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🌏 Central Asia In a New Reality

On December 22, the Valdai Club presented a new report, titled “Central Asia and the Ukrainian Crisis”.

💬 The moderator of the discussion, Fyodor Lukyanov, Research director of the Valdai Discussion Club, called Central Asian issues among the most important; adding that both the Valdai Club and Russian politics have focused on the region for a long time. He added that this sphere of foreign relations, like others, was influenced by the events of 2022, including the Ukrainian crisis.

💬 Timofei Bordachev, head of the report's team of authors and Programme Director of the Club, pointed to the special importance for Russia of the Central Asian region as part of the geographical region in which Russia's interests are best secured. This significance is especially great against the backdrop of fundamental foreign policy changes in 2022.

💬 Daria Chizhova, the main author of the report, director of the Information and Analytical Center for the Study of Socio-Political Processes in the Post-Soviet Space and editor-in-chief of the Ia-centr.ru portal, analysed the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on Central Asia in a number of specific respects, including the economy. She pointed to an increase in the number of visits by US and European representatives to the region due to its special role in the security architecture of Russia and China which have resulted from geographical factors.

💬 Summarising the economic consequences of what is happening, Alexander Sternik, director of the Third Department of the CIS countries of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “the apocalyptic scenarios did not come true”, adding “The economies of both Russia and Central Asia are doing better than originally predicted.” He stressed that this is not a spontaneous effect, but the result of systematic work.

💬 Evgeny Kozhokin, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Foreign Regional Studies department of the Russian State University for the Humanities and Professor of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Russia at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, called the report extremely timely. Noting the incorrectness of the thesis that Russia has no policy in Central Asia and lacks success in the region, he pointed out that such a policy exists not only at the level of the state, but also at the level of society, and between Russia and Central Asia there is a kind of connection.

https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/central-asia-in-a-new-reality/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia

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🌏 So far, the states of Central Asia are showing rather contradictory signs in their internal political and socio-economic evolution.

On the one hand, all of them emerged as independent countries within a fairly short historical period of 30 years. Despite numerous internal political conflicts, none of these states collapsed, as many in the West expected, and even hoped, in the first stages of their independence process after the collapse of the USSR. Each of the countries in the region is developing along its own unique path, reflecting historical experience and cultural characteristics.

Speaking of public administration practices, it is hard to find anything in Central Asia from the era of modernisation in the 20th century with a legacy powerful enough to overshadow earlier practices of maintaining comparative stability. Virtually none of the current development trends have destroyed Central Asian societies; rather, they are absorbed by them, adapted by the powerful cultural and civilisational layers accumulated over the centuries.

The most important question for the Central Asian Five may be their ability to overcome the trap where they’re at a level of development when the destruction of the state is impossible, but so is reaching a new level in terms of the quality of life of the population. It is unlikely that Russia wants its most important southern neighbours to be in a position where the gap is insurmountable, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-and-central-asia-a-great-peaceful-game/

📌 The article is prepared for the Third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

#CentralAsianValdai #Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia

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🇷🇺🌏 Today, Russia and Central Asia are facing challenges that can only be addressed through the coordination of joint efforts.

Infrastructural limitations, the quality of human capital, climate change, difficulties in maintaining social stability, the need to transform economic models, sanctions pressure — all of these have prompted our countries to act in unison.

It is no secret that Russia’s opponents in the West can use the difficulties of our closest neighbours to foment destabilisation in such a sensitive region. Therefore, it is important to formulate common responses to the challenges facing Russia and the countries of Central Asia.

What challenges face Central Asia? What limits the development of opportunities? Artem Dankov, Associate Professor of the Department of World Politics at Tomsk State University discusses the most important long-term trends that are shaping the socio-economic landscape of Central Asia for the coming decades.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/russia-and-central-asia-common-challenges/

📌 The article is prepared for the Third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

#CentralAsianValdai #Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia

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🌏 In Central Asia today, three poles of world politics and economics come into contact. These poles are centred on Russia, China and the United States.

The collective West and its leader, the US, initiated or at least supports the policy of confrontation with Russia and China, which ultimately provoked today’s multi-level political, economic and financial crisis around the globe.

The collective West today is persistently trying to involve Central Asia in the process of confrontation between the West and Russia. It is demanding that the countries of the region make a choice between the opposing sides. The United States has already begun to speak with the countries of Central Asia in the language of threats and ultimatums. American emissaries visited the countries of our region in April 2023 with a whole package of warnings and threats.

At present, we see that the ruling elites of the collective West are not going to acknowledge the loss of their dominant position in the world economy or in world politics. Therefore, they will try to destabilise other regions of the world. Now the collective West holds the South Caucasus and Central Asia at gunpoint.

Today, the countries of Central Asia are developing equal relations with all subjects of international relations on the basis of national interests. At the same time, the region, which has taken advantage of the formation of a new world order, will try to play a more important role in the modern system of international relations.

