menu_open Columnists
Kulobiddin Norov

Kulobiddin Norov

The Diplomat

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Tajikistan Taps Iran as Russian Fuel Runs Dry

Dushanbe's emergency hedge against Russia's fuel crisis puts Tajikistan in the path of U.S. secondary sanctions.

05.10.2026 70

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

A Tajik Bank Shuts Side Door for Russian Cardholders

Humo Bank's ultimatum to its Russian clients shows how Western sanctions can shape Tajikistan's banking sector.

02.10.2026 10

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan Eyes ICC Exit

The move comes a year after Tajikistan’s refusal to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin brought a formal rebuke from The Hague.

21.09.2026 30

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan Taxes Tourism Trips Abroad to Fund Development at Home

The new rules would hit Tajikistan’s tourism companies while benefiting an affiliated state body.

01.09.2026 10

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Austria Says No to the Tajik Government

In Vienna, judges have now rejected four names from Dushanbe's 18-person extradition dossier.

10.08.2026 20

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan Denies a Clothing Ban Its Police Keep Enforcing

A rumor with one traceable source drew an official rebuttal in Dushanbe that buried its documented enforcement.

31.07.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Britain’s Farms Run on Central Asian Labor Now

As Russia squeezes migrants, Central Asians now fill nearly four in five U.K. Seasonal Worker visas.

06.07.2026 30

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Rubio Courts Tajikistan as Washington Hunts for Antimony

Restarting the bilateral dialogue after a four-year freeze is a bid to loosen China’s grip on a critically-important mineral.

01.07.2026 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

A Death in Detention Puts Tajikistan’s Police on Trial

Six Dushanbe officers face a rare prosecution over the death of Maksudjon Saidov in custody but none of them is charged with torture.

10.06.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan’s Taxman Comes for the E-Wallet

A new levy on digital transfers suspected of hiding unregistered business extends the cash-strapped government’s long habit of taxing whatever it...

27.05.2026 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan and China Sign Permanent Friendship Treaty

Rahmon's four-day state visit also produced more than $8 billion in projected investment deals and confirmed Beijing's displacement of Moscow as...

14.05.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

EU Delists Tajik Banks as Kyrgyzstan Feels the Heat

The removal of three Tajik banks from the EU sanctions list highlights diverging compliance trajectories across Central Asia.

04.05.2026 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

A New Dataset Maps Central Asia’s Extractive Economy

An open-access dataset from the Oxus Society maps more than $118 billion in resource exports across the five Central Asian republics, offering a rare...

16.04.2026 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan’s Households Spend More Than They Earn

The gap is narrow, but it leaves families with little room to absorb new shocks, including those now emerging from the war in Iran.

02.04.2026 60

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

China Funds 9 Border Posts for Tajikistan as Frontier Violence Escalates

The $61 million grant fits a decade-long pattern of Chinese security investment – now accelerating after attacks on Chinese nationals.

17.03.2026 90

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

The War in Iran Sends Economic Shockwaves Through Central Asia

Iran’s ban on food exports and the disruption of trade corridors are hitting the landlocked economies of Central Asia at a vulnerable moment.

10.03.2026 60

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Starlink Launches in Tajikistan

The satellite internet service's arrival offers hope for connectivity in mountainous regions, but pricing and state control remain concerns.

09.02.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

CSTO Sends Weapons to Tajikistan to Secure Afghan Border

The decision to arm Tajikistan's border troops comes after months of cross-border attacks, but the CSTO's track record gives little reason for...

02.02.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Central Asia’s Studied Silence on Iran’s Turmoil

Central Asian governments’ silence is a strategic calculation driven by economic interests, authoritarian solidarity, and uncertainty about...

14.01.2026 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan’s External Debt Grows in Complexity

Growing corporate debt, the never-ending construction of Rogun, and lack of debt management transparency from the government add to the fiscal...

13.01.2026 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

What’s Really Changed in ‘New Uzbekistan’?

Since the 2016 death of the country’s first president, Islam Karimov, his successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has strived to present himself as a...

12.12.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Land Degradation and Tajikistan’s Food Security Crisis

The country's small, fragmented farms and climate pressures threaten food security and economic stability.

12.12.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan Launches National Messenger ORIZ Amid Surveillance Concerns

The government's push for "digital sovereignty" follows similar efforts in Russia and Kazakhstan, raising fears about expanded state monitoring in a...

03.12.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan’s Glaciers Are Collapsing While the Government Talks Green

A mismatch between eco-friendly government rhetoric and polluting actions on the ground is exacerbating Tajikistan’s climate change vulnerability.

13.11.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

The US Tightening of Commercial Driver’s License Regulations Hurts Central Asian Migrants

The U.S. has implemented stricter regulations for non-U.S. citizens applying for a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

08.11.2025 60

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Dushanbe Hosts Putin and Leaders of Commonwealth of Independent States

The October 8-10 summit was largely seen as a test of Russia's eroding influence in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

14.10.2025 40

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajik MP Proposes a Social Media Ban for Children Under 14

If enacted, the measure would further restrict internet freedom in Tajikistan.

02.10.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Zubaydullohi Roziq, Former Senior IRPT Figure, Dies in Prison in Tajikistan

The 83-year-old religious scholar was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2015 on trumped-up charges.

25.09.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

How the Ban on WhatsApp, Telegram Calls Affects Central Asian Migrants in Russia

The Russian government argues that the ban is necessary to fight terrorism and online scams.

03.09.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Consolidation of Taxi Services in Dushanbe Results in Public Transit Chaos

An attempt by city authorities to bring more order to the private taxi market erodes service quality and driver incomes.

23.08.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov

Tajikistan Blames Illegal Cryptocurrency Mining for Some of Its Energy Woes

Despite the recent criminalization of electricity use fraud, the government is still battling massive energy losses.

20.08.2025 50

The Diplomat

Kulobiddin Norov