Central Asia among giants: taking a leaf from ASEAN

• Main Author: Pantucci, Raffaello
• Other Authors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
• Format: Commentary
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science; Country and Region Studies; International Political Economy
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168811
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Sandwiched between China and Russia, with which they have just held high profile engagements, and eager to develop relationships further afield, the five countries of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – feel at the heart of international tensions. They are currently juggling a complicated web of relationships both locally and further afield, but in a world of growing geopolitical tensions between great powers, a more durable answer is going to have to come from within. Looking to emulate the ASEAN model could be one way to navigate these choppy waters.