The region of Central Asia has increasingly become the focus of public interest as a bridge between the Middle East, Russia, and Asia since the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) withdrawal from Afghanistan. The international strategic importance of the five Central Asian states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan is great. But how stable is the region? Is a new foreign-policy flashpoint emerging there?

The GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH), two Hamburg institutes, wish to assess the prospects for security in Central Asia. They cordially invite you to a series of round-table discussions made up of a selected group of representatives from politics, academia, the military, the media, and civil society.

Part IV:

The View from Outside: Strategies of Neighbouring States Towards Central Asia

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian republics have reappeared in the spotlights of the regional powers. There is already talk about a new "Great Game" to describe the regional spheres of interest in Central Asia. Raw materials, new markets, and trade routes; the region’s geographical location; and cultural ties have aroused the interest and greed of large neighbouring states and powers from further afield. However, the Central Asian states are not mere pawns in a game of geostrategic chess; rather, they are decidedly pursuing their own interests. At the fourth GIGA–IFSH Round Table the views and strategies of the regional powers of China and Iran towards Central Asia will be analysed. Also under discussion will be the question of how the Central Asian regimes are looking to exploit external powers, including Russia and the European Union, for their own purposes.

Speaker: Dr. Dr. Nele Noesselt (GIGA) Prof. Dr. Henner Fürtig (GIGA) Dr. Anna Kreikemeyer (IFSH)

Moderation: Dr. Sandra Destradi (GIGA)

Past roundtables:

21.05.2015: Wie stabil sind die autoritären Regime in Zentralasien und welches außenpolitische Verhalten ist daraus abzuleiten? 18.06.2015: What Happens Next in Afghanistan and What Does This Mean for Central Asia 17.09.2015: Islam in Central Asia. Is There A Threat of Extremist Radicalisation?