Central Asian States Research Articles

The role of natural resources in financial expansion: evidence from Central Asia

Central Asian States (CAS) have diverse natural resources. This research aims to shed light on the finance–natural resource’s association in the context of CAS namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in 1996–2020 using the cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag technique. It seeks to examine the research question, “What is the effect of natural resource wealth on the financial expansion (FE) of Central Asia?” The results demonstrated an inverted U-shaped association between financial growth and natural resource rents. It implies that natural resources are initially a “resource blessing” that later becomes a “resource curse.” Additionally, the effect of institutional quality (INQ) and human development (HD) on financial growth is examined. The results reveal that INQ and HD positively affect FE. Moreover, a bidirectional causal relationship exists between FE and INQ. Finally, all variables contribute to a long term FE. Based on these outcomes, the major policy recommendations are that the CAS authorities diversify their financial services and products and direct the proceeds from natural resource rents to effective investments particularly in HD. In addition, the social and political infrastructures in CAS must be restructured to achieve a high-quality institutional environment, which is necessary to increase the role of the private sector.

HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ASPECTS OF LABOR MIGRATION IN CENTRAL ASIA

This article explores the historical and modern aspects of the movement of population in particular labor migration, explains the processes of development in the conditions of a planned economy to a market. The difficulty of placing the labor force, the emergence of unemployment, job complexity, as well as, the relationship of nations and multinational states of Central Asia

Economic instruments of the EU's political influence in Central Asia

The subject of this article is the assessment of the competitiveness of the European Union in the "Big Game" for influence in Central Asia. Brussels is actively using economic opportunities to promote its foreign policy interests. It is worth noting that for the Central Asian countries that pursue a multi-vector and pragmatic foreign policy, economic cooperation with the European Union is also a priority. The article examines the effectiveness of the use of some economic instruments of EU influence in relation to the countries of Central Asia. Particular attention is paid to assessing the effectiveness of the development of trade relations and the creation of preferential regimes, the provision of financial assistance as an instrument of political coercion. Based on the analysis of statistical data, the position is confirmed that the restrictions in the field of trade and investment, the conditions for providing financial assistance imposed by Brussels to exert political pressure on the countries of the region are ineffective. The author comes to the conclusion that political blackmail by the EU against the Central Asian states reduces the level of their trust. Ignorance of local specifics complicates the implementation of joint projects and programs. It is stated that the EU strategy in Central Asia is losing out to the strategies of third countries, primarily China and Russia.

About the key regional priority of Russia's foreign policy

The state structures of the country are developing a new concept of the state's foreign policy. The geopolitical situation has changed dramatically and the previous concept no longer refl ects the new reality. The concept will determine the main priorities of the country, including regional ones. In previous documents, the European one occupied the priority place among them. Due to the increased dynamics of political and economic processes in Asia, an increase in its share in the global economy, an increase in the potential for conflict in this region and, consequently, the need to solve regional security problems, Russia should set the Asian direction as its key regional priority. This is an objective necessity. The article examines the factors contributing to the preference of this priority, among them the policy of the European Union, which was created by Western European elites to form a "united Europe" under the auspices of the EU. The aim was to reduce Russia's infl uence on pan-European processes, pushing it into the Asian part of the Eurasian space. Eurasia should take its proper place in the new concept of Russia's foreign policy. In addition to developing relations with the leading Asian countries, with ASEAN, fi lling these relations with appropriate content, the bet should be placed on the development of integration within the EU, which does not remain a loose integration. In addition, Western countries have increased pressure on the Central Asian states with the aim of tearing their economy away from the Russian economy. Strengthening the EAEU meets the interests not only of our country, but also of the Central Asian states, since it is difficult for them individually to resist the larger players in Asia. The combined potential of the EAEU countries, taking into account Uzbekistan's cooperation with them, is a market of 23 million people. This is a fairly self-suffi cient market with large resources. Therefore, the development of the potential of the EAEU, strengthening its position as an integration association should take a key place in the regional priorities of our country's foreign policy.

