Central asia is part of its extended strategic neighbourhood. With the breakup of the soviet union in 1991, five newborn central asian states have emerged in place of the former soviet central asia and afghanistan. For many in russia, stability in central asia essentially means the absence of major regional conflicts that may pose threats to the. In different ways energy is fundamental to the rise of russia and china as great powers. In central asia, the overall picture is more complex, especially with the.
Sep 17, 20 johannes linn discusses chinas and russias growing support for economic integration in central asia, specifically in kazahkstah, which is seen as a potential driver of regional and global. Commonwealth of independent states cis was a space of vital interest. Routledge, 2009, a fourvolume collection of the most notable scholarly articles published on the region. The geopolitical situation in central asia has changed considerably and the republics in the region repeatedly expressed their interest in. One is of its gas pipeline routes through south asia, the second is security factor related to afghanistan including entrance of militants in central asian republics and drug trafficking. Central asia and the indiarussia partnership the diplomat. However, the interaction of these three players in the region is complicated. Central asia is an important region in the world due to its geopolitical location and rich energy resources. For russia, possession of vast oil and gas resources ful.
But, unfortunately, the relationship faces several constraints including the lack of direct access to central asia. For purposes of the current analysis, only russian policies towards central asia are to be analyzed in detail. Today its trade turnover with countries of central asia is only onethird of the volume of trade with the former central asian republics in the ussr. Chinas expanding commercial interests in central asia, the russian far. Central asia s stability and russias securitycentral asia s stability and russias security dmitri trenin november 2000 ponars policy memo 168 carnegie moscow center in august 2000, as in 1999, islamic rebels tested the strength of central asian government forces. The changing logic of russian strategy in central asia. India will have to find space for itself and play a role in accordance with its aspirations of emerging a leading power in asia. Jan 27, 2015 central asia and the indiarussia partnership. Nov 22, 20 some competition between the two undoubtedly exists, but it has thus far been limited primarily to commercial areas, and has been carried out in an orderly manner. Russian strategic interests in south asia scholar research. Russia and eurasia summary conflict management in central asia. Chinarussia relations in central asia the asan forum. Pdf central asia in the context of western and russian.
Russian foreign policy in central asia from 1991 to present. Interests and influences united states institute of peace. This fact sheets sets out some of the issues involved. Russian intrest in central asia after 911content abstract background introduction russian interests in central asia russia and central asia energy resources russias oligarch power plays russian interest in central asian water russias involvement in the central asia security and economy recent developments conclusion references abstract. Russias central asia policy and the role of russian nationalism. However, eurasian heartland has become a contested region for the us, china, iran, turkey, india and pakistan. Principal investigator, the kremlins arctic dreams. Implications for central asia, the nato science for peace and security program. Russian interests in central asia have significantly altered since the end of the cold war. Russian strategy toward central asia generates great interest in western academic and policy circles, but few analytical nuances.
The neighbouring countries like turkey, iran, russia, china, afghanistan, pakistan and india maintain and pursue competing strategic, economic and cultural interests in central asia. The main research topic is the impact of the chinese new silk road project on the russian interests in one of the zones of its strongest traditional influence central asian countries. Prime minister vladimir putins decision to return to the kremlin as russias president next year does not change u. Circumstances in and beyond the region are driving a more committed approach in moscow. China, russia and the balance of power in central asia. Major powers and regionalism in central asia by peter. By the end of the 19th century, russian tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory that later would constitute soviet central asia. The cars never challenged russias greatpower status and its eurasian identity. May 06, 2012 russian intrest in central asia after 91 1. Moscows interest, which considers this region a part of its. It is in chinas interests to underplay its differences with russia. Yet that is precisely what happened to the five central asian republics after russia, belarus and ukrainethe three original signatories of the u. Russias role and interests in central asia the web site cannot be.
And if the us sees central asia ca as globally connected. Indiacentral asian states relations in the 21 century. The policies of the west are seen as challenge to russias spheres of interests. The land that became russian turkestan and later soviet central asia is now divided between kazakhstan in the north, uzbekistan across the center, kyrgyzstan in the east, tajikistan in the southeast and turkmenistan in the southwest. The region consists of the former soviet republics of kazakhstan, kyrgyzstan, tajikistan, turkmenistan, and uzbekistan. May 09, 2015 russia and china sign cooperation pacts.
