Central Asia After Three Decades of Independence

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
International Security ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries

On the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the USSR, this book collects selected contributions which analyse patterns of stability and transformation that characterise the politics and societies of three Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan—along with those of Central Asia as a region. In particular, this edited volume investigates gender equality discourses in Uzbekistan, the electoral rights of people with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, neo-realism in the regional context of Central Asia, the role of Islam in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan as a provider of international security as well as the EU’s support of civil society and social capital in Kazakhstan. With contributions by Nora Becker, Dr. Shalva Dzebisashvili, Aziz Elmuradov, Prof. Dr. Matthias Kortmann, Dr. Aliia Maralbaeva, Laura Karoline Nette, Dr. Chiara Pierobon and Dr. Steve Schlegel.

scholarly journals Tajikistan’s Perspective on Eurasia

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Jovid Ikromov
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The West ◽  
Eurasian Continent ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
The World ◽  
Central Asian Countries

In this article, the place of Central Asia, particularly of Tajikistan, in the Eurasian continent has been examined. The slow and confident transfer of engine of the world economy from the West to the East and South increasing the role of the countries located between them. Located between Europe, Russia and South Asia, five Central Asian countries are interested in the development and participation in broader transcontinental trade and transit corridors connecting in all directions. Tajikistan has a unique opportunity to become a hub of trade and transit as it is located at the crossroads of growing ties between South and Central Asia.

scholarly journals Competition of world powers in Central Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 40-54
Author(s):  
Anna Sergeevna Iuniushkina ◽  
Tat'yana Ivanovna Pon'ka ◽  
Kristina Alekseevna Shapovalova
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries

This article explores the role of Central Asia in modern conditions, which significantly increases in geopolitical and geoeconomic aspect. Attention is given to the general security challenges of Central Asian countries, as this region requires the coordination of efforts of the leading global actors, as well as Central Asian countries themselves. Security issues associated with vulnerability of Central Asian countries to natural disasters and emergency situations that may occur as a result of territorial disputes, ethnic violence, drug trafficking, and terrorism prevention, fight against extremism underline the need for multilateral cooperation aimed at solution of general problems. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which changed the world political map, the newly formed Central Asian countries gave acquired statehood on the international arena. Namely during this difficult period, the Central Asian countries were forced to choose their own development path. Russia and China, to certain extent, have confirmed their presence in the region by creating the economic and military integration institutions with participation of Central Asian countries. Therefore, the emphasis is placed on the analysis of interaction between China and Russia in the post-Soviet Central Asia, their role in ensuring regional stability and economic growth. The article also examines the importance of studying the role of the United States and the European Union in Central Asia.

Japanese Involvement in Central Asia

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 50-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolay Murashkin
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Economic Reforms ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Bilateral Assistance ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
Central Asian Republics

This paper looks into the role of policy-making carried out by various government officials in the Japanese financial community who contributed to the formulation and implementation of Japanese “Silk Road Diplomacy” in the 1990s and 2000s. Furthermore, it examines the role of key Japanese ministries in the overall Japanese geopolitical engagement in Central Asia. When the five Central Asian republics of the USSR became independent in 1991, they soon encountered a proactive engagement of Japanese diplomacy toward them. Besides boosting bilateral assistance and economic ties, official Tokyo has vigorously promoted the Central Asian states’ eligibility in many international financial institutions and provided extensive advice on reform policies. Both Japanese and Central Asian officials shared a preference for gradualism in economic reforms as a popular approach alternative to the Western neoliberalism in Central Asian countries, although the extent of embracing gradualism varied upon individual republics and advising officials. Spurred by the failures of the Washington consensus and financial crises of the 1990s, Central Asian gradualism can be regarded as an early precursor attempt at post-neoliberalism.

CHINA: GEO-ECONOMIC SCENARIO IN CENTRAL ASIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 022-028
Author(s):  
Julia Harlamova
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Investment Policy ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Asian Region ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Central Asian Countries

The article discusses China’s geo-economic presence in the Central Asian region and analyzes the history and causes of this phenomenon in the form of a detailed discussion of the interaction between China and the Central Asian countries in the energy and transportation spheres. It notes the special role of Kazakhstan in the realization of Belt and Road Initiative and pays particular attention to certain aspects of China’s crediting and investment policy.

scholarly journals USA IN CENTRAL ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN: UNCLEAR PERSPECTIVES AND LACK OF CONSENSUS WITHIN THE AMERICAN ESTABLISHMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye.A. Izteleuova ◽  
◽  
A.S. Shenin ◽  
A.N. Ospanova ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
The Future ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Domestic Affairs ◽  
Military Campaign

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.

scholarly journals Cyberspace in the Post-Soviet States: Assessing the Role of New Media in Central Asia

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-27
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reyaz
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Digital Space ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Central Asian Countries

Since independence, the five post-Soviet States of Central Asia have taken divergent trajectories of economic growth as well as civil and political liberties. Respective regimes still try to regulate information flow in a continuation of the Soviet era, with the possible exception of Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless, the overall regulations on media are certainly much more pluralistic now than they were in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Internet and social media, in particular, have emerged as an important platform for communication. But our knowledge about Central Asia in general and the digital space of the region, in particular, is still limited. This article makes a comprehensive country-wise assessment of the cyberspace of the five Central Asian countries to understand better the role and impact of the information and communication technologies in these post-Soviet states.