Regional development in Сentral Asia: status, problems and prospects

The article deals with the problems of the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of the Central Asian countries (CA), where such industries as the healthcare system, transport and supply, services and employment, incomes and social protection of the population, trade relations between regions and the export of natural resources were mainly affected. The article analyzes the anti-crisis measures taken by national governments for the comprehensive recovery and development of regions, as well as the sustainability of economic growth in general. The consequences and prospects of regional development are considered, the difference in approaches to the implementation of anti-crisis measures in each of the Central Asian states is emphasized. The authors of the article believe that anti-crisis support measures should be maintained until the recovery of the economy and social sphere becomes an irreversible process, since the unpredictability and uncertainty of the course of the pandemic, its possible protracted nature acts as the main risk of disruption of the planned terms of economic recovery and social development of the regions.

The intention to disclose medical errors among health professionals in Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT Introduction Disclosure of near-miss medical error (ME) and how to disclose ME to patients remain controversial. Furthermore, available guidelines on the disclosure of ME have primarily emerged in developing countries; however, their suitability for Central Asian states is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of healthcare professionals (HCPs) intending to disclose MEs and their perceptions pertaining to MEs. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Kazakhstan using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 109 HCPs about the causes of disclosure MEs and the consequences in their practice. Results The majority of participants believed that they would be sued if they disclosed errors and near misses. There was a positive relationship between the threat of censure (p = 0.03) and the threat of dismissal (p = 0.01) in HCPs. There was also a significant difference between the distributions of liable for malpractice after disclosing an error to a patient or family member and experience of reporting a ME to administration. Conclusions In this study, most HCPs reported MEs to a hospital administration, although about half perceived that disclosing MEs to a patient is ethically unnecessary. Poor disclosure could be due to the fear of litigation and dismissal.

THE PRACTICE OF GENUINE MULTILATERALISM: THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) is a typical case of genuine multilateralism practised by China, Russia, the five Central Asian states, India and Pakistan. To study the institutionalization and membership expansion process of the SCO, this paper preliminarily selects four variables, namely crisis management, common interests, international coordination and collective intention, and explores how the actors, which are full of competition and conflict at different levels, reach consensus and finally form a new organizational form. This paper assumes that in the international community, countries build collective intentions through international interaction or coordination based on common interests and the needs of crisis management. After reaching the collective intention, it continues to construct the international system through international interaction. We believe that international interaction runs through the process of institutionalization or system construction, and the institutionalization of multilateral consensus is the process of constructing a multilateral system by the common ideas of all countries. Therefore, with the enlargement and deep institutionalization of the SCO, genuine multilateralism will be more fully practised and developed.

Central Asia – Russia: Opportunities and Limitations in Building a Joint Future (Foresight Analysis)

Central Asia now plays an important geopolitical role in the balance of power in Eurasia. Russia's role in the region is evolving, but it remains one of the leading ones. The pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have shifted the situation out of homeostasis. So it is now important to address the issue of security, support for small and mediumsized businesses, and the preservation and development of cultural and humanitarian links. Based on the Foresight procedure this article draws conclusions about the way forward for multilateral relations in the “Central Asia-Russia” format on the basis of the outcome documents announced by the Heads of the Central Asian States and the Russian Federation after their meeting. Using the rapid Foresight tools (anticipation, design, programming and projection), conclusions are drawn about the important position of the Russian Federation as a regional actor in the external policies of the Central Asian States. Its current position is strong, but not uncontroversial. The thesis of the interpenetration of the Russian and Central Asian economies has also been elaborated, since the backbone of low-diversifcation economies are energy and energy-transit. At the same time, one cannot ignore the powerful resource of soft power. The vast area of frontier communicativeness formed by the Kazakhstan-Russian border is a unique resource that can be exploited in the future. The article was based on the results of a scientifc discussion held at the National Communications Development Research Institution (NIIRC), Moscow, Russia in 2022.

Changing Well-Being in Central Asia: Evidence from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

This article explains the puzzle why subjective well-being (SBW) declined in Kazakhstan and increased in Kyrgyzstan from 2011 to 2018. It examined the predictors of the change in SWB in two Central Asian states over this period. We found that freedom of choice and financial satisfaction are powerful factors that predict the change in SWB in the two states. In addition, we observed that SWB has changed differently for various social groups. In Kazakhstan SWB has increased for financially satisfied people and it has diminished for the financially dissatisfied people. In Kyrgyzstan, for both groups we observe the increase in life satisfaction. These results show that even within one state the change in SWB might vary from one group to another. As such, scholars should disaggregate various factors to understand a more nuanced dynamics of life satisfaction over time. In addition, the differences in economic and political contexts are important.

