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Digitalization and new technologies are now firmly on the agendas of governments worldwide. New technological trends have not only become catalysts for economic development, but are also reshaping how the public sector works and implements its policies. Amid technological transformations, the countries of Central Asia are searching for new ways to adapt to these changes. This paper aims to assess these attempts by exploring the digitalization policies of the five Central Asian countries. By using qualitative methods and expert interviews, the article identifies key limitations and potential areas of development for the Central Asian states regarding digitalization and artificial intelligence. By providing valuable insights, the article contributes to a deeper understanding of the digitalization challenges faced by developing countries. Through the analysis of local expert opinions, the article seeks to contribute valuable insights to the distinct approaches adopted by these countries, thus enriching the understanding of the region’s trajectory in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses EU-Central Asia trade and EU economic assistance to Central Asia. Despite being Central Asia's largest trade partner, the EU's economic impact in Central Asia has been small. Some individual EU companies have had a high profile in individual countries or in energy projects, but overall EU companies have lagged the higher profile of Russian companies and the increasing Chinese economic presence. The EU became more active in designing a strategy towards Central Asia after 2007, but funding remained limited and the impact small. In the 2010s the European External Action Service negotiated an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Kazakhstan, suggesting that for the EU Kazakhstan has a special status within Central Asia and a one-size-fits-all strategy was inappropriate. The paper analyses the emergence of Eurasian rail services and their significance for EU-Central Asian economic relations. The paper concludes with a discussion of prospects for EU-Central Asian relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the claims that Japanese foreign policy increasingly shifts toward realist and pragmatic modes of engagement, this paper argues that Japanese foreign policy is largely trapped between idealist and pragmatic criteria in its Central Asian (CA) policy. Japan's policy in CA is thus a hybrid of policies that are not properly understood in CA, nor can they be explained to the public at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Growth is good for the poor" is a ubiquitous statement and one generally backed by theory, research and history. In the long-run, growth reduces poverty. Yet, growth in output - per se - is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for poverty reduction in the short-term. The paper uses a number of parametric and non-parametric methodologies to assess the relation between growth and poverty in Kazakhstan, a country that experienced rapid growth and poverty reduction in the short-term. Combining macro and micro regional data, we find a very small trickle down effect of output growth on household incomes and no evidence that output growth is correlated with poverty reduction. We find instead that pro-poor growth in household income explains well poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]