Idsa policy brief 1 summary india has traditionally attached great importance to its relations with central asia. This report also focuses on the political and economic relations of central asia s states in recent years. The term great game originally refers to the nineteenthcentury competition between the russian and british empires for control over central asia. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Few peoples of the world have ever been forced to become independent nations. Russia and china sign cooperation pacts the new york times. Geostrategic implications for russia and the world in 2040, the office of net assessment may 2010 april 2011. Russia annexed lake issyk kul in north east kyrgyzstan of off china in the early 1860s, lands of turkmens, khanate of khiva, emirate of bukhara in the second half of 1800s. The us prefers china to russia in central asia the diplomat. While china is significant, its expanding footprint is in fact still rather narrow in central asia, and its.
China and russia will remain significant actors in central asia, and advancing u. Waning russian influence in the south caucasus and central asia pdf. Chinese influence in central asia and the russian far east rfe, in areas of military power and trade. This is especially true of chinese interests in central asia, which are more directly opposed to indian and russian regional imperatives than. In this context, the sudden changes taking place in central asia the appear. Pdf central asia in the context of western and russian interests. This is no mean feat, and the notion routinely sparks concern about russian efforts. Central asia provides the most comprehensive survey of the history of the impact of russian rule upon the political, economic, social, intellectual, and cultural life of this diverse region. Central asia is a secondary priority for chinese foreign policy, which is why russia and china have thus far been able to get along. This page was last edited on 7 december 2019, at 16. Russia and central asia how is russia and central asia. Central asia is a region which stretches from the caspian sea in the west to china in the east, and from afghanistan and iran in the south to russia in the north. Russia and china in central asia, the russian far east, and the arctic. The first part analyses the main benefits of this giant project.
All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The energy ministry is to formulate a new energy policy to help clear huge indebtedness within the power sector and sustain interest in oil exploration. Feb 29, 2012 central asia is the frontier of american policymaking, with complex challenges in a strategically vital region but no easy way to address them. For much of the postsoviet period, central asia has been a backwater of russian foreign policy. Russia itself was gradually losing its former positions in central asia.
Central asia is critical to putins aim of establishing russia as the leading player in the eurasian. Chinas influence has been growing due to expanding trade, acquisition of energy resources, and overall rise as a major power. Following the breakup of the soviet union, russias interests in central asia were mainly related to security concerns. Pdf central asia is an important region in the world due to its geopolitical location and rich energy resources. The post1999 boom in world oil prices has underpinned russias reemergence as a great power. Depending on the source, russia is often characterized as wanting to dominate or control the region, to reconstitute the soviet union, or to obsessively counter the influence of the west andor a rising china. Chinas and russias geopolitical interests in central asia are deeply rooted in history. Russia continues to lack a common policy on central asia, preferring instead to pursue bilateral relations with individual states, according to regional expert chinara esengul. Assessing interests and influences summary over the course of 2010, china has taken a more conciliatory official approach toward recent north korean provocations, putting it at odds with south korea, japan, and the united states. The russian conquest of central asia took place in the second half of the nineteenth century. Major powers and regionalism in central asia by peter krasnopolsky introduction postsoviet central asian states, kazakhstan, kirgizstan, tajikistan, turkmenistan and uzbekistan have emerged as separate units in the international system after the breakup of the soviet union. Clearly stipulating american interests and policies in the region can help us understand how we can better operate in asia.
Russia in central asia and the caucasus russia took steps to expand and solidify its spheres of influence in central asia and the caucasus to secure its dominance in the region while continuing to increase its military influence globally. Before 1991, the states of central asia were marginal backwaters, republics of the soviet union that played no major role in the cold war relationship between the ussr and the united. The most immediate is concern about the potential for serious instability in what is traditionally described as russia s soft underbelly a cliche, but no less accurate for all that. At least three factors shape chinas interactions with north korea. Central asia remains the stage for the three truly significant actors in this show. Russian strategic interests in south asia are three dimensional. Russian policy on central asia and the role of russian. Russia continues to project itself as an effective. The kyrgyz analyst on central asia geopolitics and security told iwpr that she saw no future imminent accessions to the customs union of russia, armenia, belarus, kazakstan and kyrgyzstan. She has published works on issues of language and ethnic identities, minorities, census politics, elections and patronage in kazakhstan, and eu central asia relations.
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