Religious and Political Factor in Iran's Foreign Policy in Central Asia

This article highlights the role of the religious factor in Iran's foreign policy in Central Asia. In order to determine the priority directions of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the stages of formation and development of foreign policy towards Central Asia were analyzed. The significance of the concept of "Shiа crescent" (Shiа triangle) has been studied as the main direction of Iran's foreign policy and its reflection in cooperation with the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East. In the foreign policy of official Tehran in relation to the countries of the region, the reasons for rejecting the idea of "exporting" the revolution and the reasons for reorientation to a pragmatic policy were also analyzed. Iran's approaches to solving security problems in Central Asia have been studied. Special attention was paid to the strategic importance of Iran for Central Asia, at the present stage, common interests and directions for the development of economic relations between Iran and the Central Asian states were highlighted. In the 90s of the last century, Iran, using religious rhetoric, tried to lay the foundation for a policy towards the countries of Central Asia. It can be said that the countries of the region found themselves in such a difficult situation as the choice between a secular regime and a religious renaissance. Despite the confessional differences with the countries of the region, it should be noted that Iran sought to support political Islamic groups in the region. Key words: Iran, Shiism, Central Asia, religious factor, exporting the revolution, Islam.

The Potential of Selected Central Asian States to Provide Security in Crises

This article aims to introduce the activities of selected Central Asian countries – having a direct border with Afghanistan, i.e. Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – to ensure security after the change of power in Kabul. Familiarisation with the subject matter made it possible to pose the following research questions: 1) Do the selected Central Asian states show predestination to pursue an independent policy towards the Afghan problem? 2) Has the Taliban’s seizure of control of the country been reflected in the strengthening of the position of China, the United States and Russia in the region? 3) ) Has the Taliban’s seizure of control of the country been reflected in the strengthening of the position of China, the United States and Russia in the region?? The collected materials in the form of official government communiqués and press releases provided the key to analyzing the selected actions of state bodies in the situation of increasing threat, tracing the attempts to expand cooperation with subjects of international law understood as states and international organizations. While highlighting the issues of maintaining internal order, it was impossible to omit the issue of the military potential of the state, influencing the security strategy planning process. The main research methods used while creating the article were: synthesis through causal association, analogy, induction and deduction.

The role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the process of ecological rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories

The article is devoted to defining the role and practical significance of the activities of the International Agency in the field of atomic energy in the field of ecological rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories. The article analyzed the international programs adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the environmental rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories. The purpose of the article is to determine the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the field of international cooperation regarding the ecological rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories. Since its creation, special attention has been paid to Ukraine's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, in particular, projects to overcome the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as well as programs related to former uranium production facilities located on the territory of the former production association "Prydniprovsk Chemical Plant" have been investigated .
 Based on the analysis of these programs, conclusions were drawn about the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the process of remediation of radioactively contaminated territories, and the main forms of cooperation were also determined: assistance in the development and adoption of programs for the remediation of such territories, exchange of experience, provision of technical assistance, improvement of the qualifications of specialists in in this field, assessment and monitoring of the level of radioactive exposure at the relevant facilities. In addition, the article examines the experience of international cooperation of the IAEA with other foreign countries, in particular, the states of Central Asia and Japan.
 The author came to the conclusion that despite the existing international programs of the IAEA in the researched area, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency states that the Russian forces have violated the safety criteria at nuclear facilities, but to have a real impact and stop violations of safety standards at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently, the international organization is unable. cannot influence the situation to act as a guarantor of nuclear safety.

