ABSTRACT
Since gaining independence in 1991, the states of Central Asia (defined as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) have had to create and manage foreign policy strategies that (1) effectively address their national interests and (2) factor in the realities of the region itself. The landlocked states are surrounded by nuclear (or nuclear-aspirant) powers and conflict zones, and have themselves been the “objects of interest” by outside powers, specifically Russia; China; and, to a lesser extent, the United States and the European Union (EU) countries. The Central Asian countries have maneuvered through these tricky waters of foreign and security policy, and have forged their own foreign policy identities and strategies, respectively. For example, Kazakhstan’s “multi-vectored security policy” gives it a balancing role in the region and offers access to a wider set of relations. On the other hand, Turkmenistan’s “positive neutrality” and Uzbekistan’s autarkic economic and security approaches set conditions for these states to selectively engage and maintain ties with problematic neighbors. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan exemplify the limitations of being small powers surrounded by larger states, especially when it comes to developing coherent foreign policy agendas. Over time, each of the five states has tried to assert its own national interests and has experienced mixed results.
