Since its separation from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Central Asia has remained in second place in American foreign policy and has been excluded from its sphere of influence. The area, which rose to prominence with the discovery of vast energy and underground resources in the late 1990s, has evolved into a strategic and dynamic geography for the United States (US) as Russia and China gained military and economic power. Factors such as commercial relations and high energy potential have come to the fore, especially after the Russia-Ukraine War. We can understand this from the visits of some European Union (EU) countries and US officials.
Lastly, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan between 6-11 November 2022. [1] In addition, Lu made contacts in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in May 2022. Therefore, the fact that Lu’s second Central Asia visit occurred following the release of the US’s National Security Strategy document in October 2022 indicates the Washington administration’s growing interest in Central Asia.
One of the main reasons why the US attaches such importance to Central Asia, which is of geostrategic importance in terms of containing Russia and China, is the idea of keeping these two countries under control. At the same time, one of the aims of the US is to derail China’s Belt-Road Initiative, which has begun to take shape in the form of infrastructure projects in various locations.
According to the US, Russia poses an “immediate and significant threat to the free and open international system,” as expressed in US’s National Security Strategy document. On the other hand, China is an increasing economic, military, and technological power in the international arena. This shows that the US sees Russia as a current threat and China as an economic and military rival. The growing interest in Central Asia is also tied to the need to restrain these actors.
The main purpose of Lu’s visit is to discuss bilateral and regional problems in the nations he visits, as well as to deliver two separate economic assistance programs to the region’s governments. For example, a 25-million-dollar initiative is proposed to help Central Asian countries improve their economic resilience.
The economic initiative program in question is of great importance in terms of supporting the development of the region’s trade routes and capacity and attracting international investment to the region.
This support program was also expressed by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the C5+1 meeting held in New York on September 26, 2022.[2] The second support program is worth 16.5 million dollars and is an initiative for the countries of the region to improve food security. Although the media views this as an expectation, it demonstrates the US’s desire to gain space and influence in Central Asia. In this regard, it can be argued that the US is attempting to strengthen its influence by giving financial assistance to the region’s governments alongside its economic initiative.
As explained by Lu, the objectives of the programs include supporting market development in Central Asian countries and assisting in exporting local products to international markets. In addition, there is a support program for providing English education to people in Central Asian countries. The current scenario might be interpreted as an attempt by the US to integrate Central Asian countries more fully into the global community and to demonstrate to these countries that there are alternatives to Russia and China.
Central Asian countries are also concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since the Central Asian countries gained their independence, especially after the September 11 attacks, Afghanistan and its surroundings have become a counter-terrorism center due to the increasing terrorist activities. The US was strengthening its relations with Central Asia, mainly in terms of the fight against terrorism. However, after Russia’s and China’s rapid expansion in the previous 10 years and China’s economic rise to second place in the world, the US set out to establish new policies.
In this context, the US’s new policy includes the goal of reducing Russian influence in Central Asian nations, integrating them more into the world, and preventing China from extending its influence by building economic dependency on the countries through the Belt-Road Project.
In conclusion, while the war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia continue, the new economic programs put forward by the US are important for the Central Asian countries. Considering all these issues, it can be said that the importance of Central Asia has increased significantly. The main purpose of the regional states is to protect their sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and unitary structures without being dominated by any actor. Therefore, it can be said that the Central Asian republics will continue their multi-directional and multi-dimensional foreign policies that observe the balances between the power centers. As part of this strategy, ties between the US and Central Asia will continue to develop. However, these relations will not manifest as the region’s positioning as an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese actor, as Washington expects.
[1] “Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Lu Travels to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan”, US Deparment of State, https://www.state.gov/assistant-secretary-of-state-for-the-bureau-of-south-and-central-asian-affairs-lu-travels-to-turkmenistan-uzbekistan-and-kazakhstan/, (Date of Accession: 02.12.2022).
[2] “USA Will Allocate $25 Million for Educational and Economic Projects in Central Asia”, News Central Asia, https://www.newscentralasia.net/2022/09/26/us-will-allocate-us-25-million-for-educational-and-economic-projects-in-central-asia/, (Date of Accession: 02.12.2022).
