Five countries, under God, Divisible…

Central Asia is convenient term, but what does it mean?  For Registan.net, it often stretches south to include Afghanistan, east to include Xinjiang, and north to include Kazakhstan.  Kazakhstan might seem a natural inclusion, but in the Soviet Union it was considered apart, and maps that included it were generally labeled “Kazakhstan and Central Asia.”  [Казахстан и Средная Aзия]

Still, the five former Union Republics of the Soviet Union that make up most of Turkistan [Түркiстан in Kazakh] have a lot in common.  And yet, like siblings close in age they are perennially at odds, and only united by powers from without.

There is an excellent article on this meme as it manifested most recently within the SCO over at RFE/RL.  The SCO and the accompanying CSTO have been on rocky ground for the past several years, though neither was originally a strong organization.

The states of Central Asia have been known to frequently tout their close relations though pledges of eternal friendship. And, aside from Turkmenistan, they take part in regional groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Collection Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

They are both attempts to form unity in a region torn apart by individualistic and opportunistic exploitations run by governments wholly entwined in national business interests.  There is a similar story focusing on the Uzbekistan/USA/CSTO relationship over at the Asia Times.  Here’s an excerpt, but read the whole thing:

Unsurprisingly, Moscow has prioritized its ties with Bishkek and Dushanbe. Although Uzbekistan is a much bigger country, from the perspective of the Afghan problem (and regional security), Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are vital assets. A base in southern Kyrgyzstan enables Moscow to hold the region’s jugular veins, apart from insulating Bishkek and Dushanbe from their Uzbek Big Brother. Kazakhstan has acquiesced with the Russian move.

Reuters via the New York Times chimes in as well, pointing out that the thaw between the USA and Uzbekistan has forced Uzbekistan to drift out of Moscow’s sphere of influence.  This offers the beginning of an explanation for Uzbekistan’s harsh criticism of Russia’s planned military build-up of southern Kyrgyzstan.  Naturally, Kyrgyzstan is hoping to have some protection from their Uzbek Big Brother, and has responded in kind to Uzbekistan’s protests.

Proof that the issue is more complex than it at first appears, Russia has actually stepped in to placate Uzbekistan.  Kyrgyzstan’s President Bakiev even stressed that the new military installation would not be a ‘base,’ but a training center for anti-terrorism, something useful for the region as a whole.  I don’t expect this to convince anyone, and the recent events at Khanabad at the Uzbek/Kyrgyz border are definitely the elephants in the room.