Monday, 03 April 2017 16:00

Is Something Stirring in Central Asia?

20170228 central asia

   Is Something Stirring in Central Asia?
Co-Hosted by the Atlantic Council and Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Monday, April 3, 2017
4:00 p.m. 

Since the death of Uzekistan’s President Islam Karimov in September of 2016, the stability  that characterized key developments and overall dynamics in Uzbekistan as well as in the Central Asia region as a whole, has been undergoing a noticeable shift. Initiatives of the newly installed President Mirziyoyev in Uzbekistan and proposals regarding reforms by President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan suggest that something may be stirring in Central Asia. This first joint forum of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Atlantic Council will present these developments, ask if they represent a real shift, and consider the implications of such changes for the Central Asia region as a whole and for its place in the world.

Speakers:

Ambassador John Herbst
Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center
Atlantic Council
 
Ambassador Richard Hoagland
Interim Co-chair 
OSCE Minsk Group
 
Mr. Daniel Rosenblum
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia, 
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
US Department of State
 
Dr. Martha Olcott
Visiting Professor
Michigan State University

Moderated By:

Dr. S. Frederick Starr
Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
American Foreign Policy Council

 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WEBCAST

 

Location: 
Atlantic Council
12th Floor (West Tower Elevators)
1030 15th Street NW
Washington, DC
 

 

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Dr. Svante Cornell spoke alongside Ambassadors Elizabeth Jones, Richard Hoagland, George Krol, and Kairat Umarov during Panel Session One – "Shaping a Future while Remembering the Past" – as part of the 4th Kazakhstan-United States convention in Washington D.C. on December 6, 2016. Video segment begins at 28:00.

sc-speaks-uskz-convention

 

Published in News

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The Silk Road Paper “Kazakhstan-2041”, authored by S. Frederick Starr, Johan Engvall and Svante Cornell was the centerpiece of an international conference entitled “25 Years of Independence of Republic of Kazakhstan: Outcomes. Accomplishments. Vision for Future”, organized in Astana, Kazakhstan, on November 28, 2016 by the Parliament of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

For more detail, see: 

http://www.inform.kz/en/intl-conference-25-years-of-independence-of-republic-of-kazakhstan-outcomes-accomplishments-vision-for-future-held-in-astana_a2974655

 

Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov’s address to the conference is available here: http://mfa.gov.kz/index.php/en/last-news/7838

 

See media reports from the conference below:

http://today.kz/news/kazahstan/2016-11-28/730712-stsenarij-kazahstan-2041-predstavil-amerikanskij-ekspert-v-astane/

http://total.kz/society/2016/11/28/kazahstan_kategoricheski_ne_hochet_sopostavlyat_sebya_s_sssr_ekspert

https://www.nur.kz/1330651-nigmatulin-kazakhstancy-doverili-svo.html

http://www.kazpravda.kz/articles/view/itogi-dostizheniya-i-vzglyad-v-budushchee1/

http://www.inform.kz/ru/ekspert-ocenil-istoricheskoe-znachenie-nezavisimosti-kazahstana_a2974870

http://abctv.kz/kz/news/kazakstan-kajtse-oz-tagdyryn-ozi-ajkyndajdy

http://www.parlam.kz/en/mazhilis/news-details/id30059/1/1

http://astanatimes.com/2016/11/a-successful-future-kazakhstan-must-protect-secularity-stamp-out-corruption-improve-economic-productivity-experts-say/

Published in News
Tuesday, 15 November 2016 00:00

Kazakhstan 2041: the Next Twenty-Five Years

Svante E. Cornell, Johan Engvall and S. Frederick Starr

November, 2016, pp. 66

Read full textkz2041

urkun-kgCACI FORUM

Revolt in Central Asia:
The Cataclysm of 1916


Wednesday, June 8, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m.
(reception at 5 p.m., followed by the main program at 5:30)

A century ago, at the time of World War I, hundreds of thousands of Central Asians – Kazakhs, Tajiks, Turkmen, Uzbeks, and above all Kyrgyz – perished when they revolted against the tsarist Russian government's attempt to draft them into the army. Besides those who were killed outright, tens of thousands of Kyrgyz men, women, and children died trying to escape over treacherous mountain passes into China.

Soviet authorities have long suppressed Information on the 1916 revolt, but its Centennial has generated fresh interest, marked by seminars, mass meetings, and publications. Russia, in the meantime, has closed relevant archives and offered the curious thesis that the revolt was actually directed not against Russian rule, but against the authority wielded by the indigenous Turkic bourgeoisie.

The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute marks the centennial of the tragic loss of Central Asian life with two major publications: a new edition of the book The Revolt of 1916 in Russian Central Asia by Edward Dennis Sokol, with foreword by Dr. S. Frederick Starr (JHU Press); and a Silk Road Paper entitled Central Asia in Revolt: the Cataclysm of 1916, edited by Zamira Sydykova. Both of these publications will be presented and discussed at this forum. 

 

This event can now be viewed on the SAIS Events YouTube channel. 

 

Speakers will include:

  Zamira Sydykova, Ambassador, Editor in Chief, Res Publica Newspaper

  Dr. Prof. Mirzokhid Rakhimov, Visiting Fulbright scholar at Central Asia-Caucasus Institute/Head of the Dept. for Contemporary History and International Relations, Institute of History, Academy of Sciences, Uzbekistan. 

  Moderator: S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Location: 

Rome Building Auditorium
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Ave.,  NW
Washington, DC  20036

Click here to RSVP and register

 


 

revolt-in-central-asia-cover

The Revolt of 1916 in Russian Central Asia

Edward Dennis Sokol, with a foreword by S. Frederick Starr

Paperback, 208 pages, 1 map

ISBN:9781421420509

May 2016

Follow this link to order a copy of the book



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News

  • Central Asia Diplomats Call for Closer Ties With US
    Monday, 26 June 2023 00:00

    REPRINTED with permission from Voice of America News
    By Navbahor Imamova

    WASHINGTON -- U.S.-based diplomats from Central Asia, a region long dominated by Russia and more recently China, say they are eager for more engagement with the United States.

