Energy security has emerged in recent years as one of the cornerstones of the European Union's (EU

The article contains the main ideas expressed by Russian and foreign participants in the international scientific discussion on the topic «Communication regimes in Central Asian countries». The discussion was held by National Research Institute for Communications Development. Studies of communication regimes conducted on the basis of the author’s methodology revealed: (1) asymmetry of actor models of communication regimes in Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan); (2) pronounced etatism and policy of state regulation and control of processes and structures of public communication; (3) specifics of social engineering of communication regimes based on securitization of issues of ethnic cultural and national identity; (4) attempts to update communication regimes that have not yet attained serious success. In the course of discussions, scientists from Central Asian countries offered their research materials and keynoted: the role of cultural and religious factors in the formation of communication regimes; the influence of the financial basis of mass media on their structure and media discourse; frequent borrowings of the content from foreign information channels. Russian experts noted: artificially accentuated problems of «historical trauma» in the information space in the Central Asian countries; changes in communication formats within the context of COVID-19; the importance of studying communication regimes in the context of ensuring collective information security, the need to develop common terms and concepts for Russia and Central Asian countries in the drawing up the legislation on communication and information.

In this article, the authors explore the polarity of views within the American political establishment on the problem of US participation in the war in Afghanistan, as well as relations with the countries of Central Asia. Each of these groups has its own vision on the future of U.S. military campaign offering various solutions for the dialog with Taliban, increase U.S. troops, support of Afghanistan government, and role of regional powers such as Uzbekistan, China, Russia, India and even Iran in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs. Also, some of these groups offers to find a mediator among Central Asian countries for the negotiations between Afghanistan government and Taliban.

This article examines spiritual, cultural and Islamic traditions in the modern Kazakh society. There was discovered and justified the necessity of development of pilgrimage tourism on the example of unique monuments of architecture in Kazakhstan. The author makes recommendations based on the research for a successful development of pilgrimage tourism. Certain positive steps in this direction by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan are presented. The importance of traveling to sacred places, causing a reflection on their history, thereby creating a new foundation for the future, is noted

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