Latest Articles about Central Asia
Astana Takes Credit for Stability in Kyrgyzstan
Astana has promised to open Kazakhstan’s border with Kyrgyzstan almost one month after the violent regime change in Bishkek. Astana remained reluctant to re-open the border despite numerous pleas from the Kyrgyz. The cost of the closed border was high – Kyrgyz businesses claim millions... MORE
Kyrgyz Instability Presents Challenges for Russia, China and the SCO
On April 23, the Security Council secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in Tashkent in preparation for the organization’s annual summit also scheduled to be held in the Uzbek capital in June. In the aftermath of the violent protests on April 7 that... MORE
Historical Context for Regional Response to Recent Events in Kyrgyzstan
The international reaction to the events of April 6-7 in Kyrgyzstan follows a pattern that is becoming all too familiar in the region. Over the past 19 years, many of the former Soviet republics have experienced violent and/or unexpected transitions in the form of political... MORE
Political Competition Intensifies in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government today is torn between its efforts to gain international legitimacy and maintain its domestic popularity. It has convicted former president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, of mass murder. Lacking formal legitimacy, the provisional government’s decision to convict Bakiyev was largely an act targeted towards its... MORE
Russia Moves to Strengthen Ties with Uzbekistan
As the Kremlin intensified its efforts to develop relations with Uzbekistan, the leadership of the most populous nation in Central Asia appears to remain non-committal. Following talks in Moscow, Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, hailed the bilateral summit on April... MORE
Kyrgyzstan’s Provisional Government Needs International Support, Oversight
Kurmanbek Bakiyev was pressured by the OSCE, United States and European Union to leave Kyrgyzstan. On April 15, Kazakhstan dispatched a military aircraft to transfer Bakiyev and his family members to its territory. Several days later, the Kazakh government announced that Bakiyev had left the... MORE
Is a Russian-Uzbek Rapprochement in the Offing?
Uzbekistan is famous for its flexibility in maneuvering between Moscow and Washington. Most recently, President Islam Karimov has been the subject of overtures from the US and NATO to which he has responded positively. However, Moscow clearly intends to establish itself as Tashkent’s principal interlocutor... MORE
Nazarbayev’s Role in the Kyrgyz Crisis
Kazakhstan, currently chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), by extricating the former Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from internal exile in Jalalabad has highlighted opaque features of the crisis. It also provided an opportunity for the Kazakh president to cast himself in... MORE
Implications of Kyrgyzstan Revolt on China’s Xinjiang Policy
As the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan reaches a turning point, after opposition forces seized the capital Bishkek in a bloody clash and ousted the president and his allies, Chinese leaders from regions across China have reportedly descended upon Xinjiang en masse in a rare spectacle... MORE
Could the Bishkek Scenario Repeat Itself in Kazakhstan?
The second wave of revolution, which swept the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, from power, has sent a clear warning to the ruling elite in Astana. The National Security Committee (KNB) has taken preventative measures to minimize the possible impact of the uprising in Bishkek and... MORE