At first glance, the gemstone market in Peshawar, locally known as Namak Mandi –meaning “Salt Market” in Urdu – appears unremarkable and unappealing. The narrow lanes, crumbling shopfronts, and the stench of open sewage create an image of neglect and decay, concealing the vibrant trade that thrives within. However, thisContinue Reading
Over the past eight years, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have taken several steps to strengthen their bilateral ties, elevating their cooperation into a strategic partnership. A key milestone in this process was the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership in 2021, followed by a series of diplomatic, defense, andContinue Reading
Myanmar’s economy is set to shrink by 2 percent this financial year, due to the effects of intensifying conflict and economic mismanagement by the military junta, according to the latest Myanmar economic outlook from the research group BMI. BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, cited the World Bank’s recent projectionContinue Reading
On March 3, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced, together with U.S. President Donald Trump, its decision to invest massively in the United States. Per TSMC CEO C.C. Wei, this investment will direct $100 billion to the construction of three new fabrication facilities featuring the company’s most advanced process nodes,Continue Reading
Although Uzbekistan has effectively eliminated large-scale state-imposed forced labor in the cotton harvest, ongoing government influence over certain aspects of the country’s agricultural industry continues to generate exploitative conditions for farmers and pickers alike, the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights argued in a new report. The report, covering the 2024Continue Reading
Uzbekistan hopes to finalize its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2026, bringing to a close a 31-year effort that envisions an open, competitive, and resilient economy. Following the WTO’s General Council meeting on February 18-19, Uzbekistan’s chief WTO negotiator Azizbek Urunov said that the WTO’s director general hadContinue Reading
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Rodney Faraon – partner and chief creative officer at Crumpton Global LLC, a corporate advisory firm in metro Washington, D.C. – isContinue Reading
Connectivity has become the new currency in geopolitics and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has emerged as a critical link in Delhi’s endeavor to increase trade vis-a-vis Europe. The ambitious IMEC – conceived as a product of shifting geopolitical realities in the region, particularly with the conclusion of theContinue Reading
As journalists and analysts continue to glean takeaways from this year’s “Two Sessions” – the annual gathering of China’s parliament and separate political advisory body in Beijing – one group of Chinese workers has been the subject of much discussion at this year’s event: delivery riders. Last week, Premier LiContinue Reading
Kazakhstan aims to further increase the volume of oil it exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, underscoring Astana’s continued efforts to diversify its routes amid the Central Asian region’s constrained geography. Following a meeting in Astana this week with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu notedContinue Reading
