Central Asia: Uzbekistan’s suspension of CSTO membership

Uzbekistan’s change of stance against the Russian block and favouring American block led to the suspension of its CSTO membership, resulting in the shifting of the international focus from Afghanistan to Central Asia.

Uzbekistan till recent times was the sixth member nation of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation); a Russian dominated organisation of post-soviet states in defence sector. The other nations are Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. CSTO is considered to be one of the most powerful blocks in central Asia after the break down of Soviet Union in 1990s. Uzbekistan’s suspension from the block has led to the assumption of many theories from the analysts. Uzbekistan is having a geostrategic location sharing borders with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the most importantly Afghanistan. You can buy images of the map showing the strategic and land locked location of Uzbekistan. This is not the first time it has distanced itself from the CSTO.

Islam Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan for the last 22 years has always been guided by a pragmatic foreign policy. Once in 1990 Uzbekistan joined the American led GUUAM, it consisted of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova. During the same period U.S. had set up an air base in Khanabad, you can buy exclusive images from the internet about this issue. The main aim of U.S. was to have a base in Central Asia. It was the Andijan massacre led by the Islam Karimov government that brought about several sanctions and expulsion of Uzbekistan from the western group. It was only Russia at that time who welcomed Uzbekistan back in the CSTO. Russia and neighbouring Kazakhstan have always shared a cordial relation which is visible through its strong economic relations and robust growth rate. Thus in comparison to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan has always secured a second place in the region, which has been a major point of concern for Karimov for a long time.

Since the 26/11, America has been looking forward for several strategic locations around Afghanistan, apart from Pakistan. To renew its ties with Uzbekistan, it removed the bans and sanctions it had imposed after the Andijan massacre. In 2009, Washington also signed a military pact under the pretext that human rights situation in Uzbekistan has improved. You can buy content explaining the details of the agreement and its consequences on Uzbekistan. In order to build strong partnership, U.S. has agreed to handover non-lethal weapons to Uzbekistan, whereas Karimov hopes to acquire lethal weapons too.

Islam Karimov is making every possible move in order to build strategic partnership with U.S. in central Asia in order to bring about its supremacy amongst the neighbours. It is happening at a time, when Uzbekistan is undergoing water dispute with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for the two main rivers of the region, The Amu Darya and Syr Darya. It claims that the building of dams on these rivers by its two neighbouring countries would lead to shortage of water for its farmers during the farming season. Russia has decided to take a neutral stand on it, in spite of the fact that it is the Russian companies which will be constructing the dams. You can buy news articles and keep yourself updated with the recent happenings in central Asia. The changing geo political situation in Central Asia has shifted the focus of attention from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan. It has long been a cherished dream of the US to have a permanent base in Central Asia in order play a key role in the happenings of the region.

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