Russia-Central Asia 2025 showed growth volumes surpassing US$45 billion and Russian energy (gas, LPG) exports significantly up, driven by Central Asian states balancing ties with Russia and China. Key developments include increased Russian gas & LPG supplies, new integration initiatives like CIS+ formats, and Central Asia’s multi-vector foreign policies amidst sanctions pressure, highlighting Moscow’s continued economic push despite competing global interests. Master the business environment of Central Asia with a Russian focus. Analyze EAEU market integration, investment projects, and trade dynamics for businesses operating in or with this strategic region.
The Trans-Caspian corridor is developing fast and is expected to achieve record freight tonnage during 2026. We examine the route and show where the growth development segments are.
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has held 50 meetings while attending the United Nations in New York. We examine each of these, including important discussions with the United States, and Germany and look at the significance of Russia’s expanding international diplomacy and what this means in terms of foreign policy developments and potential outcomes.
The Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have agreed a Joint Action Plan to cover the period 2027-2030. This covers important trade development areas including digitalization, information and communication technologies, customs regulation, agro-industry, food security, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, consumer protection, green-economy issues and information exchange. We deep dive the contents to explain exactly what this means and the impact on EAEU and SCO members.
Russia’s trade with the Global South and ‘friendly’ countries now accounts for 85% of its total, reaching about US$299 billion in H1 2026. The West provides just 15% of Russia’s economic trade and continues to decline. We examine the main Global South trade partners in all regions, and provide the latest H1 2026 trade data. There are some surprising results for those who assume Russia only trades oil with China and India. The non-energy sector on a worldwide basis is increasingly dominant as Global South trade volumes continue a Russian growth trajectory.
Russian, Mongolian and Chinese officials have agreed to set up a working group to study the potential of a proposed Russia-Mongolia-China Western Railway Corridor that would link Russia’s Tuva region with Mongolia’s Uvs Province, and onto China’s Xinjiang Province in the countries Far West.
New railway construction is part of China’s latest 5 year development plan, while Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh also discussed the project with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the SCO summit last month.
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Kyrgyzstan is looking for more cooperation with Russian investors in food processing in order to add value rather than just import and export raw products. The Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister, Erlist Akunbekov, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev have also agreed to work out roadmaps for joint fisheries projects.
Russia’s agricultural exports to Kazakhstan are up 24% so far in 2026, with supplies of wheat, sugar, sunflower oil, and bread, flour potato and chocolate confectionery products all up 10% each, while bran, barley, live animals, mayonnaise, sauces and pasta products also all showed significant increases.
Russia’s Promomed biopharmaceutical company has received approval from the Kazakh Ministry of Health to supply Tirzetta, a drug used in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus and obesity. It is also commonly marketed as a ‘beauty’ weight loss medication. According to the WHO, 56% of Kazakhstan’s adult population are overweight.
Russia has achieved self-sufficiency in its apple production, as it has turned away from its previous European Union supply chains to wholly domestic reliance. Russia has achieved this by planting 113,700 hectares of apple orchards over the past five years. In contrast, the EU’s own apple crop has been diminishing due to climate change and its own agriculture policies.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation annual Heads of State summit has now ended, with a major emphasis on trade development. We provide a deep-dive analysis on the 29 agreements signed, including in the security, AI, energy, environment, trade, tourism, diplomatic relations and the SCO’s institutional development sectors. With the SCO possessing nearly a third of global GDP and 50% of the world’s population, this report will be of significant interest to anyone involved in Eurasian affairs.
The Russian and Tajikistan Presidents have met in Bishkek to discuss bilateral relations and regional security. Trade has been growing at 25% per annum and is at record levels, Tajikistan is also considering nuclear power options as it looks to diversify its energy mix.
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