Updating a perception about Central Asia

Tariq SaeediThere is a lingering perception about Central Asia that must be updated now.Kendra Cherry the author of author of the “Everything Psychology Book” writes in the verywellmind:
“Various factors, including the situation, past experiences, and societal expectations can influence our perception of someone. Person perception allows us to make snap judgments and decisions but can lead to biased or stereotyped perceptions of others.”Cherry is writing about perceptions about the individuals but her idea holds good for the perceptions about the larger groups such as countries and regions.One of the stubbornly lingering perceptions about Central Asia is that it is a potential zone of influence and certain powers are trying to elbow out each other in their quest for influence.This might be true from the point of view of those certain powers who are presumably shopping for influence but Central Asia thinks differently.Actually, before this quest for ‘influence’ became a favourite topic for the armchair analysts, there was another idea a previous generation of similarly disposed analysts were fascinated with: The Great Game.Speaking of the Great Game, we are reminded of yet another phrase: The Grand Chessboard.Dr. Svante E. Cornell and Dr. S. Frederick Starr, two of the great academics have smashed this perception in an article they jointly wrote for the Central Asia–Caucasus Analyst (CACI), a publication of Central Asia–Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center.Svante E. Cornell is Director and S. Frederick Starr Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center.The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program is housed within the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), and forms a joint think tank with offices in Washington, D.C., and Stockholm, Sweden.The article, titled ‘Chessboard No More: the Rise of Central Asia’s International Agency’ was published on 3 October 2023.In the opening part of the article, they write: ‘Central Asia is often portrayed through metaphors such as a “Grand Chessboard” or a “Great Game,” which suggest that the players in the game are the great powers, and the Central Asian states are merely pawns in this game. This might have been a plausible argument thirty years ago. But today, thirty years into independence, it is abundantly clear that Central Asian states have agency at the regional and even global level.’The articles at CACI have a standard format: A short description, Background, Implications and Conclusions.In the ‘Background’ part of the article, they write: ‘All five Central Asian states have taken decisive steps to assert themselves in such a way as to prevent major powers East and West from taking them for granted or curbing their sovereignty. They have often done so subtly in order not to evoke countermeasures.’In the ‘Conclusions’ part of the article, they write: ‘It remains to be seen whether and in what ways major powers will acknowledge the rising agency of Central Asian states. What is already clear, however, is that “divide and conquer” policies will no longer be effective tools for dealing with the states of Central Asia, which will increasingly use their power of agency to ameliorate and shape the approaches of major powers.’Therefore, the idea that Central Asia can be someone’s zone of influence needs to be boxed and placed in the bin.Actually, the region has been following a de facto policy of neutrality for quite some time.UN General Assembly resolution 76/299 of 28 July 2022 declares Central Asia as Zone of Peace, Trust, and Cooperation.The resolution was initiated by Turkmenistan and sponsored by many members of the UN.“Dr. Aksoltan Ataeva, the permanent representative of Turkmenistan at the United Nations, expressing her gratitude to the General Assembly for its unanimous support in adopting a historic resolution for Central Asia by declaring it a zone of peace, trust and cooperation, pointed out that the concept of such zones enables the international community to create long-term security guarantees.” [UN News, 16 May 2023]The position taken by Central Asia under this resolution comes very close to being a neutral region determined to maintain balance.There are just two rules for the successful partnership with the region: 1. There should be the separation of politics and economy; and 2. All interactions must be based on equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. /// nCa, 23 July 2024 Related posts: