by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. - The Heritage Foundation - WebMemo #1124
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
On June 15 members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will gather for their annual meeting at the birthplace of this Eurasian bloc—Shanghai. Since its modest economic beginnings in 2001, when it facilitated China’s return into its Central Asian backyard for the first time in almost 1,000 years, the SCO has become a Eurasian powerhouse with an increasingly strong military component. The United States should watch for anti-American developments at the SCO while exploring ways to establish a dialogue with it.
Central Asian SCO members and observers—Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—are in dire need of political modernization and economic development, and Kazakhstan can act as a role model. Kazakhstan plans to move away from energy and raw material foundations to machine building, construction and services. Almaty, the business capital, is in the midst of a construction boom and is now dotted with glittering shopping malls and shiny new cars. High oil prices have more than quadrupled Kazakhstan’s per capita income over the last decade, and oil production is scheduled to reach 3.5 million barrels a day by 2012.
Unfortunately, the majority of the states in Central Asia has taken a different course and remains largely under the influence of China and Russia. There is no doubt as to China and Russia’s intentions in Central Asia—to gain control of natural resources and check U.S. influence in the region. The growing power and influence of the SCO indicate that they may be succeeding.
The U.S. should develop its relationship with Kazakhstan and warmly greet President Nazarbaev when he visits in September. The U.S. should also encourage democratization, property rights protection, and free market economic policies in Kazakhstan and, as much as possible, in other SCO countries, especially Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Regional wealth creation will go a long way to stem the rise of radical Islam. A dose of modern secular education and the encouragement of more peaceful variants of Islam, such mystical Sufism, would also help.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
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Tuesday, November 07, 2006
The Shanghai Summit, Kazakhstan and mystical Sufism
by Ariel Cohen, Ph.D. - The Heritage Foundation - WebMemo #1124
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
On June 15 members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will gather for their annual meeting at the birthplace of this Eurasian bloc—Shanghai. Since its modest economic beginnings in 2001, when it facilitated China’s return into its Central Asian backyard for the first time in almost 1,000 years, the SCO has become a Eurasian powerhouse with an increasingly strong military component. The United States should watch for anti-American developments at the SCO while exploring ways to establish a dialogue with it.
Central Asian SCO members and observers—Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—are in dire need of political modernization and economic development, and Kazakhstan can act as a role model. Kazakhstan plans to move away from energy and raw material foundations to machine building, construction and services. Almaty, the business capital, is in the midst of a construction boom and is now dotted with glittering shopping malls and shiny new cars. High oil prices have more than quadrupled Kazakhstan’s per capita income over the last decade, and oil production is scheduled to reach 3.5 million barrels a day by 2012.
Unfortunately, the majority of the states in Central Asia has taken a different course and remains largely under the influence of China and Russia. There is no doubt as to China and Russia’s intentions in Central Asia—to gain control of natural resources and check U.S. influence in the region. The growing power and influence of the SCO indicate that they may be succeeding.
The U.S. should develop its relationship with Kazakhstan and warmly greet President Nazarbaev when he visits in September. The U.S. should also encourage democratization, property rights protection, and free market economic policies in Kazakhstan and, as much as possible, in other SCO countries, especially Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Regional wealth creation will go a long way to stem the rise of radical Islam. A dose of modern secular education and the encouragement of more peaceful variants of Islam, such mystical Sufism, would also help.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
On June 15 members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will gather for their annual meeting at the birthplace of this Eurasian bloc—Shanghai. Since its modest economic beginnings in 2001, when it facilitated China’s return into its Central Asian backyard for the first time in almost 1,000 years, the SCO has become a Eurasian powerhouse with an increasingly strong military component. The United States should watch for anti-American developments at the SCO while exploring ways to establish a dialogue with it.
Central Asian SCO members and observers—Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—are in dire need of political modernization and economic development, and Kazakhstan can act as a role model. Kazakhstan plans to move away from energy and raw material foundations to machine building, construction and services. Almaty, the business capital, is in the midst of a construction boom and is now dotted with glittering shopping malls and shiny new cars. High oil prices have more than quadrupled Kazakhstan’s per capita income over the last decade, and oil production is scheduled to reach 3.5 million barrels a day by 2012.
Unfortunately, the majority of the states in Central Asia has taken a different course and remains largely under the influence of China and Russia. There is no doubt as to China and Russia’s intentions in Central Asia—to gain control of natural resources and check U.S. influence in the region. The growing power and influence of the SCO indicate that they may be succeeding.
The U.S. should develop its relationship with Kazakhstan and warmly greet President Nazarbaev when he visits in September. The U.S. should also encourage democratization, property rights protection, and free market economic policies in Kazakhstan and, as much as possible, in other SCO countries, especially Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Regional wealth creation will go a long way to stem the rise of radical Islam. A dose of modern secular education and the encouragement of more peaceful variants of Islam, such mystical Sufism, would also help.
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