Azerbaijan's entry into the regional consultative format gives Central Asia reach across the Caspian. But turning geography into power will require more than summits and corridors.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have begun laying a fibre-optic cable beneath the Caspian Sea, marking the start of offshore construction on a long-planned digital infrastructure project.
Tehran and Moscow have discussed a deadly Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in Russia’s territorial waters in the Caspian Sea, while also reviewing broader cooperation in the region.
Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned of retaliation, after a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea killed a sailor on Saturday.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Saturday of deliberately targeting civilians.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed regional and commercial agreements worth more than 80 billion tenge ($146 million). The deals aim to expand cooperation between the two Central Asian neighbors in trade, transport, industry and cross-border development.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has held talks with Ruslan Edelgeriev, Russia's presidential aide and special representative on climate issues, focusing on environmental cooperation, climate diplomacy and the future of collaboration in the Caspian region.
The Turkmenbashi International Seaport has launched pilot cargo transit operations using the electronic TIR system on the Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan transport corridor, marking a step towards fully digital customs procedures across the region.
Iran is increasingly relying on its northern ports for imports, with officials saying more than 30% of goods now enter the country via Russia and the Caspian Sea rather than through the Indian Ocean.
Kazakhstan and China have signed more than $15 billion worth of commercial agreements during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Shanghai, expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, digitalisation, transport and industry.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are advancing plans for a new energy corridor beneath the Caspian Sea that could carry renewable electricity from Central Asia to Europe, linking the region's growing clean energy sector with European markets.
The Caspian Sea has retreated by up to 35 kilometres along Kazakhstan's coastline since 2006, raising fresh concerns about the future of the world's largest inland body of water and the communities, industries and ecosystems that depend on it.
The number of dead Caspian seals discovered along Kazakhstan’s section of the Caspian Sea continues to rise, with the latest findings reported near the Karazhanbas and Buzachi oilfields in the Mangystau region.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
The current Middle East crisis has already had profound macroeconomic and energy consequences. It also reflects a broader phase of globalisation, where interdependencies can be weaponised for geopolitical purposes.
A fresh international effort to safeguard the Caspian Sea has received a significant boost after the World Bank approved funding for a wide-ranging environmental programme aimed at reversing years of ecological damage.
There are moments in history when energy ceases to be merely an economic commodity and becomes a defining pillar of geopolitical order. We are living through one such moment.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the European Union’s “destructive” stance in the Israel–U.S. war against Iran, calling for a more constructive approach, official sources in Tehran reported.
Thousands of dead grebes have been found along Azerbaijan’s Caspian coastline, prompting authorities to expand inspections as early laboratory tests show no signs of infectious disease.
Kazakhstan says it has allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, biodiversity loss and rising industrial pressure on the world’s largest inland body of water.
Against a backdrop of mounting environmental pressure across Central Asia, the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has announced that the Regional Ecological Summit (RES) 2026 will take place from 22–24 April in Astana.
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