Abstract
The present volume Central Asia: Geopolitics, Security and Stability by Ajay Patnaik provides another/different dimension to the understanding about the geopolitics of Central Asia. The main argument of the book is that the security in the region would be sustainable only if there is intra-regional cooperation. Even through serious interstate cooperation between the Central Asian (CA) state is missing, the region is still not having conflict and wars. This is one of the reasons that the CA states enjoy greater strategic autonomy in their dealing with external powers, especially the USA and Russia. The action of other regional powers like China, Iran and Turkey are discussed in detail along with India’s ‘Silk Road’ strategy.
The author challenges the position of western scholars that Russia’s growing influence in CA is driven by neo-imperialistic ambition and argues that the CA leaders perceive Russia’s presence as the pre-eminent power in the region as useful. Author presents Russia, not as a hegemon but as a geopolitical balancer, with its hard and soft power in Eurasia against external security threats and other nonmilitary/non-traditional challenges.
The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter titled as ‘Geopolitics: Concept and Reality analyse’ the theoretical concept of ancient and contemporary geopolitical discourses. The importance of the region is discussed in detail through the great game between the super powers and the strategic moves of the USA and Russia. Author argues that ‘CA is not really a theatre of Great Game’ (p. 28). He discusses factors which recede the spectre of the New Great Game. The main reason is the involvement of other major power than Russia and the US. The rise of China and India and also the re-emergence of Russia. CA states have better opportunity of diversifying their political, economic and security relation.
The second chapter, ‘Security Concerns of Central Asian States’, explains the problems and threats in the region after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. There were number of riots and violent conflicts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The territorial disputes, presence of large ethnic minorities and the interethnic conflicts, the civil war within the states were the major challenges for the CA states. The CA states are facing the threat of religious extremism and terrorism. The ties between the terrorism and drugs are strong in the border region of CA states and Afghanistan. The borders between the states are disputed which create
tension between them. The other prominent cause of dispute is water. There is serious mismatch between the supply of the water among upstream and downstream countries (p. 39). The securitization of Caspian resources and regime stability are also analysed and explained.
The third chapter, ‘Energy Geopolitics in the Central Asia—Caspian Region’, deals with the significance of CA and Caspian region and tussle between Russia and the USA to make their presence in the region. The involvement of newly emerging economic powers like China and India, with their energy demands, provide CA and Caspian countries with alternative markets. The US strategic objectives and the energy diplomacy towards the region are evaluated through the western and eastern perceptions. By evaluating Russian foreign policy concepts author argues that Russia’s goal is integration of post-Soviet states in a common economic space (CES) and willingness to engage Ukraine and Georgia. ‘The Russian response to ‘neo-containment strategy’ has been to build a strong integrated space in the CIS and control the supply of energy resources to energydeficient states in Eurasia as well as in Europe’ (p. 82). In energy sector China has emerged as a prominent player with market, capital and technology and CA has natural resources, which make them mutually complimentary.
The forth chapter, titled ‘Russia in Central Asia: The Geopolitical Balancer’, presents Russia as a leading power in post-Soviet Central Asia and as a geopolitical balancer in the region. The idea of Eurasianism in Russia and Eurasianism in CA are discussed from the perception of CA states. Russia re-emerged under the Putin presidency and tried to reassert itself in the post-Soviet space. It is continuing its involvement in the region through aid and investment to increase its economic presence. It is seen by the CA states as geopolitical and strategic alternative and Russia’s presence in the region is beneficiary for regional security and stability.
The fifth chapter, titled ‘Central Asian States and Regional Powers: China, Iran, Turkey and India’, explains the role of these regional powers and their relations with CA states. China, India and Turkey are economic and military powers and Iran also has potential to play a prominent role as a regional power after the international sanctions are lifted. The Sixth chapter deals with the CA regionalism and regional mechanisms. Factors for developing a regional organization and the need for regionalism are explained. The effort from inside and outside, by the USA and EU supported and Russia and China backed organizations, are discussed.
In the seventh chapter, author analyses the challenges and prospect of regional stability. The diversified and multi-vector foreign policy helped CA states in attracting greater investment, capital and technology inflow and building new pipelines to destinations outside the Russian influence. From the security point of view, Russia plays a leading role and it is in a position to help CA states to face the internal security and cross border threats. The West is more interested in economics, democracy, human rights, promoting new pipelines directed to the West. CA states are trying to take advantage of the multi-power involvement in the region and to extract the maximum benefit without becoming subordinate to any big power (p. 205).
The regional stability of the CA states would depend on the relation between states within CA and higher level of interstate cooperation. The weakest aspect of the regional stability is the absence of deeper intra-regional cooperation. So the CA states have to engage with each other bilaterally to develop strong mutual trust to face internal and external threats in the region. Considering this factor, the book analyses the involvement of super and regional powers in the CA region and CA states response to it. It marks an important contribution to the existing literature on the subject. The volume provides a well-argued analysis of geopolitics in Central Asia. The book is useful for policy makers, academia and students.