Central Asia strives to become a new driver of the growing multipolarity of the modern world order, writes Valdai Club expert Rustam Khaydarov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/prospects-for-cooperation-between-russia/

#CentralAsianValdai #Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia #WorldOrder

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🌏 As confrontation between the major countries grows, the world economy will undergo serious changes in the coming years.

On the one hand, to some extent, we are talking about growing regionalisation, in fact, a reduction of the transportation leg in foreign trade to reduce risks. Another factor is the desire to diversify partners, also to mitigate the increasing level of political risks. The economic factor will be less decisive amid the new conditions.

The global changes will affect the countries of Central Asia and Russia, in part, by contributing to the expansion of mutual trade and investment, writes Marsel Salikhov, President of the Institute for Energy and Finance Foundation, for the Third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-role-of-russia-and-central-asia-in-new-word/

#CentralAsianValdai #CentralAsia #economy

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🌏 Сhange is the basic feature of the current Central Asia region, or rather Central Asia is undergoing a period of great transformation.

This is the biggest overall trend shift in the Central Asian countries since their independence in 1991, and it is clearly reflected in its domestic politics, regional relations and foreign policies.

In the field of domestic politics, change is characterised by reform, as can be seen in the two major powers of Central Asia, Uzbekistan, the most populous country, and Kazakhstan, the largest country in territory. The two countries have had a change of presidents in 2016 and 2019, respectively, and entered the second generation of leaders, which led to the beginning of domestic reforms in both countries.

Although the reforms of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan do not cover all Central Asian countries, they have a key shaping influence on the formation of regional development trend due to their special status in Central Asia’s politics, economy and diplomacy.

After 30 years of development, against the backdrop of tremendous changes in world politics and economics, the Central Asian countries have a strong desire to embrace innovation, change, development and modernisation, writes Valdai Club expert Zhao Huasheng.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/change-in-central-asia-toward-a-new-central-asian/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia

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🌏 For a long time to come, external factors will remain a major security threat to the Central Asian countries. There is no doubt about it. However, in assessing security risks, more attention should be paid to internal factors as well as external threats.

Both terrorist activities and “colour revolutions” are mainly caused by domestic factors, and mainly carried out by domestic forces. Even foreign terrorist groups targeting Central Asian states are mostly comprised of those states’ own citizens. Of course, internal and external factors are intertwined and difficult to separate, but internal factors are fundamental.

Since internal problems present the greatest risk, the main way to maintain security and stability in Central Asia should be the elimination of internal problems, even if the barrier to external dangers should be built first and foremost at home.

In fact, the Central Asian countries have become increasingly aware of it, and the reforms underway in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are aimed at this end, writes Zhao Huasheng.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-in-change-where-do-security-risks/

#Азия_и_Евразия #CentralAsia

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🌏 Due to its unique geographical and geopolitical location, Central Asia has always been a crossroads for great powers.

Due to the special background of relations between Central Asia and Russia, great power relations for the Central Asian countries are also of particular importance, even with regards to their political security. Therefore, the proper management of great power relations is not only a diplomatic skill for Central Asian countries, but also a way to secure the security and stability of their countries.

All the major powers are active in Central Asia, including China, Russia, the United States, Europe, India and Japan. This would not be a problem for the Central Asian countries if the major powers were on good terms, but the reality is that the relationship between the major powers in Central Asia is complicated, writes Zhao Huasheng.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-in-change-beyond-the-great-game/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia #geopolitics

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🌏 On September 14-15, 2023, the Anniversary Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Five Central Asian States will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Five years have passed since the first meeting was convened at the initiative of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and a mechanism for consultations at the highest level was launched.

Today we can say with confidence that the hopes for a “informal club” of regional leaders have been fully justified. Moreover, this is true of all components, including political, economic, cultural and humanitarian ones.

The countries of Central Asia, as independent parties engaged in international relations, do not want the region to become an arena of multilateral competition in the spirit of the “Great Game”. They have other long-term interests: strengthening the neighbourhood as well as building peaceful, friendly, equal and mutually respectful among themselves and with the outside world, writes Rashid Alimov

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-towards-a-new-calibre-of-relations/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia

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🌏 The United States prefers not to swing the “sanctions baton” in Central Asia.

During the year, only a few companies were subjected to restrictions. None of the major local players were affected by the restrictions. Washington fears that more radical measures could embitter local elites and reduce Western influence in the region.

The conflict between the West and Russia, as well as the degradation of the system of international relations, have given the countries of Central Asia a chance to rethink their role in the world, build new relationships with each other and push for the economic development of the region, writes Grigory Mikhailov.

https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/central-asia-competition-or-cooperation/

#Asia_and_Eurasia #CentralAsia #Eurasia #sanctions

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