[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Russia must minimize USA's influence in Central Asia

  • From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
  • Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 01:20:50 +0100

** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi: 
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral 
scholarship, kunjungi 
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com 
**http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/354/16538_asia.html


      Russia must minimize USA's influence in Central Asia 
      11/28/2005 17:27 
      Central Asia still remains a highly important region for Russia without 
which it cannot exist

      After the official withdrawal of the US army base in Khanabad, 
Uzbekistan, and the republic's re-orientation to Russia, it becomes clear that 
Russia has been concentrating more and more of its attention in the region of 
Central Asia. It brings up a question of the region's importance to Russia: 
Central Asia is the desolate mountainous territory, on which five rather poor 
countries are situated. 

      Central Asia became the vassal of the Russian empire in the 1870s. Five 
union republics were formed in the region after the Great October Revolution on 
1917. Shariat laws were canceled in the new republics, whereas the Soviet 
government involved them in the construction of communism. Huge reserves of raw 
materials were found on the territories of the Asian republics of the Soviet 
Union, large industrial centers, railways and car roads were built there. The 
collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed the once stable economic links between 
the Asian republics and the Russian Federation, which eventually resulted in 
the sudden decline of the living standard in the Asian countries. The republic 
of Tajikistan experienced a serious political crisis, when Islamic 
fundamentalists nearly succeeded in an attempt to seize power in the country. 
The situation was more stable in other Asian republics of the former Soviet 
Union, but they all suffered from massive unemployment, which made h
 undreds of thousands of Asian citizens look for jobs in Russia. On the other 
hand, millions of Russians were left in those republics to the mercy of fate 
after the break-up of the USSR. 

      Russia tried to preserve its influence in the region: the Russian 
administration managed to set up military and economic organizations with 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The republic of Turkmenistan turned into 
a completely isolated country, whereas Uzbekistan preferred to develop 
cooperation with the USA and disregarded its relations with Russia. 

      As long as Russia was developing cooperation with the Asian republics of 
the former Soviet Union, politicians had to come to certain concessions, which 
made Russia provide Asian citizens visa-free entry to its territory (Russia has 
no visa rules with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). It goes 
without saying that many Russians do not approve such practice: some people say 
that the government of Russia should order to build a wall on the border with 
Kazakhstan to cut the constantly increasing number of immigrants arriving from 
Asian republics. 

      Scientist of politics Vitaly Tretyakov believes that there is no point in 
discussing the question about Central Asia and its coexistence with Russia. 
"Russia cannot do without Central Asia and Central Asia will not be able to 
exist without Russia either. We are responsible for this part of the world as 
much as we are responsible for Eastern Europe. Both politicians and the 
majority of people support Russia's relations with Asian republics. We have no 
right to turn back. One should not forget oil and gas reserves in the region," 
Tretyakov said. 

      Sergei Markov, the director of the Center for Political Research, 
believes that Russia is the only stronghold of stability in the region. "The 
USA has showed with its policies in Afghanistan and Iraq that its presence in 
the Asian region inevitably leads to the growth of radical Islamism and 
drug-smuggling. Drug dealers operate in Afghan and Iraqi governments already. 
Russia must not let it happen. The border with Kazakhstan is practically open, 
which means that Russia may seriously suffer from drug mafia and terrorism, if 
the government does not take adequate measures," Markov said. 

      As for the question of so-called orange revolutions in connection with 
the forthcoming presidential election in Kazakhstan, Sergei Markov said that 
another coup similar to the ones in Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan 
would never happen in Kazakhstan. "The government of Kazakhstan was extremely 
concerned about those uprisings in neighbouring countries; they do not have any 
illusions about the USA anymore. It is Russia that should carry responsibility 
for democratic procedures in Central Asia. The situation with democracy in the 
region leaves much to be desired, but Russia has a much better understanding of 
what should be done in Central Asia at this point. 

      Russia should not disregard Central Asia in its foreign politics simply 
because of the fact that there are millions of Russian living there. "We must 
interfere in the situation in the region. There are over six million Russians 
living in Kazakhstan, about 1.5 million in Uzbekistan and a million in 
Kyrgyzstan. The Russians are a separated nation and Russia must protect its 
people everywhere," Vitaly Tretyakov said. 

      Vadim Trukhachev

      Discuss this article on Pravda.Ru ENGLISH FORUM
     


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/BRUplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg 
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. http://www.ppi-india.org
***************************************************************************
__________________________________________________________________________
Mohon Perhatian:

1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik)
2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari.
3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi 
4. Satu email perhari: ppiindia-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
5. No-email/web only: ppiindia-nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
6. kembali menerima email: ppiindia-normal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ppiindia-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


** Forum Nasional Indonesia PPI India Mailing List **
** Untuk bergabung dg Milis Nasional kunjungi: 
** Situs Milis: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ **
** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral 
scholarship, kunjungi 
http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com **

Other related posts:

  • » [nasional_list] [ppiindia] Russia must minimize USA's influence in Central Asia