Is This Central Asia’s ASEAN Moment?
After centuries of being played against one another, the Central Asian states have linked arms to advance their common welfare.
After centuries of being played against one another, the Central Asian states have linked arms to advance their common welfare.
- President Tokayev seeks to "maintain continuity" yet nonetheless calls for "systemic reforms." He appears to mean both.
- In the effort to engage society more deeply in governance, Kazakhstan will institute and seek to manage reforms from above.
- In continuing the principle of balance in its foreign policy, which Tokayev invented two decades ago, Kazakhstan will seek increased engagement and investment from the West.
The Turkic people has an ancient language and traditions. Even Mao didn’t expect to erase it.
President Trump and his isolationist backers may think otherwise, but there is no real alternative to continued involvement.
As Central Asians seek to design structures of cooperation that fit their needs, they should certainly build on the achievements of the late 1990s.