New Geopolitical Role of Central Asia within Foreign Policy Interests of World Powers

Rustem Kulnazarov

doi:10.5539/ass.v11n12p125

Abstract

As a result of the fall of the Soviet Union, the leading global and regional players have started their occupation of the geopolitical and geo-economical vacuum in Central Asia. This article is targeted to trace the competition growth with regard to establishment of control over the Central Asian region by global players, in particular, by Russia, seeking to return Central Asia, and China, striving to entangle the region into its orbit of influence. Within two post-Soviet decades, the world players still have not managed to develop a general cooperation scheme against each other in Central Asia. Although, at the beginning of the XXI century, Russia and China attempted to build up a scheme of the Russian-Chinese-Central Asian cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, however this scheme cannot be called effective due to the absence of common vision of long-term interests in Russia, China and Central Asian countries. As it seems, even at very short by historical standards period of time, after the fall of the Soviet Union we observe clear interests in the Central Asian’s policies of Russia and China.

Highlights

The region of Central Asia, due to its geographical position from ancient times, has played a significant role in international relations
The Russian basic targets in Central Asia include a return of the region to the Russian geopolitical space, playing a key role in ensuring safety in the region and weakening invasion of foreign capital into the economy of the region and influence of other global countries Islamic states
Central Asia is considered by Russia as a zone of geopolitical interests, separating it from many hazardous “hot spots” in the Middle East and South Asia

Summary

Introduction

The region of Central Asia, due to its geographical position from ancient times, has played a significant role in international relations. Considering the fact that a substantive section of the Great Silk Road since the II century B.C. crossed the Region linking the East and the West, the Central Asia saw a very active development of political, trade and cultural relations. For the whole period of the Great Silk Road from the II century B.C. to the XV century A.D., interests of various states such as China, Persia, Turkic Kaganate, Mongol Empire, Golden Horde and Tamerlane’s Empire were intertwining in Central Asia. In the XV-XVI centuries, along with strengthening of the Russian nation, Moscow had started to establish trade and diplomatic contacts with countries located in Central Asia. The relations were actively developing between Moscow and the Kazakh Khanate. The Russian state was interested in relations with the Kazakh Khanate with a view to ensure safety of traditional roads crossing the Kazakh Khanate and leading to Central Asia.

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