Till the late 1980s, the current Central Asian states were part of a great big giant that we used to call the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. When the USSR collapsed, it resulted in the emergence of new states that promised to usher the region into a new era of political and economic reforms where they would not be getting their playbooks from the Kremlin.
However, it was the sort of division that was never really going to be one, considering the fact that the fates of Central Asian states have always been intertwined with that of Russia. Russia might not hold dominion over the region but the old inclination towards Russia was never going to diminish. Detaching themselves completely from Russia was never going to happen and even today, it is quite apparent that deep down, these states have not really moved on from independence and heavily rely on Moscow for sustenance.
However, things might change now that a new player is in town, clad in shiny armor and all the tools that could woo away the audiences. China has formed quite a partnership with Russia in a bid to further its regional strategy and take it very close to the European borders, something that has the Old Continent worried and could in the near future, also make the Russians feels insecure.
Russia, China and Central Asia not only share borders, but also follow the same ideology that has made such a triumvirate possible.
As things stand, two out of five Central Asian states have enough financial clout to support their economy but even then, they cannot achieve their lofty ambitions without the help of Russia and China because the landlocked states have historically relied heavily upon trade routes. For this reason, these states have no choice but to maintain cordial relations with their neighbors for their survival and to ensure that they do not end up being on the wrong side of the mountain if things go south.
Keeping these things in mind, these states were quick to join hands with both regional giants on every platform, including CIS, BRICS and SCO.
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