Civil Society and Patterns of Security in Central Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119
Author(s):  
Christoph Schuck ◽  
Andreas Vasilache
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Societal Transformation ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
State And Society ◽  
Central Asian Countries

Abstract Since the national independence of the Central Asian countries in the early 1990s, there has been a tension between stability- and transformation-oriented rationalities, goals, and policies. However, the concurrent missions of political stability and societal transformation indicate a clear distinction between state and society. This idea of separating state and society is particularly strong with regard to security issues, but this strict separation is likely to produce contradictory goals and to have dysfunctional consequences, since it prevents the political system from benefitting from the contribution that civil society can make to addressing political and social challenges. Therefore, in this article—which also serves as an introduction to the special issue—we argue that it is necessary to bridge the discourses on security and civil society, with a particular focus on Central Asia.

scholarly journals Activities of US Grant Foundations and Non-Governmental Organizations in Central Asian Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 115-129
Author(s):  
N. Silakov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Private Foundations ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
The Us ◽  
Central Asian Countries

The article analyzes the interrelation of the US grant foundations and non-governmental organizations with the civil society in Central Asia from 2000 to 2020. Main priorities of their activities in each country of the region and evolution of their approaches depending on domestic and foreign policy events and trends are explored. The dynamics of project activities of private foundations financing socio-humanitarian and socio-political spheres is also analyzed.

New European Union strategy for Central Asia

2020 ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
S. Gavrilova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Economic Cooperation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
High Importance ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Central Asian Countries

For several decades, the European Union has been steadily increasing its presence in Central Asian countries. The EU's interests in the region are due to a number of reasons, including the desire to expand its influence in the Central Asian countries, the high importance of the region as a transit corridor between Europe and China, the prospects for economic cooperation, and the importance of the region's energy potential. In May 2019 The European Union has presented a new Strategy for Central Asia, designed to intensify cooperation in a number of areas of interaction. The new strategy is aimed at both implementing these interests and expanding cooperation in a number of other areas.

KAZAKHSTAN’S POSITION IN THE ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL ASIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-121
Author(s):  
Karlygash MUKHTAROVA ◽  
Yermukhambet KONUSPAYEV ◽  
Klara MAKASHEVA ◽  
Karim SHAKIROV
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Economic Model ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Economic Cooperation ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
Economic Ties

Improving the forms and mechanisms of regional economic integration, deepening the mutual understanding on the formation of an economically and politically secure integrated space, expanding trade and economic relations, elaborating joint actions to maintain regional peace and stability, creating a single information space are among the key areas that have become the basis of cooperation among the Central Asian region (CAR) states. The authors reveal the positive aspects of cooperation among the CAR countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. First and foremost, these include common historical roots, linguistic and cultural similarity, convenient geographical location and established economic ties, which allow the states of Central Asia (CA) to establish a deeper and more active understanding of each other, to solve economic and political problems related to finding and realizing domestic investment potential and expanding regional trade and economic ties. The joint establishment of international transport corridors and infrastructure will help reduce the transport costs for Central Asian countries that supply export products to external markets, which is an important area of ​​cooperation in Central Asia. In addition, the economic problems that exist among the regional countries largely determine the nature of relations between them. Future solution of problems determines the subsequent viability of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and the regional development prospects. Based on the use of economic research tools, the authors examine the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the state of trade and economic relations between the regional states. Post-crisis plans for economic recovery in the Central Asian countries will be developed and implemented in the context of the need to solve the present-day problems associated with the gradual lifting of quarantine measures. In this regard, the quickest possible transition of economies to an upward growth trajectory should launch the expansion of trade and economic cooperation and ties among the Central Asian countries. The authors emphasize the fact that another important problem within CAREC is the fact that CAR economies are dominated by raw materials, which does not solve the problems of reducing social inequality and improving the welfare of the regional population. For this reason, Kazakhstan, like other Central Asian countries, is currently in search of a new economic model. The transformation is crucial because the country needs to overcome its excessive long-term dependence on the export of oil and raw materials. The new economic model should be focused on further industrialization and diversification of the economy, on the search for new innovative approaches and development strategies.

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