Tajikistan: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on the five Central Asian nations Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan to substantially increase their trade with Russia, emphasizing the region’s untapped economic potential. Speaking at a summit in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, Putin highlighted that while combined trade with these nations reached over $45 billion last year, it still fell short compared to Russia’s trade with Belarus, a country with a significantly smaller population.

Addressing the summit, Putin underscored the strategic importance of strengthening economic cooperation with Central Asia, a region Russia historically regards as within its sphere of influence. He framed the call for enhanced trade as a necessary step to counterba

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