http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/354/16538_asia.html
Russia must minimize USA's influence in Central Asia
11/28/2005 17:27
Central Asia still remains a highly important region for Russia without
which it cannot exist
After the official withdrawal of the US army base in Khanabad,
Uzbekistan, and the republic's re-orientation to Russia, it becomes clear that
Russia has been concentrating more and more of its attention in the region of
Central Asia. It brings up a question of the region's importance to Russia:
Central Asia is the desolate mountainous territory, on which five rather poor
countries are situated.
Central Asia became the vassal of the Russian empire in the 1870s. Five
union republics were formed in the region after the Great October Revolution on
1917. Shariat laws were canceled in the new republics, whereas the Soviet
government involved them in the construction of communism. Huge reserves of raw
materials were found on the territories of the Asian republics of the Soviet
Union, large industrial centers, railways and car roads were built there. The
collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed the once stable economic links between
the Asian republics and the Russian Federation, which eventually resulted in
the sudden decline of the living standard in the Asian countries. The republic
of Tajikistan experienced a serious political crisis, when Islamic
fundamentalists nearly succeeded in an attempt to seize power in the country.
The situation was more stable in other Asian republics of the former Soviet
Union, but they all suffered from massive unemployment, which made hundreds of
thousands of Asian citizens look for jobs in Russia. On the other hand,
millions of Russians were left in those republics to the mercy of fate after
the break-up of the USSR.
Russia tried to preserve its influence in the region: the Russian
administration managed to set up military and economic organizations with
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The republic of Turkmenistan turned into
a completely isolated country, whereas Uzbekistan preferred to develop
cooperation with the USA and disregarded its relations with Russia.
As long as Russia was developing cooperation with the Asian republics of
the former Soviet Union, politicians had to come to certain concessions, which
made Russia provide Asian citizens visa-free entry to its territory (Russia has
no visa rules with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). It goes
without saying that many Russians do not approve such practice: some people say
that the government of Russia should order to build a wall on the border with
Kazakhstan to cut the constantly increasing number of immigrants arriving from
Asian republics.
Scientist of politics Vitaly Tretyakov believes that there is no point in
discussing the question about Central Asia and its coexistence with Russia.
"Russia cannot do without Central Asia and Central Asia will not be able to
exist without Russia either. We are responsible for this part of the world as
much as we are responsible for Eastern Europe. Both politicians and the
majority of people support Russia's relations with Asian republics. We have no
right to turn back. One should not forget oil and gas reserves in the region,"
Tretyakov said.
Sergei Markov, the director of the Center for Political Research,
believes that Russia is the only stronghold of stability in the region. "The
USA has showed with its policies in Afghanistan and Iraq that its presence in
the Asian region inevitably leads to the growth of radical Islamism and
drug-smuggling. Drug dealers operate in Afghan and Iraqi governments already.
Russia must not let it happen. The border with Kazakhstan is practically open,
which means that Russia may seriously suffer from drug mafia and terrorism, if
the government does not take adequate measures," Markov said.
As for the question of so-called orange revolutions in connection with
the forthcoming presidential election in Kazakhstan, Sergei Markov said that
another coup similar to the ones in Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
would never happen in Kazakhstan. "The government of Kazakhstan was extremely
concerned about those uprisings in neighbouring countries; they do not have any
illusions about the USA anymore. It is Russia that should carry responsibility
for democratic procedures in Central Asia. The situation with democracy in the
region leaves much to be desired, but Russia has a much better understanding of
what should be done in Central Asia at this point.
Russia should not disregard Central Asia in its foreign politics simply
because of the fact that there are millions of Russian living there. "We must
interfere in the situation in the region. There are over six million Russians
living in Kazakhstan, about 1.5 million in Uzbekistan and a million in
Kyrgyzstan. The Russians are a separated nation and Russia must protect its
people everywhere," Vitaly Tretyakov said.
Vadim Trukhachev
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