Страны Центральной Азии в мировой политике

International Ataturk Alatoo University

Faculty of Economics and Administration

   Department of International Relations 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Central Asian States in the World Politics after the Break-Up of the Soviet Union

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subject: Central Asia and Caucasus in World Politics

Name: Meerim Zhunushalieva

Lecturer: Nuria Kutnaeva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bishkek 2014

 

Introduction

The collapse of the Soviet Union is one of the most significant events in world history of the 20th century. The Declaration of independence in late 1991 required the ruling elites in the States of Central Asia a series of measures aimed at perpetuating and legitimizing their own situation, maintaining the vitality of the economy and social system, replacing Communist ideology, national definition his place in the world community. The implementation of all these measures was conducted on the basis of separation from Russia. To this end, introduced the national languages, its own currency, the exchange rate was to limit the cooperation ties with Russia, on direct access for its products to the world market, as well as to join various international organizations, such as the UN, the Organization for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD), the WTO, and others.  

 

The causes and processes of disintegration of USSR 

Among historians and politicians have no single point of view that what was the major cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union? There were several reasons:

   the crisis provoked by the routine nature of the economy and led to shortages of many consumer goods;

ill-conceived reform, which led to a sharp deterioration in living standards;

massive resentment interrupted food supplies;

the widening gap in living standards between the citizens of the UNION and citizens of countries of the capitalist camp;

deepening national controversy;

the weakening of central authority;

the authoritarian nature of Soviet society, strict censorship, a ban of the Church, and so on.

The processes that led to the collapse of the USSR, there were already in the 80 's. Against the background of a general crisis the rise of nationalist tendencies in almost all Soviet republics. The first of the USSR are: Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. They are followed by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Ukraine.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was the result of the events of August-December 1991, after the August putsch in the country party; the Communist Party has been suspended. USSR Supreme Soviet and Congress of people's deputies lost power. The last Congress in the history was held in September 1991, and announced its break-up. During this period, the supreme power organ of the USSR State Council was headed by Gorbachev. December 8, 1991 after the signing of the agreement by Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. At the same time, there was education of CIS-Commonwealth of Independent States. The collapse of the Soviet Union became the largest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, which caused a global impact.

The main consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union are sharply reduced production in all countries of the former SOVIET UNION, Russia has fallen by a quarter, the access to sea ports once again disrupted, Russia's population has decreased by half, the emergence of numerous national conflicts, globalization is gradually started gaining the processes that have turned the world into a single political, informational, economic system, the world has become unipolar, and the only superpower left the United States. 

 

Features of development of the countries of Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union 

 

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's foreign policy, there are four priorities: Russia, the countries of Central Asia, West of China. Russia is the main foreign economic and foreign-policy partner of Kazakhstan. The second priority of Kazakhstan's foreign policy relations with developed industrial countries of Western Europe and the United States. Kazakhstan is intensely attracting financial resources for foreign companies in the mining industry. Military cooperation reinforced with NATO and the United States. N.Nazarbayev in 1994, insisted on the participation of the countries in the program Partnership for peace. Kazakhstan took part in formation under the auspices of NATO "in the Central Asian battalion, participating in joint exercises with NATO forces.

Priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy are relations with neighbors-the countries of Central Asia. Kazakhstan seeks to play the role of a regional leader in competition with Uzbekistan. Nazarbayev was one of the initiators of the creation of the Central Asian Union, 1994 (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan). In the 1994-1995 he was the leader of the supreme body of the Commonwealth and has tried to transform the Organization into a vigorously. In 1998 Tajikistan joined them, and the Organization became known as the Central Asian economic community.

Economic cooperation with its southern neighbors of the CIS was low because of weak partners. The most noted large-scale cooperation with Turkey, to a lesser extent, with Iran and Pakistan.  

 

Turkmenistan

After the proclamation of independence, Turkmenistan has established bilateral and multilateral relationships with a number of countries and many international organizations. Turkmenistan is a passive member of the CIS, a member of the United Nations and the organization of Islamic cooperation.

In relations with the West, with Japan and South Korea, the Turkmen leadership appreciates the ability to get credit, technology, and support for competition with neighbors, but does not accept democratic precepts.

Turkmenistan has not participated in military-political cooperation of the CIS countries, as well as in regional integration groupings. He refused and on partnership with NATO. Since 1995, Turkmenistan's neutral status is recognized by the UN. Turkmenistan managed to maintain neutrality to the conflicting parties in Afghanistan, refused to participate in the anti-terrorist operation against the Taliban, did not engage TS in the Tajik conflict. Maintain good relations not only with Uzbekistan due to territorial issues, disputes over water and ownership of gas fields.

The main priority in the policy of Turkmenbashi is the persistence of political independence and the achievement of economic independence from the neighbors. 

 

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan has at least four major foreign policy priorities: the developed countries of the West, Russia, Central Asia, and China.

Treaty on principles of inter-State relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan by ten years July 21, 1991 was signed during the visit of Boris Yeltsin in Bishkek. June 10, 1992 had independent States signed the "Treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance.

