Leading off… The United States has added Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistanto a list of countries whose citizens must post a bond ranging from $5,000-$15,000 to apply for and receive US visas.
The two states join Turkmenistan as states subject to tightened visa requirements. “A bond does not guarantee visa issuance.If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned,” US State Department guidelines note.
A Kyrgyz deputy prime minister, Edil Baisalov, told the RFE/RL news outlet that Kyrgyzstan should retaliate against the US measure by reinstating a visa requirement for US citizens wishing to visit Kyrgyzstan. “Visa policy is a matter of parity and mutual respect.
If such high barriers are introduced for our citizens, we cannot pretend that nothing has happened,” Baisalov said in a social media post.The US bond requirement is due to take effect January 21.
The fees apply to applications for B1/B2 tourist and business visas.In case you missed it in the Caucasus… Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is refusing to recognize the ecclesiastical authority of the head of the Armenian Orthodox Church.
In a January 10 social media post, Pashinyan stated that he no longer honors decisions made by Karekin II, the church patriarch. “The decisions he makes from that position are of no value to us and are null and void,” Pashinyan stated after Karekin II announced the dismissal of a pro-government bishop.
Pashinyan is trying to push Karekin out from the top position in the church, due to the patriarch’s resistance to the government reform agenda.A local human rights watchdog organization in Georgia has suspended its operations, citing the ongoing crackdown of the Georgian Dream government on independent non-governmental organizations.
The group, Rights Georgia, said it would halt its involvement in about 200 rights-related legal cases pending in national and international courts. “As a result of the so-called authorities’ great efforts, Rights Georgia faced the forced suspension of its activities for the first time in 29 years,” the group said in a statement.
The statement added that as a workaround of government persecution of the NGO, individual lawyers from the organization “will continue to provide free legal consultations, and in exceptional cases legal assistance and representation, entirely on a voluntary basis.” The group, formerly known as Article 42 of the Constitution, was founded in 1997.
Meanwhile across the Caspian… In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has approved a Digital Code, which an official statement asserts “ensures a systematic approach to the development of digital technologies, the introduction of artificial intelligence, and the formation of a safe and sustainable digital environment.” The code enshrines individual privacy protections, including the “right to delete, anonymize, and restrict the processing of personal data.” It also permits the official use of biometric data “only in cases provided for by law.” The code additionally establishes a framework for the country’s digital architecture, aiming to coordinate the “standardization of digital solutions, including solutions based on artificial intelligence.” Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon has carried out an extensive purge in the Interior Ministry replacing veteran top officers with “young and experienced” replacements.
He has also carried out personnel shakeups in the judicial system, the Foreign Ministry and other government agencies.The Interior Ministry changes affect several key city and regional positions, including in the capital Dushanbe and Sughd and Khatlon provinces.
A statement issued by the president’s office asserted that “in all cases, the interests of the state and people of Tajikistan, the need to strengthen stability and security in the country, and ensuring a peaceful life for the population must always be given top priority.” Some regional observers believe the personnel changes are motivated by Ramon’s desire to smooth the way for his young and inexperienced son, Rustam Emomali, to succeed him.
Turkmenistan’s president, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, listed the development of new sectors of the Galkynysh gas field and the completion of the Serhetabat-Herat section of the trans-Afghan pipeline as the country’s top economic development priorities in 2026.
Uzbekistan’s foreign debt has reached $75.4 billion, and appears set to keep rising.The Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade released a statement saying that borrowing is needed to develop critical infrastructure and implement other projects.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank released a report on Uzbekistan’s gold and hard currency reserves, stating that the reserves had grown to $66.3 billion as of January 1, 2026, up from $41.2 billion a year before.