in Tashkent highlighted regional geopolitical dynamics, international actors’ interests in Central and South Asia and possible future cooperation and alliances to face emerging socioeconomic issues.
Il recente accordo tra Iran e Pakistan per il controllo e la messa in sicurezza dell’area di frontiera evidenzia un possibile avvicinamento di Teheran e Islamabad in ottica geopolitica con possibili ripercussioni nella vicina regione dell’Asia Centrale,in special modo a seguito del ritiro delle truppe statunitensi dall’Afghanistan e dell’ampliamento degli investimenti cinesi in supporto alla Belt and Road Initiative.
Negli ultimi anni si è assistito ad una intensificazione dei legami di cooperazione fra Russia ed Iran, complici le sanzioni imposte alla Repubblica Islamica dagli Stati Uniti ed i difficili rapporti fra Mosca e Washington, che hanno finito per avvicinare ulteriormente le potenze regionali che condividono scenari ed interessi comuni.
The Caucasus might become the theatre of a new conflict whose consequences will impact the entire Eurasian region if the international community does not stop the military escalation at the borders of the de-facto Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
I servizi di sicurezza bielorussi ed i media locali hanno riportato la notizia dell’arresto di 33 contractors russi della compania Wagner accusati di pianificare azioni di destabilizzazione del paese in vista delle elezioni presidenziali previste per il 9 agosto 2020. Tale evento sottolinea ancora una volta come i rapporti Mosca – Minsk si siano raffreddati con la Bielorussia pronta a guardare verso l’Occidente e la Cina.