Before the day breaks on a winter morning at the Pong Lake wetland in northern India, muffled honks of geese are heard in the distance.

Though U.S. aid to South and Central Asian nations has declined recently, the region still gets billions annually, with Afghanistan the largest regional recipient. The country, which received $1.3 ...

While Russia is still controlling Central Asian countries politically and economically, those states are also looking for new partners, especially with China, to help ensure their own development.