Uzbekistan is more or less the most independently minded country in Central Asia. Ergo the amount of co-operation with others in the region is continuously worse and worse. Lots of reason for this but I won't delve into most of them right now.
About 28 million people (most populous in Central Asia) and fairly agrarian, most of the money ergo foreign exchange comes from Gas and Cotton.
Indicators for UZBEKISTAN
Asia Times Online :: Obama prepares to punish Pakistan
Several interesting developments. The infrastructure investments into rail, into creating a supply network within Northern Afghanistan an probably trade links is fairly interesting. There are now a few lines being built/upgraded from Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border and among some cities in Afghanistan itself by Uzbekistan railways.
Uzbekistan: Does Tashkent Use an Afghan Supply Route to Tweak Russia? | EurasiaNet.org
Uzbekistan – Afghanistan rail link opens - International Railway Journal
There are basically two barriers one with Afghanistan and one with Kyrgistan. A lot of trade disputes with Kyrgistan and Tajikistan and border disputes more or less. In reality there is an ethnic mish-mash with heavily mixed population regions due to valleys being criss crossed by borders with heavily concentrated farming populations. In addition water rights, energy and transportation issues. Ergo disputes between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan over rail transport etc...
If there ever was an attempt for expansion of borders via military means the whole region would more or less be lit-up. Thus far the control of internal population is the most important thing it seems and keeping power is more or less the objective.
Uzbekistan is basically reacting to the Rogun Dam project in Tajikistan which will lessen the amount of water available for its cotton fields and lately there has been a lot of quiet retaliation economically. Another destabilizing factor is the amount of government control and intervention within the economy.
Strategic uncertainty in Uzbekistan's Afghanistan policy
Recent article somewhat interesting.
Kyrgistan
Kyrgyzstan: A Nation (Still) Divided | EurasiaNet.org
One of the reasons there was an ethnic lash-out is after the toppling of Bakyiev (former president) he fled south to his power base. Where support for him in essence did not give way for about a week or two.
Bakiev Resigns After Support Crumbles - IWPR Institute for War & Peace Reporting - P220
My guess is the ethnic clashes post political upheaval were born out of political volume which sort of set off a power grab among the whom is whom of the city elites which resulted in the ethnic clashes. Ergo posturing for the elections and re-distribution of power.
Hundreds dead in clashes and 100k-300k left the region for safety. Now the whole ordeal is repainted as a nationalist-separatist issue for political gains which most likely will determine future political developments to a degree.
Ferghana Valley: Tajik-Kyrgyz Border a Potential "Karabakh" | EurasiaNet.org
About 28 million people (most populous in Central Asia) and fairly agrarian, most of the money ergo foreign exchange comes from Gas and Cotton.
Indicators for UZBEKISTAN
Asia Times Online :: Obama prepares to punish Pakistan
Several interesting developments. The infrastructure investments into rail, into creating a supply network within Northern Afghanistan an probably trade links is fairly interesting. There are now a few lines being built/upgraded from Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border and among some cities in Afghanistan itself by Uzbekistan railways.
Uzbekistan: Does Tashkent Use an Afghan Supply Route to Tweak Russia? | EurasiaNet.org
Uzbekistan – Afghanistan rail link opens - International Railway Journal
There are basically two barriers one with Afghanistan and one with Kyrgistan. A lot of trade disputes with Kyrgistan and Tajikistan and border disputes more or less. In reality there is an ethnic mish-mash with heavily mixed population regions due to valleys being criss crossed by borders with heavily concentrated farming populations. In addition water rights, energy and transportation issues. Ergo disputes between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan over rail transport etc...
If there ever was an attempt for expansion of borders via military means the whole region would more or less be lit-up. Thus far the control of internal population is the most important thing it seems and keeping power is more or less the objective.
Uzbekistan is basically reacting to the Rogun Dam project in Tajikistan which will lessen the amount of water available for its cotton fields and lately there has been a lot of quiet retaliation economically. Another destabilizing factor is the amount of government control and intervention within the economy.
Strategic uncertainty in Uzbekistan's Afghanistan policy
Recent article somewhat interesting.
Kyrgistan
Kyrgyzstan: A Nation (Still) Divided | EurasiaNet.org
One of the reasons there was an ethnic lash-out is after the toppling of Bakyiev (former president) he fled south to his power base. Where support for him in essence did not give way for about a week or two.
Bakiev Resigns After Support Crumbles - IWPR Institute for War & Peace Reporting - P220
As long as Bakiev was holding out in Jalalabad region, some commentators expressed concern that Kyrgyzstan risked plunging into civil war between north and south. But analysts interviewed by IWPR said such concerns were unfounded.
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Political scientist Alexander Knyazev said such a conflict was out of the question because most people in the south did not like Bakiev’s economic policies or the way he concentrated power the hands of family members.
2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Political scientist Alexander Knyazev said such a conflict was out of the question because most people in the south did not like Bakiev’s economic policies or the way he concentrated power the hands of family members.
Hundreds dead in clashes and 100k-300k left the region for safety. Now the whole ordeal is repainted as a nationalist-separatist issue for political gains which most likely will determine future political developments to a degree.
Ferghana Valley: Tajik-Kyrgyz Border a Potential "Karabakh" | EurasiaNet.org
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