Soğuk Savaş Sonrası Dönemde Orta Asya’da Jeopolitik Değişimler

Eurasia has been regarded as the most important region that must be controlled by any power that aims to dominate the world, according to the geostrategists who shaped Eurasian policies for their countries. The UK and Germany have developed their policies for the region based on the views of their geostrategists before the Cold War. The US focused on containing Soviet Union shaping its policy based on the principles of these theories during the Cold War. In the early post-Cold war era, the US intensified its engagement with Central Asian states mainly with economic motivation. September 11 attacks provided an opportunity for the US to increase its influence as well as bolstering military deployment in the Central Asia. Russia led by Putin, especially after the consolidation of its power, however, has changed the balance of power in the region, especially in former Soviet Union territories, and did not lose the control of “Hearthland”. This paper analyses changes in the geopolitics of Central Asia in the post-Cold War era and, argues that theories such as “Hearthland” still keep their importance in Eurasia politics.

Metaphor Used by the US as a Lethal Weapon of Mass Destruction against the Other for Pursuing Ulterior Motives

To get access to the resources-rich central Asian states and to nip in the bud the state of Afghanistan, that had proclaimed itself under the Taliban regime to be a state run solely under the ideology and system of Islam- the next threat to The US after the socialism-the US, after the 9/11 incident, took resource to using the linguistic weapon of metaphor before and along the surgical strikes and managed to beset the thoughts of every individual on the globe. It was successfully used as a justification to approve finances from the US Parliament for mongering an uncalled for war, to enlist moral support of its citizens by means of instilling fear in them, to elicit active financial and personnel support of its European allies and to silence the international community from raising its voice against the attack. It is the domain of cognitive linguistic where these conceptual metaphor, or cognitive metaphor, are used to the understanding of one idea, or conceptual domain, in terms of another. This study focused on identifying the conceptual metaphors used in the War on Terror discourse for influencing opinion against the enemy and dehumanizing it. Metaphors are used in the conceptual domain of covering the false ideas of the US and influencing the world to manipulate and pursue their ulterior motives. There actual motive was to get the justified war on terror as legal and the only source of getting away with it. They influenced the world with their justified war on terror policy and gained their motives.

Islam and Psychology in the post-Soviet space: history, modernity and prospects

The article provides an overview of the history, current state, trends and prospects for the development of the field of knowledge and practice at the intersection of Islam and Psychology in selected countries of the post-Soviet space in line with global trends in Islamic Psychology and the historical, social, political and legal contexts that are characteristic of these countries. An analysis of the modern context, historical experience and existing developments of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods allowed the authors to identify the general and the particular in the theory and practice of Islamic Psychology in the countries under consideration, as well as to assess the prospects for its development.The authors state that the development of the problems of Islam and Psychology in the Russian Federation has a solid academic and practical basis for the further development of Islamic Psychology and the provision of psychological assistance to Muslims based on the Islamic tradition. Based on a detailed analysis of a number of areas of activity (scientific, educational, consulting, etc.) in this area, it is indicated that in Russia the field of Islamic Psychology is developing at a faster pace than in other CIS countries. It is noted that the Russian model can serve as a kind of example for the development of Islamic Psychology in these countries (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and the states of Central Asia), which in many ways follows the pattern of the Russian Federation with relevant regional specifics and has great opportunities and prospects, given that the majority of the population of these countries belongs to Muslims, who have historically deep roots of Islamic culture and religion.

Pavel Alexandrovich Baranov. A life for science and the motherland

The year 2022 marks the 130th anniversary of the birth and the 60th anniversary of the death of one of the most remarkable directors of a large number of botanical scientific institutions, Pavel Aleksandrovich Baranov. His life was devoted to the creation and development of the Central Asian State University (SAGU), the Botanical Institute of SAGU, the Pamir Biological Station and the Pamir Botanical Garden in Khorog, the Main Botanical Garden of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the Central Asian Branch of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry, etc. He has been a passionate fighter against Lysenkoism and propagandized advances in genetics.

Religion and State in Central Asia: A Comparative Regional Approach

This article analyzes Islamization process occurred in the five central Asian countries after their separation from Soviet Union in 1991, and ambivalent way in which authoritarian states reacted to this phenomenon to use it for political purposes and, at the same time, controlling its alleged subversive potencial. In this sense, article intends to demostrated that, with its particular nuances in each case, religion-State relationship after 1991 has been determinated by a triple contradiction between, first, the growing Islamic resurgence at societal level and states interest for using part of that religios simbolic capital to legitimize political regimes and prop up new national identities; second, between states' need to differentiate themselves from their former Soviet identity and their continuity attitude regarding power excersice and religion perception; and third, between states authoritarian nature, interested in excercising strict control over religius sphere, and the emergence of religius activism opposed to intervencionist and repressive governments policies, including the most radical forms of violent radicalism.

