On January 29, 2025, the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council and the Times of Central Asia hosted a webinar "New Initiatives from Kyrgyzstan" on the evolving bilateral relationship between the United States and Kyrgyzstan. Dr. S. Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council, led a panel of experts. The discussion focused on economic cooperation, security, cultural and educational exchanges, and both countries' commitment to democratic values. Together, they explored Kyrgyzstan's diplomatic milestones, economic collaborations, and its rising profile in Central Asia. The discussion emphasized the strengthening ties between the two countries and their joint efforts to promote growth and stability in Central Asia. A recording of the full webinar is available on YouTube.
Kyrgyzstan is the second least populated country in Central Asia and has played a significant role in the region since gaining independence. It pioneered a bold parliamentary system of government and has worked diligently to make this system effective.
In the discussion, it was noted that the current president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Zhaparov, is very active on all fronts. While he has transformed the country's governance to a presidential system, democratic processes continue with regular elections and pre-election campaigns.
As noted by Dr. Starr, President Zhaparov has successfully addressed important resource-related issues in the country. He fulfilled his promise to return the Kumtor mine to Kyrgyz ownership. He has also taken significant initiatives regarding water resources, overseeing various dams and power plants that are either operational or in development.
"A great credit to President Zhaparov is his efforts to fight corruption," states Dr. Starr.
Transportation is another key area of Zhaparov's work. He has actively advanced the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. Under his leadership, Kyrgyzstan has accelerated bilateral negotiations and pushed forward the project's implementation - a significant step that previous administrations had not achieved. Dr. Starr also highlighted Zhaparov's success in bridging the historical divide between the country's northern and southern regions through new transportation infrastructure. His presidency has seen the opening of airports in both regions, along with new road networks that have better integrated the country than ever before. The President has made significant progress in reducing the traditional north-south rivalry and confrontation that has historically hindered Kyrgyzstan's development. These improvements have created new opportunities for development in the south, particularly in the Ferghana Valley region.
For decades, the Greater Middle East has been a leading challenge to American foreign policy. This vast region - ranging from North Africa in the west to Afghanistan in the east, and from the borders of Central Asia down to the Horn of Africa in the south - has been a cauldron of turmoil that has affected not just American interests, but generated threats to the American homeland.
The multitude of challenges in this region has led to some confusion. What should be the focus of U.S. policy in the Greater Middle East?
This book explores this state of affairs and its implications by delving deeper into how the current geopolitics of the Greater Middle East came to be. A first few chapters look back to the history of the region and the historic rivalries among Turks, Arabs and Persians up to the end of the Cold War. The book then examines the main current power centers of the region - Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. It then turns to the geopolitical competition among them in recent years, starting with Iran's efforts to build an "Arc of Domination" across the region.
The book covers the advance of Islamists following the Arab Upheavals, the civil war among the Sunnis from 2013 to 2018, America's pendulum swings with regard to Iran policy, and the reshuffle of the region following Turkey's turn in a more nationalist direction. Finally, the book ends with an attempt to draw out implications for America's approach to the geopolitics of the Greater Middle East.
SVANTE E. CORNELL is Research Director of the American Foreign Policy Council's Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington D.C., and a co-founder of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm, Sweden. Cornell was educated at the Middle East Technical University and Uppsala University. He formerly served as Associate Professor at Uppsala University and at Johns Hopkins-University-SAIS, and is also a Policy Advisor with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences.
The United States, Europe, and the United Nations are driving a global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, though progress has been slow. Central Asia’s oil, gas, uranium, and green hydrogen resources are expected to remain vital for Europe and global energy security for years to come. Within Central Asia, a shift to cleaner natural gas and nuclear energy is anticipated to replace coal-fired power, reducing environmental harm. Europe’s push for electrification has also renewed focus on nuclear energy, increasing the strategic and commercial value of Central Asia’s uranium deposits.
Svante Cornell and Brenda Shaffer of the Central Asia Caucasus Institute will present their paper on Central Asia in the Energy Transition in virtual event at 10 am EST on 16 December 2024.
The Burgut Expert Talk series is a cooperation between the Times of Central Asia and the American Foreign Policy Council’s Central Asia – Caucasus Institute that aims to enrich the discourse on Central Asia in hopes of unlocking the region’s value.
PANELISTS:
Brenda Shaffer, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center
Svante E. Cornell, Senior Fellow for Eurasia, American Foreign Policy Council
In Georgia, opposition parties have accused the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party of stealing recent elections, leading to protests and calls for an investigation into electoral violations. Discrepancies between official results and exit polls have sparked demands for snap elections supervised by an international body. The European Union has called for a thorough inquiry into allegations of voter intimidation and multiple voting. The protests are also a response to fears of Georgia shifting closer to Russia, with Western support at stake. The situation could lead to EU sanctions, further complicating Georgia’s aspirations for EU and NATO membership.
On October 6 of this year, the people of Kazakhstan participated in a referendum to decide whether nuclear power should become a part of their daily lives, or whether the haunting legacy of atomic testing would continue to limit the country’s progress in this area. The official preliminary results, released on October 7, showed that 71.12% of participants agreed to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan with a voter turnout of 63.66%. President Tokayev’s goal in holding a referendum was to ensure that arguments in favor of nuclear energy were compelling and that citizens, scientists, and government officials were involved in the decision-making process. Tokayev has since suggested that an “international consortium made up of global companies equipped with cutting-edge technologies” should be involved in the project. In partnership with the American Foreign Policy Council, on October 30, 2024, TCA convened a virtual event to discuss what the referendum result means for energy security, geopolitics, and new business opportunities for both regional and global actors.
