In this episode of the Central Asia Center Podcast, Dr. Dania Arayssi is joined by Eugene Chausovsky, Senior Director for Analytical Development and Training at New Lines Institute, to examine the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Caspian region.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine reshapes Eurasian power dynamics, new opportunities have emerged for Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia. The conversation explores how Moscow’s weakening influence enabled diplomatic breakthroughs, how Turkey and China are recalibrating their roles, and how frameworks like S7 Plus, C5+1, and the Trump Route (TRIP) are redefining regional connectivity.

The discussion also addresses key risks: Iran’s opposition, Russian skepticism, domestic political uncertainty in Armenia, and the long-term sustainability of U.S. engagement.

What would it take for the Caspian region to become a true transit and economic hub? And why does this matter for U.S. strategic and national security interests?

In this episode of the Central Asia Podcast, Dr. Dania Arayssi speaks with journalist Alexander Thompson, co-author of the New Lines Institute report When Water Becomes Glue: Solving Central Asia’s Water Dilemma Through Collaboration to unpack the realities of water politics in Central Asia.

The conversation explores how water resources are generated upstream in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan but consumed downstream in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan - with the Aral Sea basin at the center of one of the world’s most severe water-management crises. Thompson explains how Soviet-era infrastructure, agricultural demands, and climate pressures have produced deep structural challenges, and why regional cooperation is no longer optional.

The episode also examines how water, often a source of conflict, could instead become a catalyst for cooperation, economic modernization, and regional integration — and where international partners can play a role.

In the inaugural episode of the Central Asia Podcast, host Dania Arayssi is joined by Dr. Kamran Bokhari, Senior Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, to examine the shifting geopolitical landscape of Iran, Central Asia, and the broader Eurasian region.

The conversation explores Iran’s deepening domestic turmoil and structural decline, the weakening of Russian influence, and the rise of Turkish ambitions — and what these dynamics mean for Central Asian states seeking greater strategic autonomy. Dr. Bokhari unpacks the key indicators he is watching to assess long-term regime erosion in Iran and how this moment of regional flux could reshape political and security calculations across Eurasia.

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