The main directions of Turkey’s policy in Central Asia

Central Asia is strategically important for the security and stability of the EuroAtlantic region. The region’s energy resources are vital to global energy security and it is a major hub for oil and gas pipelines and trade corridors. This article provides an overview of Turkey’s bilateral and multilateral relations with the states of Central Asia since independence. The relevance of the article is due to the major political changes that are taking place in the states of Central Asia, and in the two largest of them, there is a change in political leadership. Despite the fact that the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey in Central Asia over the past thirty years has had its ups and downs, it is considered indisputable that the country has managed to become one of the significant geopolitical players in the region through the strengthening of bilateral relations, as well as in the framework of multilateral cooperation. As the largest Turkic-speaking state, Turkey is considering the new “Turkic” states of the CAR from the point of view of creating a Turkic union under the auspices of Turkey – the “Great Turan” project. The idea of a Turkic union is one of the main priorities of the Turkish foreign policy strategy, which would allow it to strengthen its position in the international arena. Historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious identity with the countries of the Central Asian region, as well as in the context of R. Erdogan’s new foreign policy and a more active role in international relations, Turkey is becoming a new participant in the “Great Game”. In this sense, when analyzing the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey in Central Asia in this article, this issue is studied both in bilateral and regional formats.

О перспективах демократии в мусульманском мире

The democratic trend in the Muslim world is very difficult and contradictory. Its particularities need to be correctly studied what gives an opportunity to present suggestions about perspectives of democracy in Muslim states and societies. The Muslim world itself is composed of 47 states in which the majority consists of muslims added to them some other where the Muslim minority often possess a significant influence. Only several Muslim states could be classified as secular – among them Turkey, all states in Central Asia and some others. In the majority of those countries Islam isn’t accepted as source of law, clergymen don’t participate in taking key political decisions, but local administrations including of a high level evidently emphasize that their decisions are corresponding with the Islamic tradition. As far as Muslim monarchies, especially in the Persian Gulf, they carry out their politics according with religious norms but at the same time avoiding radicalization. They are opened to modernity. There are only two states – Iran and Afghanistan – whose fundamental pillars of the rule are based on Islamic law. In this article we describe how different regimes attempt to use some democratic norms (for example elections and multipartism) in order to consolidate themselves and to reach popularity. At the same time with a short number of exceptions they continue to stay authoritarian. Islam constantly influences on the social as well as on the political situation in the Muslim world. We shouldn’t exaggerate its impact but in the same time Islam’s presence in the political life shouldn’t be ignored. The Islamic factor and the Islamic tradition remain constant but they are not an absolute obstacle on the road to democratic process.

ОРТА АЗИЯ МЕМЛЕТЕТТЕРІНІҢ СУ РЕСУРСТАРЫ БОЙЫНША САЯСИ-ГЕОГРАФИЯЛЫҚ КЕЛІСІМДЕРІ ЖƏНЕ ОЛАРДЫҢ ШЕШІМДЕРІ

The article discusses the reasons that negatively affect the states of Central Asia (CA) to effectively conduct a multilateral format of cooperation in the region on water resources. Options for improving access to low-carbon energy generation have been carefully explored to meet the growing demand for green energy due to the huge impacts of climate change and scarcity of water resources. According to the study, relations between Europe and Central Asia are implemented within the framework of the EU's Central Asian Strategy. We found out that they are actively working to create a stronger, broader and more modern cooperation with the five countries of Central Asia. From 2014 to 2020, the European Union provided the region with an estimated 1.1 billion euros of European assistance, becoming the main donor in Central Asia. The total amount of grants for Central Asia for the period 2021-2024 is at least $390 million through bilateral and regional programs. This included two Team Europe regional initiatives that the EU officially launched in Samarkand, one on digital communications and the other on water, energy and climate. The acute problems in the reviewed research work can be used as valuable proposals in all areas in the field of effective joint water resources management among the states of Central Asia.