When Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February 2022, many countries saw opportunities open up in Central Asia as Russian influence receded.
Disruptions to traditional Russian supply chains and to trade routes that run through Russia, as well as the sight of some one million Russians passing through Central Asia in 2022 en route to third countries to escape conscription or persecution for anti-war sentiment were cause for Central Asian governments to reassess their relationship with Russia and seek alternative partners.
The five Central Asian countries have thus welcomed the surge of interest in their region. Many countries that were on the margins of Central Asian foreign policy have become far more important since Russia’s march into Ukraine and that’s particularly the case with some Arab states.
Diplomatic tiesOn April 15, the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United …