Four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – have argued over their water resources since the collapse of the Soviet Union. At times these disputes have seemed to threaten war. The forthcoming presidential summit in Astana can help banish that spectre.
Dozens protested in Almaty city (south east) 8 Jan calling for Ukraine not to extradite Kazakh opposition blogger Zhanar Akhmet, arrested for fraud in 2017, citing fears for her safety. Dozens of women gathered in capital Nur-Sultan 13 Jan in front of Labour and Social Protection Ministry demanding raise in social benefits. President Tokayev 16 Jan appointed former interior minister Qalmukhanbet Qasymov as chief of State Guard Service; rights groups accuse Qasymov of ordering police shooting of oil workers during 2011 protests in Zhanaozen, south west, which killed at least sixteen. Amid ongoing concerns over treatment of ethnic Kazakhs in China’s Xinjiang province, court in Zaisan (east) 21 Jan sentenced two ethnic Kazakhs who crossed border from Xinjiang seeking asylum to one-year prison for illegal entry, but ruled they would not be deported, citing possible persecution in Xinjiang.
Kazakhstan’s wish for stability and continuity under long-serving President Nazarbayev trumps the will for political change, especially given turbulence elsewhere on Russia’s borders. But without economic reform, full ethnic equality and a political succession plan, the Central Asian country risks becoming another brittle post-Soviet state vulnerable to external destabilisation.
Resource-led economic growth cannot mask the need for reforms in Kazakhstan as labour unrest, social divisions and a growing Islamist movement threaten the country’s stability.
China’s influence is growing rapidly in Central Asia at a time when the region is looking increasingly unstable.
The economic crisis has caused millions of migrant labourers from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to lose their jobs in the boom economies of Russia and Kazakhstan.
The Annual Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) commencing on 3 May 2003 is an opportunity to assess frankly and honestly the records of the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Competition for water is increasing in Central Asia at an alarming rate, adding tension to what is already an uneasy region.
The new Kazakh military doctrine is a clear reference to Ukraine. The Kazakh doctrine is very similar to the doctrine Belarus adopted in 2016, but Minsk was more explicit about learning lessons from Ukraine.
Originally published in Eurasianet
In late 2014, consultant and former Crisis Group researcher, Varvara Pakhomenko, journeyed to the northern Kazakh steppe, and the towns and villages along Kazakhstan’s Russian border, to learn more about the interwoven relationship between the Kazakh and Russian speakers of the area.
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Review our privacy policy for more details.