Good relations with Russia, Kyrgyzstan is developing in parallel with the establishment of partnerships with the countries of the West. The development of relations with the West has been focused on obtaining assistance from international financial organizations. United States and Germany have provided significant loans to the Kyrgyz economic and humanitarian projects.

Kyrgyzstan's participation in military cooperation with NATO in the partnership for peace program was modest until the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation against the Taliban in 2001, Kyrgyzstan participated in exercise Central Asian battalion, took care of Turkey for officer training.

Kyrgyzstan maintains links with neighboring countries in Central Asia, is part of the Central Asian economic Union, and since February 2002, the Organization of Central-Asian cooperation

Main problems of Kyrgyzstan in relations with neighbors are associated with hydropower potential. An important unresolved issue of Kyrgyzstan for the cost of maintaining the hydraulic system: dams, reservoirs, waterways and canals. In Soviet times it was following federal Center, now the Uzbeks consider water a gift of Allah, Kyrgyz, believed that it was their property.

For Kyrgyzstan relations with China are important. They develop both bilaterally and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In the economy of Kyrgyzstan employs around 350 small Chinese companies.

Thus, the leadership of Kyrgyzstan's foreign policy draws a line on the development of relations with many countries of the world, trade links with 84 countries. 

 

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's foreign policy aims to achieve regional leadership. Uzbekistan has once again claimed to be the economic, cultural and political center of Central Asia, like its predecessors the past three thousand years. To do this, there are historical, demographic, political and economic reasons. Uzbekistan's economy is at its most stable and dynamic. The country is a natural transportation hub of the region, the population is half of the regional armed forces, the most numerous and well-trained, Uzbeks-a substantial part of the population of the neighboring States.

Rivalry and mutual claims make inefficient organization of Central-Asian cooperation, which includes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan's policy priorities are the United States, Russia, the EU, the countries of the ASIA-PACIFIC REGION, Turkey.

Uzbekistan is an attractive partner for the Western countries, as Moscow pursues an independent foreign policy. Uzbekistan is an active participant in the NATO Partnership for peace program, he joined one of the first among the CIS countries-July 13, 1993, Uzbek troops engaged in military maneuvers of NATO countries. In 1995, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have created a Central Asian battalion "(Composed) for cooperation in the military sphere, under the auspices of NATO. Uzbekistan joined the anti-terrorist coalition in the fight against the Afghan Taliban, gave the allies a military air base in Khanabad, and assisted ethnic Uzbek the General Dostumu in northern Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan's relations with Muslim countries have been hampered by the secular nature of the State, a major threat to the existence of which is Islamic fundamentalism.

While the Uzbek leadership manages to retain an independent policy, not getting into a litany of more strong players in world politics, attracting the resources of Russia, Western Nations, to confront Islamic extremism. 

 

Tajikistan 

 

Tajikistan's Sovereignty was officially recognized by many States. Tajikistan joined the economic cooperation organization, founded by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. Since 1992, Tajikistan became a member of the United Nations and the OSCE. However, the outbreak of the civil war brought under external relations the Central Government's desire for self-preservation. The first years of independence the most intense contacts with Russia and Uzbekistan.

Rakhmonov's Government is supporting the participation of countries in the Commonwealth of independent States, Tajikistan is a member of the TREATY, in February 1999, Tajikistan became a member of the Customs Union and EURASEC. In 1996, Tajikistan has entered the "Shanghai Five", in the framework of this organization in 2000, conducted negotiations on the settlement of border issues between Tajikistan and China.

In relations with international organizations and developed countries of the world, Tajikistan is recipient of humanitarian aid. The United States has delivered aid to respect for human rights. With the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, Tajikistan has granted the Federal Coalition airfield in Kulyab.

Southern Islamic neighbors have shown little interest in secular Tajikistan, although not averse to using the rich energy resources in the country. The vocation of the majority of the countries of the world the legitimacy of the current Government, the establishment of diplomatic relations, the first contacts say the gradual formation of the foreign policy of the new State. 

 

 

  Conclusion

With the formation of the Commonwealth of independent States the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceases to exist. The collapse of the Soviet Union has radically changed the situation in the Central Asian region. In place of the former Soviet republics formed a group of independent States: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In the first phase of the development and establishment of Central Asia occurred some Islamization policies. There have been significant changes in the policy of the State towards religion, Islam. The dominant sector of the economy in these countries is agriculture. In the global economy, they occupy a niche supplier of raw materials, especially oil, natural gas, non-ferrous metals.

December 1991 Belovezhskaya accord put the point in the existence of the USSR. The Communist Party of the SOVIET UNION in the framework of a coherent system of civilization. Soviet Central Asia for the collapse of the Soviet Union in the first place meant the disappearance of the single control center that is responsible for full system control of all elements of the life of the communities of the Central Asian republics, including the day-to-day management of the transition, the formation of foreign policy, security, basic ideological principles of functioning of the State and society. The collapse of the Soviet Union has put them in the search for a new development model, its place in the new system of international relations.

 

 

Bibliography:

1. John M. Thompson Russia and the Soviet Union
2. Peter Roudik   The History of Central Asian Republics 2007
3. Oliver Roy The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations 2000