“A lot of noise in the Russian media was caused by talks between Tashkent and Washington on establishing the Center for Rapid Response on the territory of Uzbekistan and the intention of the Americans to leave most of the exported military equipment on the Uzbek territory. Despite the fact that a clear decision on the possibility of creating such a base has not been accepted yet, the Russian side expressed its extreme concern. But even if the U.S. military presence in Uzbekistan remains in some form after the withdrawal of ISAF troops in Afghanistan, it could not be regarded as a challenge to Russian interests, since Uzbekistan itself is not interested in such a scenario”, - director of the private research and educational center "Bilim Karvon" ("Caravan of knowledge"), Farhad Tolipov.
Experts
- Position : PIR Center Executive Director, PIR Center Education and Training Program Director
News
"The new president of Afghanistan, who will replace Karzai in 2014, should not only be a good military commander and organizer, but he must also bring fresh ideas and new values to the Afghan people." – Vadim Kozyulin, Senior Research Fellow at the PIR Center.
“Syrian authorities have agreed to form a group for negotiation with opposition. But the gap between the Syrian regime and the Syrian rebels is very wide. After the developments of the past two years, it is most unlikely that the two parties will be able to achieve a diplomatic settlement of this conflict and negotiations seem to be an unrealistic option at this stage. The Syrian conflict could be settled on the battlefield, not at the negotiation table. Rebel forces are making steady progress, even if a slow one. The US veto on arms supply to the Syrian rebels makes it likely that the stalemate will continue and there will be no quick end to this conflict”, - Chairman and Founder of the Gulf Research Center, President of Sager Group Holding, Abdulaziz Sager.
Security in Central Asia and Russia
"The key issue of security and development in Central Asia – the harmonization of interests. Given the continuing disagreement among states in the region, it is now more important than ever to establish ongoing dialogue on the basis of a joint assessment of threats. Only then can we really turn towards effective partnership in the field of security".
Gennady Evstafiev, Lieutenant-General (ret.), Member of PIR Center’s Advisory Board
On the one hand the immediate proximity to a region where instability is escalating reveals a number of challenges to international security, on the other hand the region also reveals high energy potential. For this reason Central Asia has become a region of interest and concern for Russia, U.S., EU, China,India, Iran and Pakistan. However, the situation is changing. It is increasingly clear that the goals that were set are unlikely to be achieved without the active involvement of Russian security projects. It is necessary to increase the effectiveness of regional cooperation mechanisms through organizations such as - SCO, CSTO, EurAsEC.
PIR Center’s project "Security in Central Asia and Russia" defines the main vectors of rivalry and cooperation in the region.
The objective of the project is to answer the question of the optimal strategy of behavior of Russia in Central Asia.
PIR Center Analysis
What is the current disposition of forces in Afghanistan? Are there any prospects for a return to normalcy in the country in the wake of the ISAF drawdown, and how will it affect the security situation in Afghanistan and Central Asia? Why is Washington in such a hurry to pull out large troop numbers...
In Uzbekistan, all the modern institutions such as the media, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, the constitution, political parties, par-liament and elections, are little more than superficial ornamentation. As in many other post-Soviet countries, real politics happens behind the thick wall...
The main support to the Nazarbayev regime comes from a relatively stable group of 10-12 people sometimes referred to as the Old Guards. This group has shaped in its current form in the early 2000s; it consists of people highly trusted by the president. Along with the Old Guards, the Kazakhstan burea...