Articles

India-UAE Set to boost ties and Strengthen Strategic Partnership

UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is scheduled to visit India on 21st November 2022 on a bilateral visit. In an earlier bilateral engagement this year, he and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar co-chaired the 14th In....

November 19, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , India , Investments , energy , G20 , Remittances , UAE , CEPA , COP28

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Implications for Central Asia

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Background

Central Asia is geo-strategically significant for the Kremlin as the region border Afghanistan and Iran to the South, China to the East, and the Caspian Sea to the West. The Central Asian region is considered Russia’s sphere o....

April 19, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , Russia , Kyrgyzstan , economy , Uzbekistan , Ukraine , Tajikistan , Remittances , Eurasian Union , Labour Migrants , CSTO. Kazakhstan

Russia-Ukraine Crisis and its Impact on Central Asia

Amb Ashok Sajjanhar

Central Asia is Russia’s sphere of Influence, and Moscow is also the security provider in the region. In addition, Central Asian economies are highly dependent on remittances from the Russian Federation. Central Asia has been heavily impacted by th....

April 19, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , UNGA resolution , Russia , Ukraine , Economic Slowdown , Remittances , Food Security , Podcast , Energy Exports , Labour Migrants , Western Sanctions

How is Central Asia Reacting to Russia-Ukraine Crisis?

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Background

Central Asia has recently been in the geopolitical spotlight with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and political upheaval in Kazakhstan. Russia’s special military actions in Ukraine have once again drawn attention to Cen....

February 28, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , Russia , Kyrgyzstan , economy , Uzbekistan , Ukraine , Tajikistan , Remittances , Eurasian Union , Labour Migrants , CSTO. Kazakhstan

Taliban Takeover and Implications for Nepal

Dr Rishi Gupta Article

Nepalese in Afghanistan

Amidst Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the leading global powers continue to repatriate their citizens from Afghanistan. At the same time, geographically smaller countries are looking for international cooperation....

August 26, 2021 Neighbourhood Studies , Afghanistan , Nepal , Article , Pakistan , Border , Terrorism , Security , Taliban , ISI , Remittances , Government of Nepal , Nepalese Migrant Labourers , Repatriation , Emergency Response , Nepal Economy , Nepal-India Border , Nepal Earthquake 2015

Trends in Central Asia in 2020

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Introduction

The past 2020 is marked by Central Asia’s struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent socio-economic impacts. The pandemic turned out to be a litmus test for the already troubled economies of Central Asia. The ye....

January 13, 2021 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , SCO , INSTC , Chabahar Port , elections , political turmoil , Eurasian Economic Union , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Economic reforms in Uzbekistan , India- Central Asia Dialogue , COVID-19 , Remittances , power transition , India-Uzbek Virtual Summit , Labour Migrant , China's Belligerence , Foreign Trad

The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Central Asia

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Introduction

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is so profound that the world will never be the same again. Human communication, social norms and habits have transformed immensely due to this. More digitalisation and less physical intera....

December 11, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , GDP growth , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Tourism , COVID-19 , World Bank , IMF , lockdown , Remittances , Foreign Trade , Aid , Budget , ADB

Unlocking the Lockdown in Nepal

Prof Hari Bansh Jha Commentary

In Nepal, people suffered most during the nationwide lockdown that was imposed in the country almost six months ago on March 24. Nevertheless, COVID-19 cases keep on spreading in different parts of the country. There were only two COVID-19 cases in t....

September 28, 2020 Neighbourhood Studies , Nepal , Commentary , Tourism , COVID-19 , Remittances , Diwali , Kathmandu Valley , UN Development Programme , Vijay Dasjami

COVID-19 in Tajikistan: From Denial to Full-scale Crisis

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Despite being surrounded by the countries with positive cases of coronavirus, the Tajik Government had consistently denied the existence of the virus until April 30 when 15 cases were reported. This announcement was made when the World Health Organiz....

June 15, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , India , China , Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , poverty , Unemployment , Tajikistan , Coronavirus , COVID-19 , World Bank , Pandemic , IMF , Remittances , Pneumonia , Medical Diplomacy , Vande Bharat

Central Asia's Labour Migration amid Coronavirus

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

1. Introduction

The term 'migrant' is often stereotyped as a person who is an undesirable burden and their economic contribution to national economies is seldom measured. The correlation between migration and remittances can be understood....

May 12, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , Russia , Kyrgyzstan , Central Asia , Uzbekistan , poverty , Unemployment , Tajikistan , Coronavirus , COVID-19 , Pandemic , Remittances , Migration , Labour , EEU