On October 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the first-ever dialogue between Russia and the five Central Asian Republics (CARS) of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan through the Russia – Central Asia Forum in Astana. Nothing unusual given that these are all former Soviet Republics and form part of Russia’s traditional and centuries-long … Continue reading Russia seeks to refurbish its image in Central Asia