Comments on: Uzbek-Kazakh Rapprochement

By: Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:56:34 +0000

[...] Kazakhstan: Adam Kesher comments on his blog about a border incident in which Uzbek borders reportedly opened fire on three Kazakh nationals as they were attempting to steal barbed wire from a temporary fence (link in Russian). Instead of carrying out a joint investigation with Uzbekistan, he says, Kazakhstan should issue a protest note as the actions of the borer guards are unacceptable. However, as Nathan at Registan notes, diplomatic relations between the countries have recently been on the mend. Ben of neweurasia argues that Kazakhstan’s Iran policy is genuinely invidual. Maybe, as KZBlog mentions in the comments, this is because Kazakhstan has its own nuclear aspirations. Nathan of The Registan notes that English comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, found an unexpected defender in the daughter of President Nazarbayev. [...]

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 05:14:30 +0000

I think you’re certainly right about Karimov’s legacy. I think he has a good chance of being remembered for squandering Uzbekistan’s chance to be the region’s leader.

I’m sure it was very important on the Uzbek side of things for Nazarbaev to go to Tashkent so that this meeting wouldn’t have such a glaringly obvious subtext that Uzbekistan is acquiescing to playing second fiddle to Kazakhstan.

Does anyone seriously believe Karimov is anything but a pawn in Putin’s plan to return Russia to a position of international influence through the use of energy and resources?

Perhaps Islam Karimov believes it!

By: Bertrand

Bertrand — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 04:28:06 +0000

You are entirely correct that Uzbekistan will find its new friends as difficult as its old ones…in many cases probably more difficult.

Mr. Karimov has somehow managed to paint himself into the proverbial corner and seems to have done it without the use of even a brush.

Does anyone seriously believe Karimov is anything but a pawn in Putin’s plan to return Russia to a position of international influence through the use of energy and resources?

Kazakhstan may already have taken over the leadership of Central Asia, Karimov having ceded the role to them.

One wonders if Karimov ever gives any thought to his “legacy,” in terms of how (or if) he will be remembered in history. On his current course, he won’t be remembered for much, and what little there will be will only be negative.