    Many American foreign policy experts agree that a more robust relationship would be mutually beneficial, though U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations express deep concerns about human rights and authoritarian rule in the five countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

    Michael Delaney, a former U.S. trade official, argued in favor of greater engagement this week at a webinar organized by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce.

    He noted that three of the five republics are World Trade Organization members and the other two are in the accession process — a goal actively encouraged by the U.S. government.

    "I've always believed that this is a geographically disadvantaged area. There are relatively small national economies," he said. But, he said, collectively the region represents a potentially more connected market, about 80 million people.

    Key issues

    In this virtual gathering, all five Central Asian ambassadors to Washington expressed eagerness to work on issues the U.S. has long pushed for, such as water and energy sustainability, security cooperation, environmental protection and climate, and connectivity.

    Kazakhstan's Ambassador Yerzhan Ashikbayev said that despite all factors, the United States does not want to leave the field to China, its global competitor, which actively invests in the region.

    "Recent visit by 20 companies to Kazakhstan as a part of certified U.S. trade mission, including technology giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, but also other partners like Boeing, have shown a growing interest," Ashikbayev said.

    The Kazakh diplomat described a "synergy" of economies and diplomatic efforts. All Central Asian states are committed to dialogue, trade and multilateralism, he said. "As we are witnessing the return of the divisive bloc mentalities almost unseen for 30 years, it's in our best interest to prevent Central Asia from turning into another battleground of global powers."

    During his first tour of Central Asia earlier this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, meeting separately with the foreign ministers of all five countries.

    That was deeply appreciated, said Meret Orazov, Turkmenistan's longtime ambassador, who also praised the regular bilateral consultations the U.S. holds with these countries.

    Uzbek Ambassador Furqat Sidiqov sees the U.S. as an important partner, with "long-standing friendship and cooperation which have only grown stronger over the years."

    "The U.S. has played a significant role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among the Central Asian nations through initiatives such as the C5+1," he said, referring to a diplomatic platform comprising Washington and the region's five governments.

    "This is where we address common concerns and enhance integration," said Sidiqov. "We encourage the U.S. to bolster this mechanism."

    Tashkent regards Afghanistan as key to Central Asia's development, potentially linking the landlocked region to the markets and seaports of South Asia. Sidiqov said his country counts on American assistance.

    'Possibility of positive change'

    Fred Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington, ardently advocates for the U.S. to adopt closer political, economic and people-to-people ties with the region.

    In a recent paper, he wrote that among dozens of officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs, experts, journalists and civil society leaders interviewed in Central Asia, "even those most critical of American positions saw the possibility of positive change and … all acknowledged that the need for change is on both sides, theirs as well as ours."

    This is the only region that doesn't have its own organization, said Starr, arguing that the U.S. could support this effort. "We have not done so, probably because we think that this is somehow going to interfere with their relations with their other big neighbors, the north and east, but it's not going to. It's not against anyone."

    "Easy to do, low cost, very big outcome," he added, also underscoring that "there is a feeling the U.S. should be much more attentive to security."

    "Japan, the European Union, Russia, China, their top leaders have visited. … No U.S. president has ever set foot in Central Asia," he said. He added that regional officials are left to wonder, "Are we so insignificant that they can't take the time to visit?"

    Starr urges U.S. President Joe Biden to convene the C5+1 in New York during the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in September. "This would not be a big drain on the president's time, but it would be symbolically extremely important," he said. "All of them want this to happen."

    Read at VOA News

  • Read CACI Chairman S. Frederick Starr's recent interview on the resurgence of Imperial Russia with The American Purpose
    Tuesday, 23 May 2023 00:00

    Why Russians Support the War: Jeffrey Gedmin interviews S. Frederick Starr on the resurgence of Imperial Russia.

    The American Purpose, May 23, 2023

    Jeffrey Gedmin: Do we have a Putin problem or a Russia problem today?

    S. Frederick Starr: We have a Putin problem because we have a Russia problem. Bluntly, the mass of Russians are passive and easily manipulated—down to the moment they aren’t. Two decades ago they made a deal with Vladimir Putin, as they have done with many of his predecessors: You give us a basic income, prospects for a better future, and a country we can take pride in, and we will give you a free hand. This is the same formula for autocracy that prevailed in Soviet times, and, before that, under the czars. The difference is that this time Russia’s leader—Putin—and his entourage have adopted a bizarre and dangerous ideology, “Eurasianism,” that empowers them to expand Russian power at will over the entire former territory of the USSR and even beyond. It is a grand and awful vision that puffs up ruler and ruled alike.

    What do most Russians think of this deal? It leaves them bereft of the normal rights of citizenship but free from its day-to-day responsibilities. So instead of debating, voting, and demonstrating, Russians store up their frustrations and then release them in elemental, often destructive, and usually futile acts of rebellion. This “Russia problem” leaves the prospect of change in Russia today in the hands of alienated members of Putin’s immediate entourage, many of whom share his vision of Russia’s destiny and are anyway subject to Putin’s ample levers for control. Thus, our “Putin problem” arises from our “Russia problem.”

    Click to continue reading...

  • CACI director Svante Cornell's interviewed on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election
    Friday, 19 May 2023 00:00

    Listen to CACI director Svante Cornell's recent interview on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election. Click here!

  • New Article Series on Changing Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus
    Wednesday, 24 November 2021 11:53

    Eurasia